Turin-style Breadsticks Recipe

Emporio Rulli’s Grissini Torinesi (Turin-style Breadsticks) 
Makes about 5 dozen  

The Dough 
1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
1½ cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees) 
3 cups plus
 2 tablespoons unbleached bread flour
 2/3 cup semolina flour
 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon kosher salt For shaping 
½ cup unbleached bread flour 
½ cup semolina flour
 ½ teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon water 

 For the dough: 
In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast over ¼ cup of the lukewarm water and let stand 2 minutes to soften.
Whisk with a fork to dissolve the yeast, and let stand 5 minutes to activate.               

 In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast-water mix, bread flour, semolina flour, butter, olive oil, salt and remaining 1¼ cups of water. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed for about 10 minutes; the dough will clear the sides of the bowl.

 Alternately, mix the dough by hand with a wooden spoon, and then knead by hand for 10 minutes.                 
Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the dough with the oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  

For Shaping: 
Combine the bread flour, semolina flour and salt in a small bowl and stir to blend. 
In another small bowl, combine the olive oil and water.                 

Lightly oil 4 heavy-rimmed baking sheets (or bake in batches).                 

Sprinkle the work surface thickly with the flour mixture. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and flatten it with a rolling pin into an 18 x 6 inch rectangle. If the dough feels too soft and slack to shape the breadsticks, transfer the dough to a floured sheet pan and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it. Return it to the floured work surface before continuing.               

 Brush the surface of the rectangle with the oil-water mixture, and then sprinkle generously with some of the flour mixture. With a chef’s knife cut the dough into 6 inch by ¼ inch strips, cutting just a few at a time. With your hands, pick up each strip by the ends. The dough is so supple that it will elongate as you lift it. Allow each strip to become only as long as the baking sheet, then arrange them side by side on the baking sheet, close but not touching. Let rise about 30 minutes.                

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the breadsticks until caramel-brown all the way through (test by breaking one open), about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack. Per Breadstick: 50 calories, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 0 fiber.  


I add about ½ c finely grated parmesan cheese and a scant ½ teaspoon of black pepper. I have sprinkled kosher salt and cracked pepper on the baking sheets and also placed ample amounts of grated parmesan cheese on a sheet and the more cheese on top of the unbaked breadstick. We like the cheese ones best, but the plain ones a re really good as well.


Source: thefreshloaf.com