Gluten Free Grissini – Crunchy Italian Breadsticks
An easy Gluten Free Grissini recipe creates super-crunchy traditional Italian breadsticks that are perfect for dipping and snacking. Gluten Free. Optional Vegan.
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Breadsticks come in all sizes and textures. But as a child of Italian heritage, I grew up with the traditional, crunchy sticks known as Grissini… Originating from the Piedmont region of Italy, these long, thin, savoury breadsticks are perfect for snacking, dipping, parties, accompanying the cheeseboard and even served as a crunchy side for salads and soups. Traditionally served on Italian tables at the start of the meal (the Italian version of the bread basket), they are as simple as they are delicious.
Below, I share my easy gluten free Grissini recipe…. They’re perfectly thin and light, with a crisp snap, delightfully savoury, and addictively moreish. If crunchy isn’t your thing… I also have the best soft Gluten Free Breadsticks recipe too! The choice is yours 😁.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Grissini
My gluten free Grissini recipe follows standard wheat-based ingredients and process, with necessary tweaks to ensure the perfect like-for-like gluten free results. Traditionally made with flour, water, yeast, olive oil and salt, I add a couple of additional ingredients to the mix to ensure the dough is light, crisp and robust. You’ll need:
Gluten Free Flour
I’ve tested my Grissini with a range of flour blends… They’re very versatile to switches. My personal favourite is a combination of gluten free oat or sorghum flour + millet flour + tapioca and potato starches.
However, I’ve also tested the recipe with my plain white gluten free flour blends A and C and my wholegrain brown rice-free blend B.
All work well… The only difference is the final quantity of water added and this is best judged by how the dough feels once hydrated.
If there are flours that you cannot source or tolerate, check out my helpful Gluten Free Flour Substitution Guide.
The Binder
I’ve given 2 options below… One with psyllium husk and the other with xanthan gum.
Regardless of which you use, a binder is important to ensure the dough is pliable and firm enough to roll into breadsticks and that the gluten free grissini are robust enough to hold together once baked.
If you want to use an alternative binder, that’s fine. I have guidance on substitution ratios for the common alternatives in my post Xanthan Gum in Gluten Free Baking – Complete Guide.
Yeast + Sugar (Honey)
Gluten Free Grissini have a small amount of yeast added to the dough to give them a light crispness and snap. I use instant yeast. If using an alternative type of yeast, the amount you need may vary.
To support the expansion (and enhance flavour) in the breadsticks, a little sugar is included. I use honey as it dissolves easily and being natural, doesn’t add any overt sweetness.
Milk Powder (dairy or dairy free) – Optional
While milk powder is optional, I add a small amount to the gluten free dough to support flavour, structure and the colouring of the breadsticks in the oven. I tested the recipe both with and without the milk powder and it definitely made a difference to the final golden Grissini appearance. But as I say… It’s optional!
Olive Oil
As is traditional, olive oil is added to the Grissini dough both for an authentic Italian flavour and to enrich and crisp the breadsticks. The dough sticks are also very lightly coated with olive oil when rolling and before baking to enhance their colour.
Warm Water
Water is needed to hydrate the flours and create a dough. The water should be gently hand warm to support the activity of the yeast in proofing the dough.
Salt
Salt enhances the flavour of the Grissini. Sprinkling it on the dough sticks before baking also gives them divine salty, savoury pops when you eat them.
Optional Grissini add-ins
Grissini can be made plain or rolled/sprinkled with add-ins before baking. My favourite addition is sesame seeds. However poppy seeds, fennel seeds, herbs, dried onion flakes, etc will work equally well.
You can also enhance the dough itself with herbs, spices, etc as you wish.
How to make Gluten Free Grissini
Making gluten free grissini is a simple process and well-within the reach of everyone. The basic process is as follows (see recipe card for detailed instructions):
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients (preferably using a mixer with a dough hook).
- Allow the dough to hydrate and then remix (adjusting the consistency with extra water if necessary).
- Roll pieces of dough into thin, long breadstick shapes and transfer to lined baking trays (coating in seeds as desired). Sprinkle with salt.
- Proof for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Bake as instructed.
- Crisp in a cooling oven.
- Enjoy!
How long do Grissini breadsticks last?
Providing the breadsticks have been baked and dried until they are crisp, with a good snap, they should have a very good shelf-life. I would guess that in most households, they will be eaten long before they go ‘off’.
I give a timescale for storage of around 3 weeks. However, when I have made a large batch, they have lasted far longer!
Make sure they are stored in airtight containers at room temperature. Do not freeze.
How to serve gluten free Grissini
Traditionally, Grissini are served as a snacky appetiser on the table while waiting for the main lunch or dinner event. But they are truly versatile little sticks of deliciousness. Serving options include:
- As a simple savoury snack on their own after school, in front of the TV or just because you’re munchy.
- Served with an antipasto board alongside cheeses, cold meats, olives, etc.
- Dipped in wonderful Homemade Houmous, Caramelised Onion Hummus, tapenade, or other dips. (check out my recipes not just for houmous, but for Authentic Guacamole; Baba Ganoush and 10 minute Classic Basil Pesto.
- As a savoury snack alongside pre-dinner drinks.
- Dipped in runny baked brie or other soft cheeses.
- As a crunchy side to soups and salads.
- In the lunchbox.
- Wrapped with prosciutto on the party table.
- Dipped in chocolate spread or Nutella. (Take a look at my healthier Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipe).
Ready to make easy Gluten Free Grissini?
The recipe for my easy gluten free Grissini breadsticks is below. Thank you for reading and enjoy!
I hope you love them. Do come back and let me know your favourite way to eat them. You can leave a comment at the bottom, email me at kate@glutenfreealchemist.com or contact me through social media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest).
For all my other recipes, the best place to explore is via my Gluten Free Recipe Index… It’s all categorised into distinct sections with mouth-watering photos to help you decide. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, let me know… I’ll do what I can to help!
Happy baking and eating
Gluten Free Grissini (Crunchy Italian Breadsticks)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients (See NOTES re flour blend)
- 40 g sorghum or GF oat flour
- 35 g buckwheat or millet flour or fine brown rice flour
- 55 g tapioca starch
- 15 g potato starch
- 4 g xanthan gum OR 6g rough-ground psyllium husk
- 3 g instant yeast (easy/quick bake yeast)
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 5 g dairy milk powder or non-dairy milk powder (optional, but adds flavour, structure and colour)
Wet and other ingredients
- 100 to 110 g hand-warm water at 38 to 40 C
- 5 g honey (or maple syrup or sugar)
- 8 g olive oil
- an extra drizzle of olive oil for rolling and coating
- extra sea salt (preferably coarse) for sprinkling
Extras (optional)
- sesame seeds (around 6 tbsp)
- alternatively: poppy seeds, herbs, spices, etc
Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients
- Weigh all the dry ingredients (flours, xanthan gum (or psyllium husk), instant yeast, salt and milk powder (if using)) into an airtight container (or separate bowl) and mix well until fully blended.
Making and proofing the dough
- In a mixing bowl, weigh 100g warm water, honey (or alternative) and oil and whisk together.
- Add the dry mix to the bowl and (preferably) using an electric whisk with a dough hook, gently beat all the ingredients together until blended. Halfway through mixing, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are amalgamated. The dough should be wet and very sticky (possibly even liquid) in appearance.
- Set the bowl aside to hydrate for about 15 minutes and then beat again with the dough hook.
- Because different flours have different hydration requirements, it may be necessary to add an additional 5 to 10g water to the dough and remix with the dough hook. (for Grissini with oat, I used 105g water in total for example). The final dough should be thick but tacky (not dry or too firm).
Shaping, proofing and baking the breadsticks
- Line a couple of large baking trays with baking paper. For plain (no seed coating) breadsticks, lightly brush the baking paper with a smear of olive oil.
- Divide the dough into about 18 equal small pieces (around 16g each).
- Take each piece of dough and using lightly oiled hands (or better still, wearing lightly oiled food gloves), roll each into a long, thin sausage about 20 cm in length and as even as possible.
- For plain Grissini, carefully transfer the dough sticks to the prepared baking tray, leaving a gap of about 1½ cm between each. Arrange the dough sticks as straight as possible.For sesame or seeded breadsticks, sprinkle some seeds onto a tray or sheet of baking paper and carefully roll each dough stick into them before transfer to a lined (un-oiled) tray. Or simply sprinkle seeds over after transferring to the tray.
- Sprinkle with (coarse) sea salt.
- Cover the trays lightly with cling film and set the dough sticks aside to proof in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes (until 1½ times the width).
- Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 190 Fan/200 C/400 F.
- Bake the sticks for 5 to 7 minutes. They should now be dry on the outside and 'rollable'. For plain Grissini, gently roll the sticks over on the oiled sheet to transfer some of the oil to the sticks and to encourage even browning. For seeded sticks, just turn them over.
- Return to the oven and continue to bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes (dependent on the thickness of the breadsticks) until golden and crisp-looking. Keep a close eye on the bake and if worried they are browning too quickly, turn the oven down by 10 degrees (they can go 'over' quite quickly!).
- To ensure the best crunch and dryness, turn the oven off and open the door to allow any excess heat to escape for around 5 minutes…
- Carefully remove the bread sticks from the largest baking tray to remove and discard the oiled baking paper from that tray, replacing with an un-oiled sheet. Return ALL the Grissini to this tray (it's fine for them to be touching) and return to the cooling oven (door shut) for a further 10 to 15 minutes before removing and allowing them to cool completely.
- The dry, crisp Grissini can be stored for around 3 weeks in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Gluten Free Grissini shared with
- Fiesta Friday #646 with Angie
- Full Plate Thursday with Miz Helen’s Coutry Cottage
