Classic crispy Italian breadsticks, also known as grissini in Italy, are great as a snack or served on the side of any meal. These are simple to make and taste just like they came from a restaurant!
Grissini breadsticks are one of those things I had to make over and over again until I got the recipe just right. The ingredients, the thickness and length of each strip of dough, the temperature and baking time, the saltiness—they all make a big difference when making grissini. But it was all worth the hard work because I’m about to share with you a delicious restaurant-quality breadsticks recipe.
How to make grissini breadsticks
Making homemade breadsticks is much simpler than you might think!
- Make the dough. Using a mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix all ingredient on low speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix for another 5 minutes.
- Let the dough rise. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for one hour at room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the breadsticks. Divide dough into 24 pieces, each weighing about 25g (1 oz). Roll each piece into a log that is roughly 10-inches long ¼-1/2 inch wide, depending on how thick you want them. Keep in mind that the breadsticks will expand during baking. Place on prepared baking sheets, allowing sufficient space between each stick. If you like, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or sesame seeds.
- Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and crisp. While the first batch is baking, cover the other baking sheet with plastic wrap until it’s ready to go into the oven.
Note: For parmesan breadsticks, reduce the salt by half and add 3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the dough.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Bread flour or all-purpose flour?
I’ve been making homemade breadsticks mostly with bread flour, but I tested the recipe with all-purpose flour and they tasted amazing! The texture isn’t quite as bready, but I like both versions.
Shaping grissini breadsticks
I usually split the dough into pieces and shape each one individually into a strip, however there is another trick if you prefer: lightly flour the work surface and shape the dough into a square, about 10×10-inches. Cut the dough into ½-inch wide (or thinner) strips. You can roll each strip with your fingertips for a rustic look or just leave it as is.
When shaping the strips, their size and how long or thick they are is totally up to you. I like them a bit thicker than the very thin Italian ones, but this recipe will work for either. Still, I suggest not making them thicker than ½-inch. If you choose to make them very thin, you’ll need to bake them for less time than the recipe suggests, just until they’re golden.
Note: Make sure the strips of dough are as equal as possible in size so that they bake evenly.
More of my favorite bread recipes
- No-Knead Bread: A delicious, rustic white bread that requires no kneading at all.
- Focaccia: Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Garlic Knots: There’s so much garlic flavor in these fluffy garlic knots.
- Perfect Challah: Lightly sweet, soft, fluffy, and fairy-free.
Crispy Italian Breadsticks (Grissini) Recipe
Classic crispy Italian bread sticks, great as a snack or on the side of any meal These are simple to make and taste just like they came from a restaurant!
Ingredients
Make the breadsticks:
- 2 ¾ cups (380g) bread flour or all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (195 ml) warm water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ¼ teaspoons fine salt
Optional:
- Olive oil , melted butter, or water, for brushing
- Sesame seeds or Parmesan cheese , for sprinkling
Instructions
-
Using a mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix all ingredients (flour, instant dry yeast, warm water, olive oil, butter, and salt) on low speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix for another 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for one hour at room temperature.
-
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Divide dough into 24 pieces, each weighing about 25g. Roll each piece into a log that is roughly 10-12 inches long, depending how thin you want them, and ¼-1/2 inch wide. Keep in mind that they will expand during baking. Place on prepared baking sheets, allowing sufficient space between each stick. If you like, brush them with oil or water and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or sesame seeds.
-
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and crisp. While the first batch is baking, cover the other baking sheet with plastic wrap until it’s ready to go into the oven.
-
Allow breadsticks to completely cool on a wire rack. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
*I prefer using bread flour because it provides more structure for the dough, but you can use all-purpose if that’s what you have on hand.
Kathleen Stickel says
Outstanding recipe! Thank you for perfecting the recipe. It’s everything thing you described and more. It’s definitely a true Italian breadstick, just like my Italian grandmothers used to make.
Susan says
Hi, Just curious – you don’t mention a temperature for the liquid. I’m assuming not cold, correct?
Shiran says
Yes, the water should be warm to the touch.
Richard says
The ideal dough temperature is 26c so if you do the following sum it will give you the required water temp
Double 26 = 52 then minus the flour temp gives you the water temp
Albert Bevia says
Love these type of crunchy brearsticks, this is a great recipe with easy to follow directions…great stuff
David R Campbell says
Just made these. Excellent! Thank you for the recipe.
Katarina says
These were great! Do you have any suggestions for other flavours?
Shiran says
I only tried it with chopped fresh thyme (about 2 tablespoons), and they were great. You can add chopped fresh rosemary or a few crushed garlic cloves.
raaa says
cold oil flavor :3
Ida says
Really tasty — I did slightly modify the recipe by first ensuring the water was at 120 degrees, and mixed it with the yeast before blending with remaining ingredients. Not sure if that changed the proof but it had a nice snap on the outside and just bread-y enough on the inside. Great flavor!
Heather says
Wonderful taste and texture. Used all purpose with Parmesan mixed in and brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with more Parmesan.
Missie Bender says
This recipe is excellent! I brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt before baking … delicious!
I made them as gifts over the holidays and everyone loved them. I just made them again and served them at a dinner party over the weekend. …rave reviews from all.
Cleo says
Hi there, I’m really looking forward to try this recipe. I’d like to know if it will still be possible to make them by hand without a mixture? Thanks!
Shiran says
It is possible, it would just take some extra work 🙂
anupriya agarwal says
Made it today -very easy to make and they came out yum!
Yarrow Morgan says
I’ve done it by hand and it was great. I used black pepper and kosher salt. Yum
Mindy says
Hi, may I know whether the dough is supposed to rise. I have left it out for more than an hour but it doesn’t seem to have risen.
Shiran says
It should rise, but not a lot, so it might be ok!
Tyler says
Since so little yeast is used in the recipe, I would recommend mixing the yeast with the warm (not hot) water and sugar. Stir a bit and let sit for about ten minutes and make sure there is a foamy layer. Now you know your yeast has come to life!
Kathy says
I made this recipe, following the directions exactly and the dough was very dry. Hard to work with. What am I doing wrong? The breadstick tasted good but didn’t have that pretty smooth look.
Leslie says
If you weighed the flour, 2.75 cups X 120gms/cup = 330 grams, not 380 as noted. Maybe a typo?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Leslie, I use 140g as my standard weight for a cup of flour:)
Andrea says
Can I use more olive oil instead of butter?
Shiran says
Yes, you can. If the dough will be too soft, add a bit more flour.
Barry Miles says
Made these with my daughter for a school project, and they came out amazing, thank you. She really enjoyed it, simple and effective.
Paolinos says
I baked them at 190 degrees C for 10 min. and then I lowered the oven to 100 degrees C. for 15 min… They were more crispy
Mike says
This seriously is the definitive “classic” Italian breadstick. Stick to the recipe and then start to play with things to put in the dough. I plan on doing some dry oregano in dough, and then brush with oil, kosher salt, and bake.
Allan says
I followed this recipe relatively faithfully for a dinner party last night and they went down a storm! More praise than I could ever have expected for breadsticks! I made the dough by hand. Brushed with olive oil, sprinkled on sesame seeds, first batch with grated Parmasan, 2nd with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. 190° was the correct temperature. I’ll make them again as I’ve been told to!
Petrina says
If I use salted butter and omit the fine salt, will it be virtually the same? Salt-free butter is so expensive!
Shiran says
It depends on the amount of salt in the butter, so I don’t know how much more salt you’ll need.
Ian says
How long can the dough stay before you bake them?
Hana the writer says
Deoends on how warm or humid your kitchen us. If warm one hour is ok if a bit cool ace it in an oven and turn it on very low just so it’d create the right environment for a dough to rise. Hope was helpful.
Tree says
I started the dough and then got busy with a meeting online … then punched the dough down twice while finishing the report. Finally got around to shaping and baking the breadsticks after a couple hours and the result was very nice. So, the dough can definitely sit longer than the time in the recipe 🙂
Hope Firenze says
These bread sticks are the best. Just made the Parmesan cheese version for my Italian father, which claimed they are better than the store bought version. What is the best way To store them to maintain their crispness?
Abby says
Made by hand as I couldn’t find my my dough hooks. Very easy and yummy
SVR says
Hi Abby – how long did you knead for by hand? Thanks!
Ben says
I made by hand – using a mixer takes the fun out of breadmaking IMO – and they came out quite nice. Much better than any shop-bought. The only modification I would make is to try to get a more golden crust. I brushed them with olive oil before cooking but that didn’t help. A little sugar in the dough recipe might work (should make the yeast more active too), or perhaps spraying with water or putting a tray of boiling water below them in the oven to provide steam for the first half of the cooking time.
Hana the writer says
Hi Ben..
I brushed them with egg white.
As I added an egg jnto the dough. When I first cracked it I separated a bit of the egg white, beat it and chilled it to use after the dough has risen. It Worked beautifully.
Krissy says
I’ve made these so many times! They are definitely a favorite in our house. I do have a question though: some times the bread sticks come out with different textures. Some are soft and chewy while others are crisp. I’ve even had a single bread sticks be crisp in some parts and chewy in others! Any ideas on why this is happening? We obviously prefer the crispy texture but I can’t figure it out!
Tracy Fisher says
Can I know how far in advance I can make these and how to store them?
Hana the writer says
I baked the sticks in a standard oven turned on from top and bottom. My issue is why they didn’t turn golden? Do they turn golden with you? Hope this was helpful.
liat says
Hi,
Ican’t eat butter.
Can i replace it with olive oil? I f yes- how much?
thx, Liat
Shiran says
Yes, you can replace it with 2 tablespoons oil.
jessica says
how many does this serve i need to make around 20 for making a banquet for my family
Shiran says
The recipe makes about 25 breadsticks.
Nana says
These breadsticks are aaaamazing. I’ve been making them for a while now. TO SAVE TIME I roll the entire dough out into the length of breadsticks I want. Then I cut 20-25 strips with a pizza slicer. I lay them down like that on a baking sheet and they puff up into the breadstick shape while baking. It saves soooo much time and the result is the same.
Hana the writer says
Nana you are a queen 👌🏻👌🏻 Thank You
Tyler says
I’ve tried this a couple times with all-purpose flour and it doesn’t work (following the recipe exactly). The dough is too dry to develop the gluten in AP flour. I kneaded the dough on and off for a couple hours and couldn’t get it to become smooth and elastic (switching between mixer on low and by hand with several rests). It wasn’t until I added about ¼ cup of water that I started getting even close to a window-pane state. After three hours of kneading by machine and hand I was too tired to carry on and got it very close to window pane. When I finally baked it most of the yeast died off from hours of kneading. The AP flour version definitely needs more water.
Hana the writer says
Hi Tyler..
Try adding an egg to AP flour if you don’t have bread flour cutting back a quarter cup of water.
I did it using AP flour I also cut half the amount of flour used in the recipe and replaced it with whole wheat flour for extra flavor adding a bit more water to quench whole wheat flour.
Try ground cumin seeds for flavoring.. brushjng the bread sticks with lightly beaten egg white before baking and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nigella seeds. Results? Boy, you can sell these. 😀👌🏻
Serene says
So tasty! Followed recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. They crisp up very nicely in the toaster oven after day one. A keeper!
Xtina says
Hi! Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Xtina, you can substitute vegetable oil but it will slightly alter the end result. The olive oil adds a lovely flavor to these breadstick, so I recommend sticking to the recipe if you can 🙂
Julia M says
I am in love with these breadsticks! Perfect. Just what i was looking for. Better than store bought.
Cris says
Best bread sticks ever!! Still crispy after 3 days😋😋
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Cris, so happy to hear! Thanks!
K says
How to store them to keep crunchy?
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hello! You can store them in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag like Ziploc. Store these on your counter or wherever you store your fresh bread.
Lynn Kempen says
I store them in a ziplock bag, and throw a couple paper towels in with them.
They stay crisp and fresh for a couple weeks.
For a dip to go with these sticks:
Whip cream cheese with a little milk/cream (could use a bit of other shredded cheese, too), plus minced or powdered: garlic, onion, cayenne, jalapeno, pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.
Decadent.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yum, Lynn! That sounds absolutely amazing! Thank you for recommending the dip, I’d love to try it! 🙂 Do you have exact measurements or a recipe link to the dip?
Hana says
A TIP: After dividing dough to 24 balls, cover to rest for 10 minutes then roll each into a short o 3in longs, cover again to rest for additional 10 minutes before you finally got to handle each rolling them out into desired lengths. A small ball could extend to form a 40 cm and more long. 🙂 This method helps in resting dough and making it more flexible. You won’t have to pull out forcefully no matter whatever type of flour you were using as it won’t separate even if you shaped them into pencils like I make them. I always use part fine semolina and sprinkle it with half a teaspoon of paprika. You won’t taste it only it enhances flavor. I made them with various flavors, sage, olives, cumin, oregano. Cumin was/is still my favorite.
Scott Forstie says
I made 3 batches (75 sticks in total) and they turned out great.
We’re using them as a table garnish for a wedding dinner.
I grated parmesan cheese over the breadstick dough before baking.
Just go wild with the grating and gently roll the dough sticks to and fro and they’ll pick up any unclaimed parm.
Thanks for the recipe.
Scott
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
This sounds like an amazing wedding dinner! Yum!
Beth Csapo says
need nutritional values, for instance, calories and carbohydrate value, etc.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Beth, while I don’t use a nutritional value tool on my website, here is a website that you can paste any recipe into to find out the nutritional values. This customizable feature is especially helpful if you make substitutions to the recipe or have a particular ingredient you add. https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Cheers, Stephanie
James says
Hi Beth,
Here’s another recipe analyzer I’ve found useful and accurate for mine https://recipecalorieanalyzer.com/
Jeffrey R Lantz says
Bland, but crunchy.
Sophie says
Sorry but do you put the olive oil in bread sticks or only brushed on top?
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Sophie, the 1/4 cup of olive oil goes into the breadstick dough. You can also brush some on top if you wish.