Taralli: crunchy Italian fennel seed crackers, boiled then baked
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Taralli (fennel seed crackers from southern Italy)
Taralli are little ring-shaped crackers, a bit like crispy micro-bagels. And like bagels, they are boiled, then baked. You’ll find them all over southern Italy, especially in Puglia (the heel of the boot), Campania, Calabria (the toe) and Basilicata (the arch). They come plain or flavored with garlic, chili, tomato or Parmesan, and there are sweet versions too. Either way, they are often dunked in wine.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Resting: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: About 30 taralli
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) 00 or all-purpose flour
- 15 g (about 2 tablespoons) fennel seeds
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus 2 teaspoons for the cooking water
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan and let them cool.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the fennel seeds and ¾ teaspoon salt. Pour in the wine and oil and mix well.
- Knead by hand into a smooth, even dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in a cool place for 1 hour.
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons salt.
- Meanwhile, roll pieces of dough between your palms into small ropes about 1 cm (⅜ in) thick and 7 cm (3 in) long.
- Shape each rope into a ring with the ends overlapping, the classic tarallo shape.
- Boil the taralli about 8 at a time, lifting them out with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the surface.
- Drain them on a clean kitchen towel. While you boil the remaining batches, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Arrange all the boiled taralli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.
- They should now be golden and dry inside. Let them cool before serving.
