Tried this the first time for Thanksgiving and they were excellent.
They were even better two days later when they were overheated in the
oven and developed a great hard crust and a nice chewy interior.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Grissini Torinesi - Breadsticks from Turin
Recipe By : Galli
1/2 cup warm water
5 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups cool water
1/2 cup biga
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Dissolve yeast in small bowl - 15 minutes. Place flour in large bowl,
stir in salt and add yeast, cool water and biga. Mix.
Knead while turning bowl. Fold from side of bowl to center vigorously.
Slap dough back into bowl. and knead until dough comes away from sides
cleanly. Knead on surface about 20 minutes on and off. Return to bowl.
Form well in center and break butter into small pieces adding it to well
along with olive oil. Gently knead until thoroughly incorporated. Dough
will come apart, but will come together again. Shape into ball. Place in
oiled covered bowl and let rise. about 1 hour.
Turn onto well floured surface. With fingertips press out most of air
while forming into 9" x 6" rectangle. Fold about 1/2" of farthest edge
toward you like wrapping silverware in napkin. Introduce some tension so
that roll is tight and try not to extend length. It will be a fat roll -
about 6" in diameter - when done. When you reach edge nearest you, seal
edge with heel of hand.
Rub olive oil on section of work area about 1 1/2 times the size of the
roll. Place roll here, cover and let rise about one hour. Preheat oven
425.
Have 2 baking sheets ready. Uncover dough roll and brush it all over
with oil. Using sharp serated knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/4" wide
pieces, pulling each piece gently away from roll as you cut it. Cut
several pieces at a time and then form them into bread sticks. With one
hand, grasp top and other the bottom of each piece. Pick it up and
gently move hands outward and parallel. The dough will begin to stretch
easily once it is lifted from surface. Stretch to about 12" in length
and place cross\wise on baking sheet. Mist generously, and place in
oven. Bake 5 minutes and then mist again. Bake about 20-25 minutes.
GRISSINI AL SESAME - with sesame seeds
Prepare dough to point where it is brushed with olive oil. Measure one
cup sesame seeds and drop generous handfull alog length of roll and then
spread them all along with finger. As you cut dough, pull remaining
pieces through seeds. Continue as above.
GRISSINI AL PAPAVERO - with poppy seeds
As above, but substitute poppy seeds for sesame seeds.
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