Hi Joyce. This is my grandmother's taralli recipe. Hope you like it. TARALLI 2 ½ tea. active dry yeast 1 c. dry white wine, warmed (NOT HOT!) or warm water ½ c. olive oil, at room temperature 3 3/4 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 tea. salt 1 ½ tea. fennel seeds OR 2 tea. cracked black peppercorns Sprinkle the yeast into the wine, stir and let sit; it should produce a foamy head and smell yeasty in about 10 minutes. This is called proofing; doing this will prevent the use of dead yeast and dough that doesn't rise, which will waste time. Stir in olive oil. Using a fork, mix in the flour, salt, fennel or pepper and mix until dough holds together. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Empty dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and put in a warm place to rise, about 1 hour. Note: I put my dough in an unlit, gas heated oven; the pilot keeps the inside at the perfect temperature for rising. Roll out into long "ropes" by pinching off small balls and rolling them on a flat surface, back and forth and out from the middle at the same time. Each rope should be about ½" thick x 6" long. Form each rope into a ring by pinching the ends together, and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Cover and set aside to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375. Bake the taralli for 20 minutes or until golden brown. |