If you've ever been to an European restaurant, there's a good chance that thin and crunchy breadsticks were the only food on the table before an actual meal arrive. It turns out that you can make these traditional Italian breadsticks (Grissini) with freshly milled flour too! And they're better for it. Add some Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and sourdough starter for a savory snack that is crisp and packed with whole grain flavor. Long fermentation also gives them all the health benefits we're all after.
Grissini originated in the Piedmont region of Italy, but have spread over the better part of Europe in the last decades. While they're served year-round, they are especially popular during holidays, family gatherings, and parties because they're easy to prepare ahead of time and pair nicely with cheeses, dips, soups, and cured meats.
The best part is that they're surprisingly simple to make, and can be served as an appetizer at almost any occasion!
If you're looking for something savory to quickly put on the table, I also have a great fresh milled sourdough pizza toast recipe! Or you can go for fresh milled sourdough pizza rolls if you have more time on hands.
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 5–7 hours (mostly hands-off)
- Servings: About 20–30 breadsticks
- Difficulty: Easy
- Baking Method: Oven-baked
- Best For: Snacking, appetizers, parties, light sides
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini (Twisted Italian Breadsticks)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh-Milled Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough starter gives these time to develop awesome flavor
- Fresh milled flour builds structure and texture, provides all the nutrition
- Olive oil + Parmesan adds richness and Italian inspired taste
- Simple seasoning this is where you can change the whole flavor and suit it to your liking
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use hard red wheat berries too, be be prepared for the grissini to have a slightly stronger taste.
- You can use up to 50% kamut flour if that's your preference.
- Swap Parmesan with any hard cheese you have on hand (and like the taste of!)
- Add herbs, seeds, or spices for different flavor versions
How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, sugar, salt, parmesan, and sifted flour. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, and leave it for about 5 mins (Image 1). Then switch to hand mixing and do that for about 3 minutes, until the dough gets a bit smoother. The dough should almost resemble a stiff bread dough in consistency. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled (Image 2). In a warm kitchen, this usually takes around 4–6 hours.
Step 3: After the bulk fermentation, prepare two pieces of parchment paper and flour one generously (use cornmeal if you have it, and flour if you don’t). Put the dough onto the floured piece of parchment paper, flour the dough as well, and start patting it and spreading it onto the parchment paper. Flour the dough again, and put the other piece of parchment paper over it. Then roll it as thin as possible (Image 3), using a rolling pin. The shape doesn’t matter that much, but aim to spread it evenly between the pieces of parchment paper. When you’re done, take the upper parchment paper off.
Step 4: Cut the dough into thin strips using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cutting from one long edge of the dough to the other. Lightly brush the surface with olive oil, or use an olive oil spray for an even coating. Generously sprinkle your chosen topping (Image 4) over the strips.
Step 5: To shape the grissini, pick up one strip and hold an end in each hand. Gently lift it off the work surface, fold it in half by bringing the ends together, and twist the two strands around each other (Image 5). As you continue twisting, the dough will naturally stretch into a long breadstick.
Step 6: Transfer the twisted grissini to a parchment-lined baking sheet (Image 6). If you run out of space on your work surface, move some of the shaped grissini to a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper and continue shaping the remaining strips. I sometimes run out of place there too and at that point, I simply leave some grissini untwisted.
Preheat the oven at 175°C (350°F). Let the breadsticks rest for about 15–30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, then turn the heat up to 220°C (430°F) for another 5-10 minutes. The grissini should feel dry and crisp with deep brown edges.The idea is to dry them out first, and then bake them to perfection. If they soften after cooling, return them to a low oven at 120°C (250°F) for another 10–15 minutes to fully dry out.
Hint: or the crispiest grissini, focus on rolling the dough as thin and evenly as possible. Thin strips dry out more effectively during baking and develop a classic crunchy texture that makes Italian breadsticks different (an better!) than other kinds.
Baking Schedule
8:00 AM: Mix the dough and rest for 30 minutes.
8:30 AM: Transfer to a greased bowl and begin bulk fermentation.
2:30 PM: Dough should be puffy and nearly doubled.
2:40 PM: Roll, cut, season, and shape the grissini.
3:00 PM: Allow shaped grissini to rest while the oven preheats.
3:15 PM: Begin baking.
3:40 PM: Cool completely before serving.
💭Crucial Success Tips
Keep an eye on these while they bake. Not only do the home ovens vary a lot in how string they are, but you'll probably make a different grissini every time you'll make them, because you're creating a unique thinness and shape for each one. In my experience, they're done the moment you start noticing they're browning nicely.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Both active starter and recently fed discard work well in this recipe. Active starter may provide a bit better rise during fermentation, but discard still produces great flavor.
The most common causes are rolling the dough too thick or not baking long enough to fully dry the breadsticks. If they soften after cooling, return them to a low oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Freshly milled hard white wheat is a great choice because it provides the structure you need while maintaining a lighter flavor. Hard red wheat creates a more robust whole grain taste.
How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini
Once fully cooled, store the grissini in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Because fresh milled flour retains more natural oils, these breadsticks are best enjoyed within the first few days for maximum freshness and crunch.
If they begin to soften, place them in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes to restore their crisp texture.
For longer storage, freeze completely cooled grissini in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature and refresh in a low oven if needed.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Fresh Milled Sourdough Burger Buns
- Soft Fresh-Milled Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Bread Rolls with Freshly Milled Spelt (Sourdough Version)
- 100% Fresh Milled Sourdough in a Loaf Pan (The Two-Pan Method)
If you tried these fresh milled sourdough grissini (twisted italian breadsticks) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini (Twisted Italian Breadsticks)
Ingredients
- 40 g sourdough starter
- 140 g warm water
- 10 g olive oil
- 5 g sugar or honey
- 4 g salt
- 250 g fresh milled hard white wheat flour
- 10 g Parmesan cheese
- Fine cornmeal or corn flour *see notes!
- Oregano
- Sesame seeds
- Poppy seeds
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Chili flakes
- Black pepper
- Everything bagel seasoning
Method
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, sugar, salt, parmesan, and sifted flour. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, and leave it for about 5 mins. Then switch to hand mixing and do that for about 3 minutes, until the dough gets a bit smoother. The dough should almost resemble a stiff bread dough in consistency. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled. In a warm kitchen, this usually takes around 4–6 hours.
- After the bulk fermentation, prepare two pieces of parchment paper and flour one generously (use cornmeal if you have it, and flour if you don’t). Put the dough onto the floured piece of parchment paper, flour the dough as well, and start patting it and spreading it onto the parchment paper. Flour the dough again, and put the other piece of parchment paper over it. Then roll it as thin as possible, using a rolling pin. The shape doesn’t matter that much, but aim to spread it evenly between the pieces of parchment paper. When you’re done, take the upper parchment paper off.
- Cut the dough into thin strips using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cutting from one long edge of the dough to the other. Lightly brush the surface with olive oil, or use an olive oil spray for an even coating. Generously sprinkle your chosen topping over the strips.
- To shape the grissini, pick up one strip and hold an end in each hand. Gently lift it off the work surface, fold it in half by bringing the ends together, and twist the two strands around each other. As you continue twisting, the dough will naturally stretch into a long breadstick.
- Transfer the twisted grissini to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you run out of space on your work surface, move some of the shaped grissini to a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper and continue shaping the remaining strips. I sometimes run out of place there too and at that point, I simply leave some grissini untwisted.Preheat the oven at 175°C (350°F). Let the breadsticks rest for about 15–30 minutes while the oven preheats.Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, then turn the heat up to 220°C (430°F) for another 5-10 minutes. The grissini should feel dry and crisp with deep brown edges.The idea is to dry them out first, and then bake them to perfection. If they soften after cooling, return them to a low oven at 120°C (250°F) for another 10–15 minutes to fully dry out.
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