Taralli

This version of the famous ring-shapped crackers are certain to whet your appetite.

Ingredients

Servings 10

• 1 lb durum wheat flour
• ⅜ oz fresh yeast
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ¾ oz sugar, or 2.5 oz honey
• 1 cup water

Preparation

30 minutes preparation + 20 minutes cooking

Prepare a basic bread dough using the flour, yeast and water.

Let rise, then add the eggs and the oil. Then add the sugar or, if you prefer, the honey. Knead the dough with your hands or using a mixer until soft and uniform. Divide into small balls. Work each ball using the palm of your hands, rolling it out on a flat work surface to form ½-inch wide logs. Cut into the pieces, the shorter the piece, the smaller the tarallo. Shape the pieces of dough into rings and then place in a warm place to rise for 3 hours.

Once the dough has risen, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the taralli, a couple at a time, then remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the surface.

Place the boiled taralli on clean, dry dish towels. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400° F. Transfer the taralli to a baking sheeted covered with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes so that the crackers become light brown.

Chef's Tips

Store taralli in a sealed plastic bag or box so that they last longer.

Food History

Ciambelle, or ring-shaped cakes, can be found throughout Italy in a variety of forms. The basic recipe is easy to prepare and to modify with the addition of other ingredients, both savory and sweet. One of the most famous variations is known as the tarallo and is typically prepared in southern Italy. Even taralli come in various shapes, sizes and flavors. The word tarallo probably derives from the Greek daratos, the name of a type of bread made in ancient Greece. The most well-known types of taralli come from Puglia and Naples. Neapolitan taralli have a funny, braided shape and were first made in the 18th century using leftover bread. The recipe was created when someone added lard and pepper to a bowl of leftover bread in order to give it more flavor. Taralli, not just the Neapolitan ones, were once considered poor man’s food, to be eaten in osterie with a glass of wine. Nowadays, they are popular among all social classes and are often made with more expensive ingredients like oil, sugar or honey.

Other suggested recipes

• Cheese Buns
• Aniseed Ring Cookies
• Fried-baked ring cakes