Italian Breadsticks

When we were starving college students in Italy (starving because we spent all our money on weekend get-a-ways and clothes at Benetton) my friends and I would sit for hours in one of the little restaurants in the Piazza del Campo and sip caffè lattes and nibble on grissini. In America this would be like going to a coffee shop, ordering the cheapest drink on the menu and eating all the packages of crackers on the table. But in Italy the free "crackers" are better. Much better.

The most common type - grissini stirato (straight) - are long, crisp, pinky-finger-width breadsticks that are often found on tabletops in tall glasses.  Grissini were the brain-child of Don Baldo Pecchio who created them for Vittorio Amedeo II, the Duke of Savoy. As a small child the Duke suffered from food poisoning, ironically caused by bread, which at the time was under-baked and thus prone to pathogens. Remembering the small, thin breads his mother made him as a child when he ailed from similar intestinal disfunctions, Don Baldo ordered the Court's master baker to create thin twice-baked sticks. Keeping them thin and twice baking the bread killed any micro-organism, thus making them clean and safe to eat. It's said that these hygienic "miracle" breadsticks cured the Duke, who then grew to become the first Savoy King.

Grissini
Adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light, January 2003

1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1  cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3  cups bread flour, divided
1 1/4  teaspoons  salt
Cooking spray
1  teaspoon water
1  large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2  cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
1  tablespoon cracked black pepper
2  teaspoons cornmeal, divided

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.

Combine 1 teaspoon water and egg white, stirring with a whisk; brush evenly over dough. Sprinkle dough with cheese and pepper. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap. Gently press toppings into dough; remove plastic wrap.

Sprinkle each of 2 baking sheets with 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Cut dough in half lengthwise to form 2 (12 x 4-inch) rectangles. Cut each of the rectangles crosswise into 12 (1-inch) strips.

Working with 1 strip at a time (cover remaining strips to prevent drying), gently roll each strip into a log. Holding ends of log between forefinger and thumb of each hand, gently pull log into a 14-inch rope, slightly shaking it up and down while pulling. (You can also roll each strip into a 14-inch rope on a lightly floured surface.) Place the rope on a prepared pan, curving into a series of shapes so that the rope fits on pan.

Repeat procedure with remaining strips, placing 12 on each pan. Lightly coat ropes with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450°.