How to Make Taralli—Crunchy Crackers
Taralli, a traditional Italian snack, are small ring-shaped crackers that you will fall in love with the first time you taste them.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Extra Ingredients
- 3 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp fennel seed
Instructions
- Sift the flour into the bowl of your stand mixer, a KitchenAid, or in a big bowl if you don’t have one. Add salt and oil.
- Combine well until it forms a granulated mixture. First, start on a low speed and then increase the speed to 2 or 3.
- Add the wine to the flour mixture until well combined.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it until a smooth and elastic dough.
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and set aside for about 20-30 minutes. If it’s hot out, put the dough in the fridge.
- Cut walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them out into 2.5-inch (6cm) ropes. Work quickly so the dough doesn’t get too warm. If everything is ok, you should have smooth ropes without any cracks.
- If they fall apart, knead the dough again with a splash of water and set aside for a little time, then starts rolling out again.
- Join the ends of the ropes to form a sort of small ring, press to seal.
- Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- If it’s hot out, refrigerate your taralli for about 1 hour (they won’t get flat).
- In the meantime, bring the water to a rolling boil and add coarse salt.
- Cook about 10 or 12 taralli at a time: Drop them into the water.
- Stir the water with a wooden spoon without touching the taralli, just whirl the water.
- As soon as the taralli float on the surface (it takes about 1 minute), take them out with the skimmer and place them onto a tray lined with a clean tea towel; repeat the process until you have cooked all the rings.
- Let them rest for at least 4-5 hours before baking them. The more they rest, the better they are. They may also be set aside in a cool place overnight, but that depends on the time you have. If you are in a hurry, bake them right away.
- Transfer the taralli onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and place the tray on the middle rack. Bake them for about 20-25 minutes or until light golden.
- Take them out of the oven and be patient; let these delights cool down completely before eating.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 893IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg