You will need: Fireclay stones
Top heat: approx. 280-300°C
Preheating: approx. 30 minutes
Working hours: 25 minutes
Baking time: approx. 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
(for approx. 20 pieces)

• 140-160 ml lukewarm water 
• 10 g fresh yeast (room temperature)
• 300 g pizza flour type 00, wheat flour type 550 or spelt flour type 630
• 6 g baking malt
• 8 g salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In addition:

• some semola 
• some grated Parmesan cheese
• Herbs (e.g. oregano, thyme, rosemary to taste)

Pour the water into the mixing bowl of the food processor. Crumble the yeast over it and dissolve. Mix the baking malt into the flour and add to the yeast water with the salt, sugar and olive oil. Knead with the dough hook of the food processor for approx. 10 minutes to form a smooth, rather firm yeast dough. Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle approx. 1-2 cm thick using a rolling pin. Fold in the top and bottom thirds lengthways towards the middle and roll up so that the seam is at the bottom.

Place the dough roll on an oiled board and press flat with both hands. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil and cover everything with foil. Leave to rise at room temperature for one hour.

Heat the Merklinger to approx. 280-300°C.

Put some semola in a shallow bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut off strips of dough approx. 1 cm thick and roll them in semola. Use your hands to carefully stretch them out and place the grissini on floured baking trays or baking mats.

Spray the dough sticks with water before baking and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and/or herbs.

Bake the grissini directly on the firebricks for approx. 20-25 minutes (depending on thickness) until crispy.

Tip:
If the grissini are still not crispy enough after the baking time, you can use the residual heat in your Merklinger and dry the crispy sticks directly on the firebricks until the residual moisture has completely evaporated.