Grissini with Rosemary, Cheddar and Garlic : Bake-Along #75

The theme for our Bake-Along #75 is Grissini. I have always wanted to make Grissini but I guess I needed that push to do just that! So I selected Grissini as our theme bake-along with Lena and Zoe. 

Grissini are pencil thin, crisp breadsticks and originally from Northern Italy, and is a popular accompaniment to many Italian meals. They make simple, tasty snacks and are often served as an appetizer with pre-dinner drinks. There are many variations with different flavours ; cheeses, herbs, spices, as your creativity seems fit.

Most of the cookbooks on my bookshelf, have a Grissini recipe, and with different variations. I picked two recipes to try, and this is one of them. Even before I make this Grissini, I already knew that I would love it. Thin, crispy and savoury, already sounds good in my books! 

This recipe requires a few extra steps, comparing to other recipes that I've read. The dough needs to be made the day before, as it is required to be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

I've used fresh rosemary leaves from my garden pot, and instead of Asiago cheese (not available in the area where I live), I have used Cheddar. And I have added in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (I love this stuff!), for that added garlic kick and fragrance. 

The dough is mixed in the stand mixer with the dough hook. Divide the dough into four round balls, the dough are really doughy (gummy) at this point, and I could not make them in smooth round balls. Place them in a container which is sprinkled with flour (photo above), cover, let rest for 15 minutes, and refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours or overnight.

A note on the malt syrup : I have omitted it, as the book did indicate that malt syrup can be omitted for the recipes in the book, but would be a great addition if it is available. 

The next day, the container of dough is removed from the refrigerator and left on the kitchen counter for an hour or so, so that they loose their chill. But I have actually left them on my kitchen counter for about 3 hours, as I was pretty busy at that time! (yeah, should have made better plans on my baking day!).  Look at how they have doubled up. The dough have gone softer and very easy to work with.

I divided each round into two (recipe does not require this step), as I find it easier to roll it through the pasta machine with a smaller ball of dough. Flatten the dough, sprinkle some flour on both sides, and put them through the pasta machine at the highest setting. And place it once more at the pasta machine, this time using the setting for fettuccine at setting #5. 

There, my pasta machine finally gets to see the light of day! LOL! It has been hibernating in my kitchen cabinet for years! Now that it is finally out, I'll be using it for other "KIV projects", fingers crossed! 

Separate the strands and place them on lined-baking sheet, cutting them to fit the size of the tray, (and keeping in mind, about the size of the container that you are going to store them, even though you could break them up before storing, but it would be nice to have them as one whole piece!). Lightly brush the top of the strands with some olive oil, cover the tray with plastic wrap and keep aside for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. Bake as directed.

I baked the grissini at 375F for 15-18 minutes, rotating the trays after the first 10 minutes of baking. They baked up really golden and crispy, and I can smell the aroma of the garlic! Very much like baking garlic bread!

These are really good and addictive! Really, really crispy and light, and fragrant from the garlic powder. Makes a wonderful, healthy snack to munch on, anytime of the day! Great with a glass of cold beer! Yes!

Grissini 
(adapted from "Artisan Breads", At Home with The Culinary Institute of America, Eric W. Kastel)
7gm fresh rosemary leaves
3/4 cup (187gm) milk, 78 degrees F
1 tbsp (14gm) olive oil
2 tsp (14gm) malt syrup (omitted)
3 cups (411gm) high-gluten flour
1-1/2 tsp (6gm) instant dry yeast
1-1/4 tsp (9gm) salt (a pinch of salt, as butter and cheese are already salty)
1/4 cup (62gm) butter, soft
1/4 cup (28gm) Asiago cheese, finely grated (I use grated Cheddar)
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder (my addition)

Garnishes :
olive oil, as needed
salt, as needed

1. Make the dough the day before you want to serve the grissini. Pick the rosemary leaves off the stems and roughly chop them.
2. Combine the milk, oil and malt in the bowl of a mixer. Combine the flour with the yeast, and then add them to the milk mixture. Next add the salt and butter. Place the bowl on a mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for 4 minutes on low speed, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough over twice during the mixing time. Increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 3 minutes. At this point, the dough will be strong, with good gluten structure. Add the rosemary and cheese, and mix for 1 more minute on medium speed, making sure to scrape down and flip the dough over during this process.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 6.5-oz pieces and round the pieces against the tabletop. Place each piece in a floured container and cover the container with plastic wrap.
4. Leave the dough at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then refrigerate it for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 60 minutes, until it has lost its chill.
6. Lightly flour and flatten each piece and place it in a pasta machine set at its widest setting. Roll the dough through and, lowering the setting in small increments, continue this process until the dough is as wide as the opening on the pasta machine. Then turn the dough a quarter turn and lightly flour and roll the piece through the machine in the opposite direction until it is 1/4 inch thick (setting #5). Lightly flour the dough, trim the edges with a pastry wheel to make a straight edge, and pass it through the pasta machine's fettuccini cutter. Lay the pieces of dough on parchment paper-lined baking trays, making sure to lay them out straight and separate (you can cut the ends if the pieces do not fit the tray). Lightly brush the dough pieces with oil, then cover the trays with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, to relax.
7. Preheat the oven to 400F.
8. Uncover the dough, brush it again with oil, and lightly sprinkle it with salt.
9. Place the trays in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375F. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the trays when the pieces start to take on colour, and turn the oven down to 350F. Continue to bake an additional 4-6 minutes, until the bread is a light golden brown and appears dried out.
10. Remove the baking trays from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

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For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking "Salted Caramel Apple Pie", from Bake In The Day Bakery Cookbook, pg 118, or here. Please do join us, bake this selected apple pie, and link your post to our linky which will start on 5th till 14th March. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current post please.

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