Taralli Pugliesi

Name: Taralli Pugliesi
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 500 g 00 flour; 120 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 180 ml Dry white wine; 10 g Fine sea salt; 1 tbsp wild fennel seeds; 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Crunchy ring-shaped snack crackers from Puglia, made with flour, olive oil, and white wine, boiled before baking for a brittle, crumbly bite.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 280 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

500 g 00 flour — or unbleached plain flour
120 ml Extra virgin olive oil — preferably fruity Pugliese oil
180 ml Dry white wine — at room temperature
10 g Fine sea salt — around 2 tsp
1 tbsp wild fennel seeds — semi di finocchietto
1 tsp cracked black pepper — freshly ground

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Large saucepan
•Slotted spoon
•Baking trays
•Clean tea towels
•Parchment paper

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 280 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 280 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip the flour and salt into a wide mixing bowl, making a deep well in the centre.
2
Pour the extra virgin olive oil, white wine, and fennel seeds into the well.
3
Stir with a fork until the liquids are absorbed and a rough dough begins to form.
4
Tip the dough onto an unfloured work surface and knead vigorously for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and let it rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
6
Pinch off eight-gram pieces of dough and roll each into a pencil-thick rope about eight centimetres long.
7
Overlap the ends of each rope to form a small ring, pressing firmly to seal the join securely.
8
Bring a wide pot of unsalted water to a gentle rolling boil over medium heat.
9
Lower the rings into the water in small batches, lifting them out with a slotted spoon once they float.
10
Lay the wet rings onto clean kitchen towels in a single layer to dry for twenty minutes.
11
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and arrange the dried rings on lined baking trays.
12
Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes until golden brown and dry, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Do not rush the drying step after boiling; excess surface moisture will prevent the taralli from turning properly crisp in the oven. Squeeze the overlapping ring joins firmly so they do not come undone in the bubbling water.

Ingredient substitutions

dry white wine → lukewarm water, though the dough will lose its traditional aromatic crumbliness
wild fennel seeds → crushed chilli flakes or omit entirely for classic plain taralli

Storage

Keep completely cooled taralli in an airtight tin or jar at room temperature for up to one month.

Reheating

These are eaten crisp at room temperature, but you can revive softened taralli in a 150°C oven for five minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcrowding the saucepan, which drops the water temperature and makes the dough waterlogged.
•Removing the taralli from the oven too early while the centres are still pale and soft.
•Skipping the dough rest, which makes rolling the thin ropes difficult and elastic.

Serving suggestions

Serve at room temperature alongside green olives, capocollo, and young cheeses during an aperitivo.Enjoy as an accompaniment to a glass of crisp Pugliese white wine like Verdeca or Bombino Bianco.