Taralli Fennel Bread Rings
Submitted by frick on October 28, 2010 at 5:52 pm

A tiny crispy snack excellent with red wine, a traditional appetizer in Apulia.
Yield: 72 snack ring
Source: Savoring Italy, by Michele Scicolone, a Williams-Sonoma book

2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup (4 fl. ounces /125 ml.) warm water
3 cups (15 ounces / 470 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 ounces / 155 g) semolina flour
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup (6 fl. ounces / 180 ml) dry white wine
½ cup (4 fl. ounces / 125 ml) olive oil

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the two flours, fennel seeds and salt. Add the yeast mixture, wine and olive oil and stir until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn it once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Pinch off a small piece of dough about the size of a grape. Using your palms, roll the piece against the floured work surface until it stretches into a rope 4 inches (10 cm) long. Shape the dough into a ring, pinching the ends together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the dough rings, a few at a time, and boil until they rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Skim them out with a slotted spoon and place, not toughing, on a kitchen towel to drain. Repeat until all the rings are boiled and drained.

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

Arrange the boiled rings on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and crisp all the way through, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Let taralli cool in the oven for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

comments

Submitted by frick on Thu, 2010-10-28 17:53.
Try black pepper as a substitute for the fennel seeds. Better for you than hot wings. 🙂