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Homemade Semolina Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

These homemade semolina grissini (Italian breadsticks) are stunningly simple and incredibly addicting. They are savory and crispy, and they go with just about everything.

Grissini on cutting board with semolina flour and rolling pin.

What gives them their distinctive crunch? Semolina flour. And what is semolina flour? We can’t wait to tell you all about it.

(Blogger disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.)

What is Semolina Flour?

The two most common types of wheat used to make flour are soft wheat and durum wheat. Soft wheat is probably more recognizable to most of us who use common wheat flour. Durum wheat, on the other hand, is hard. (“Durum” actually means “hard” in Latin.)

Semolina flour in a bowl.

Dry Organic Semolina Durum Flour in a Bowl – Photo credit Simone Caponigro for ITALMOPA

Durum wheat is used to make semolina flour, which is slightly coarser than regular flour and is also more yellow or golden. It is higher in protein than regular flour.

We know semolina flour primarily because of its use in making pasta. But semolina has lots of other uses, including breads, dumplings, some cakes and other desserts, and of course these breadsticks.

Why Pure Flour from Europe?

We adapted this semolina grissini recipe from our friends at the “Pure Flour from Europe” campaign. The Pure Flour from Europe campaign is an educational campaign managed by ITALMOPA (the Italian Milling Industry Association) and co-founded by the European Union. Its goal is to promote Italian and European flours, which are among the finest in the world in terms of quality and versatility.

Bag of Molino Grassi semolina flour.

Molino Grassi semolina flour from Italy.

Italian and European flours preserve the flavors and nutritional elements of wheat while conforming with the strictest food safety regulations in Europe. (There are 15 levels in the food safety control network in Italy, in addition to the cross-checks carried out by the milling industry itself.)

Speaking of Italy, if you’re going to make grissini, you should also use the very best Italian olive oil – the award-winning Olio Piro olive oil from Tuscany (click on the picture for more info on Piro).

 

How Do You Make Grissini?

Don’t panic when you see that this is a yeast-based recipe – it is truly very straightforward! You make a simple yeast dough with the semolina flour, let it rise, and then cut it and roll it out by hand.

Rolling grissini dough with two hands.

By the way, the rolling process is very forgiving. If once of your pieces breaks, you can just roll it up again. These breadsticks have a rustic look, so they don’t have to be perfect.

Grissini on baking sheet.

See how they all line up nicely once you get them on the baking sheet?

Grissini (Italian Breadsticks) Recipe

Semolina Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

Crisp and savory breadsticks made with semolina flour.

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Keyword breadsticks, grissini, semolina, semolina flour
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 10
Author Adapted from Pure Flour from Europe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 3 cups organic semolina flour
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Stir the yeast into the water and let it sit for five minutes.

  2. Place the flour in a large bowl; then add the water-yeast mixture and the honey. Stir until you cannot stir it anymore; then begin to knead it. Add the oil slowly as you continue kneading it until it is well mixed.

  3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a towel, then let it rest at room temperature for two hours or until doubled in bulk.

  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface; then roll it out into a thickness of 1/2 inch. (You may need to do this in batches.) Ideally you should have a segment of dough that is at least 8 inches wide so you can cut it into 8-inch (or longer) strips.

  5. Slice the dough into strips that are about 1/2 inch by 8 inches. Then, using your hands, roll the strips slightly to smooth them and round them. Place the tubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  6. Bake in a 400 degree (F) oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Serving Semolina Grissini

Once you bake these semolina grissini – and they cool to room temperature – they are ready for anything. As long as you store them in an airtight bag or container, they should be good for a week.

Now – what do you do with them? The better question is what can’t you do with them. (True confession: Ever since we have made this recipe we have had a bag of grissini on our countertop, ready for use at any meal.)

We have eaten them: 1) With eggs in the morning. 2) With a salad for lunch. 3) With cheese as a snack. 4) With charcuterie as an appetizer. 5) With hearty soups or stews for dinner.

Grissini served on a bowl of salad.

Of course, those are all savory uses. If you’re feeling like you have a sweet tooth, you can eat them with jam or honey. Or even – dare we say it – dip them in melted chocolate? Any way you try them, you can’t go wrong. And as always, if you try them, let us know how it goes!

P.S. If you love Italian food – especially Italian tomatoes – try  making these breadsticks with Italian zucchini meatballs.

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