Hand-stretched focaccia grissini
Focaccia Breadsticks
Focaccia dough cut into strips, stretched long, brushed with olive oil and salt, and baked until crisp — a rustic cross between grissini and focaccia, snappy outside with a hint of chew inside.
- Total
- 4.2 hr
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hydration
- 70%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-11 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Mix a 70% hydration focaccia dough, ferment and proof it as an oiled slab, then cut it into 1.5–2 cm strips, stretch each long, brush with oil and salt, and bake at 220°C/430°F for 15–20 minutes until crisp and gold. Use a lower hydration than pan focaccia so the sticks hold their shape.
Why this works
Breadsticks need to hold a thin, stretched shape and dry out to a crisp bite, so the dough is set a little drier (70%) than a wet pan focaccia; the generous olive oil coats each strip and fries the surface crisp in the oven while keeping the interior from drying to a cracker. Cutting rather than rolling preserves the ferment’s air pockets, giving a knobbly, hand-made grissino rather than a uniform machine stick.
The schedule
~40m hands-on of 4h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 40m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 45m
- Bake · 18m
- Cool · 15m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix the dough
Whisk the flour and yeast, add the water and the 25 g dough oil, then the salt. Mix and knead briefly to a smooth, only slightly tacky dough — firmer than a pan-focaccia dough.
Look for: Cohesive and supple, tacky but not sticky; it should pull cleanly off the bowl.
- 2
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 2 stretch-and-folds in the first hour, then rest until roughly doubled.
Look for: Puffed and airy, smooth-topped, about doubled.
- 3
Shape the slab and rest
Oil a sheet pan generously, turn the dough out, and gently press and stretch it into a rough rectangle about 1.5 cm thick. Brush the top with oil, cover, and let it relax 30–45 minutes.
Look for: A relaxed, oil-slicked slab that no longer springs back hard when pressed.
- 4
Cut and stretch into sticks
With an oiled bench knife or pizza wheel, cut the slab into strips 1.5–2 cm wide. Lift each strip and gently stretch it to the length of your baking sheet, laying them slightly apart on oiled or parchment-lined pans.
Look for: Strips stretch easily to a knobbly, uneven rope without tearing.
- 5
Season and bake
Brush the sticks with oil, scatter flaky salt (and any seeds or herbs), and bake at 220°C/430°F for 15–20 minutes until deep gold and crisp. Thinner sticks bake faster — pull them as they color.
Look for: Golden and firm; they should feel light and rigid, not bendy, when lifted.
- 6
Cool crisp
Cool on a rack; they crisp further as they cool. For extra-crunchy sticks, leave them in the switched-off oven with the door ajar for 5–10 minutes.
Look for: They snap cleanly when broken once fully cool.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Thin, airy and light in the middle of thicker sticks; nearly solid and crisp in slim ones.
- Crust: Crisp, oil-glossed and salt-flecked all over.
- Height: Sticks about 1.5–2 cm across and as long as the pan.
- Color: Even deep gold; edges a shade darker.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sticks stay bendy, not crisp | Dough too wet or sticks too thick | Keep hydration at 70%, cut them slimmer, and bake a few minutes longer or crisp in the residual oven heat. |
| Strips tear when stretched | Under-rested dough with tight gluten | Let the oiled slab relax the full 30–45 minutes before cutting so it stretches without ripping. |
| Uneven bake, some burnt | Sticks cut to very different widths | Cut to a consistent width, and pull the thinner sticks earlier as they color faster. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Store fully cooled in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days — they keep like crackers once crisp.
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended; crisp sticks go soft. Better to re-crisp day-old ones in the oven.
Reheating: Refresh in a 180°C/350°F oven for 3–5 minutes to bring back the snap.
Contains wheat/gluten. Vegan as written; the optional Parmesan substitution adds dairy.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
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Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
- Seeds (opens Amazon) ↗ — Keep sealed; toast for flavor.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- How are these different from grissini?
- Traditional grissini are made from a lean, dry dough rolled thin. These use a wetter, oil-rich focaccia dough that is cut and stretched, so they are more rustic and knobbly with a focaccia flavor and a slightly tender middle.
- Can I make them fully crunchy all the way through?
- Yes — cut them slimmer (about 1.5 cm), bake a couple of minutes longer, and let them finish crisping in the switched-off oven with the door ajar.
Keep baking
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Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/focaccia-breadsticks · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.