Breadsticks, also known as grissini, are long, thin, crisp bread sticks that originated in Turin, Italy. Popular tradition credits a Turin baker, Antonio Brunero, with creating them around 1679 to give a young Duke of Savoy, who suffered digestive troubles, an easily digestible bread, though some accounts point to an even earlier reference from before 1643.
Breadsticks are made from a simple dough of flour, water, yeast, and salt, rolled or stretched into long, thin strips and baked until crisp and golden. They are often flavored with garlic, herbs, or parmesan cheese sprinkled on before baking.
In Italy, breadsticks are a staple accompaniment to meals, served with soups, salads, or aperitifs; in Italian-American restaurants they are a common bread-basket item, and they are also served alongside pizza. Beyond eating them whole, breadsticks can be crushed for a coating on fried foods or crumbled as a topping for salads or pasta.
Regional versions use whole wheat flour or semolina for a heartier texture, or are shaped into twists or knots.