Lye Grissini – as crunchy as pretzels

Dissolve the fresh yeast in the water and then combine it with the flour, salt and olive oil in a bowl. If you have a dough mixer, you can also make the dough directly in the machine.

For processing by hand, you can very easily mix the ingredients with a Danish whisk. Then knead the dough thoroughly on the work surface for about 10 minutes.

For processing by hand, you can very easily mix the ingredients with a Danish whisk. Then knead the dough thoroughly on the work surface for about 10 minutes.

Now you can grease a bowl with a little olive oil. Carefully place the dough inside, cover the bowl with a plastic dough sheet and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Then cut off dough pieces weighing 15 g.

Now shape these into strands about 30 cm long. Apply enough pressure with your hands while shaping — this gives you nice, even strands. You can place the finished grissini on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then cover them again with a plastic dough sheet and let them rest for another 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, place the tray in the freezer for another 30 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour. This makes the sticks firmer and easier to dip into the lye.

Now you can preheat the oven to 180 °C fan. While the grissini rest in the cold, you can prepare the lye.

When working with lye, the use of protective gloves and safety goggles is mandatory. Lye is caustic and can cause serious injuries. We don't want to scare you — but it is definitely good to have a certain respect for handling lye.

Dissolve the lye pearls (10 g) in cold water (250 ml). Important: never add the water to a bowl with the lye pearls — always the other way round. Carefully stir the lye with a whisk.

For applying the lye, use a rectangular container, for example a ceramic casserole dish, a Tupperware or a glass container — no aluminium or wooden utensils. In our range you'll also find ready-mixed liquid lye.

Now you can carefully dip the sticks into the lye and then place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Now you can sprinkle the grissini to taste with salt, cheese, sesame, herbs, seeds or kernels — there are no limits to your imagination.

Then you can bake the grissini for 15 minutes at 180 °C fan.

After baking, the grissini are still a little soft. Leave them at room temperature and unwrapped for a day — the next day the grissini are perfectly crunchy and ideal for eating.