Taralli, Ring-Shaped Crackers with Fennel Seeds
Taralli represent the rural essence of Puglia: very simple ingredients, ancient gestures, and traditional skills create one of the most appreciated snacks of Italy
Taralli represent the rural essence of Puglia: very simple ingredients—flour, olive oil, and white wine—, ancient gestures, and traditional skills create one of the most appreciated snacks of Italy. Born out of necessity during the famine of the XIV century, they used to be a sign of hospitality and friendship, usually served at the end of a meal along with a glass of wine.
Nowadays, a quick tour in the food section of a typical weekly outdoor market would show how varied the taralli world is now: there are not only the basic taralli with extra virgin olive oil and white wine, but also taralli enriched with fennel seeds, chilli pepper, broccoli rabe, olives, onion, turmeric, and sesame seeds.
Taralli go through a double cooking that makes them durable and friable: first, they are boiled in water, then baked in the oven until crisp and shiny. They will keep well for weeks if closed in a glass jar or an airtight container. Keep them in your pantry, and serve them as a simple, effortless aperitivo along with a glass of sparkling wine, or add them to a cheese board instead of crackers. They are Livia’s favourite mid-morning snack, an easy, portable tidbit to stash in your bag to nibble on while travelling.
This recipe was initially included in Cucina Povera, but eventually, we had to cut down the final number of recipes. So I’m so happy to be able to share it here, I am sure you will enjoy it.
📚 Cucina Povera is our sixth book, that celebrates the best of the Italian resourceful, thrifty and inventive cooking tradition. It shares the wholesome, comforting, and nostalgic recipes of cucina povera—the Italian peasant cooking—that is equal parts thrifty, nourishing, and delicious. You can pick your copy here. If you love it, leave it a review on Amazon (whether you purchased it there or not) which makes it easier for others to find our book. Thank you!
RECIPE - Taralli, Ring-Shaped Crackers with Fennel Seeds
Makes about 4 dozens
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons/500 grams all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons125 grams extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/125 grams dry white wine
2 teaspoons/10 grams fine sea salt
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed in a mortarÂ
Collect the flour, olive oil, sea salt, and crushed fennel seeds in a mixer bowl. Start kneading with the dough hook, gradually pouring the wine, and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until you will get an elastic and silky dough. When the dough is elastic and silky, wrap it in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Unwrap the dough and pinch off scant a tablespoon of the dough, about 15 grams. Roll into a rope about 4 inches/10 cm long, then wrap the rope around your finger and bring the ends together to form a circle, leaving a small hole in the centre. Remember to squeeze the ends of the rope together very firmly to prevent the taralli from coming apart when boiling in the water. Arrange the taralli on a wooden board. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the taralli have been formed.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Arrange a thick kitchen towel set over a rimmed baking sheet and set it nearby.
Cook the taralli in batches. Plunge them in the boiling water. When they float to the top, lift them with a slotted spoon and arrange them on the kitchen towel. Let the taralli dry completely, it will take a couple of hours. The taralli will now look pale, not smooth and shiny.Â
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then grease it with olive oil. Transfer the taralli to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the taralli, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, for about 30 to 32 minutes. Remove them from the oven as soon as they get a slight golden colour on top, smooth and shiny, and let them cool on the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, transfer to a jar to preserve their freshness; the taralli will keep for weeks.
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I just made these this weekend with Victoria Granof from her new book Sicily my sweet. It was such a delight to make them and feel the texture of the dough and fill them with fennel seed and figs and black olives.
Can I use water in place of the wine? It’s not something I usually have at home 😬