Fennel Flower Grissini
Flower-shaped sourdough fennel grissini, inspired by 14th century Italian Renaissance's culinary traditions. According to my research, this was a transformative era during which visionaries such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Copernicus pioneered groundbreaking advancements on human understanding, profoundly reshaping the paradigms of art, science, literature, and philosophy. The Golden Age also flaunted impressive courtly banquets featuring intricate bread designs and opulent culinary creations. These Grissini pay homage to that time- when elegance, creativity and design reign supreme.
Recipe
MAKES: 5 to 6 Grissini crackers
INGREDIENTS:
260 grams all-purpose flour
120 grams water
75 grams ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
30 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
5 grams granulated sugar
5 grams kosher salt
5g fennel pollen / ground fennel seed
INSTRUCTIONS:
Activate sourdough starter (8:00 a.m.)
Take starter out of fridge (I store mine in a tall mason jar), add 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour to starter, stir with a wooden spoon and let rise at room temperature (I put mine in the sink with a plate over the jar so if it’s super active the sink collects the mess!)
Mix the dough (10:00 a.m.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, sugar, salt, fennel and mix until evenly distributed, then add water, 75g of the sourdough starter, oil, and mix on low speed until combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix, scraping the bowl as needed, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough clumps around the dough hook.
Preshape the dough (10:15 a.m.)
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and use a pastry brush or your hands to brush on a thin layer of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the center of the sheet pan and use your hands to form the dough into a 14-by-3-inch rectangle. Use the oiled pastry brush and brush on a very light layer of olive oil to the top and sides of the shaped dough rectangle.
Proof the dough (10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m)
Cover the sheet pan with a reusable airtight cover or greased parchment paper, and let it rise at warm room temperature (76°F) for 3 hours, until the dough has puffed slightly and feels airy when poked.
Shape the dough (1:30 p.m)
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C). Line a second and third half sheet tray pan with parchment paper.
Uncover the proofed dough rectangle. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough rectangle into about 20 short (½-inch) strips.
Using both hands, grab a strip of cut dough by the ends and stretch it out in a single motion to about 12-16 inches long, then shape into a petal shape. Do this 5 times and then place on the parchment lined tray. Attach the grissini petals in the center of the flower, pressing down so the dough sticks together. You won’t want to move the flower after pressing the petals together. Repeat until you use up all your dough. This batch of dough yields 5-6 flower grissinis of varying sizes. Make sure the grissinis are not touching on the sheet tray.
Bake the grissini (2:00 p.m)
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the grissini just starts to turn a golden brown color. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Store in a paper bag, the grissini will keep well for several days after baking stored in a paper bag at room temperature and they’re even better a few days after baking.
Adapted from Food52.
