Wood-Fired Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

Proper Italian grissini are a world away from those dry, packaged breadsticks you get in restaurants. These are golden, slightly chewy, and coated in sesame seeds and semolina for crunch. They bake in about 10 minutes at pizza oven temperatures, which means you can knock out a batch while you're waiting for your main course to cook. Brilliant as a snack with drinks, alongside a cheese board, or just for tearing into while dinner's being prepared.

Ingredients (Makes About 30 Breadsticks)

• 370g plain flour (or tipo 0)
• 5g instant dried yeast (or 12g fresh yeast)
• 200ml warm water
• 40g extra virgin olive oil
• 6g fine salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Semolina for dusting
• Sesame seeds for coating

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar. Leave for 5 minutes until it starts to froth.
2. Add the flour and mix until it comes together, then add the salt and olive oil. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, then fold the dough over itself twice to build strength. Shape into a flat rectangle, cover with oiled cling film, and leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled.
4. Preheat your pizza oven to around 200°C - you want steady heat without active flames.
5. Using a pasta cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into thin strips about 1cm wide.
6. Roll each strip in semolina, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Gently stretch to about 25cm long - they don't need to be perfectly uniform.
7. Lay on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through for even browning.
8. Cool on a wire rack. They'll crisp up further as they cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (though they rarely last that long).