Taralli are a delicious and versatile Italian snack, often served with aperitifs or as part of an antipasto platter. They are characterized by their crispy texture and unique flavor, which comes from a combination of simple ingredients like flour, olive oil, white wine, and fennel seeds. Whether you're planning a party or just looking for a tasty treat to enjoy at home, creating authentic taralli is a fun and rewarding experience. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps of making traditional taralli from scratch, ensuring that you achieve the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
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AUTHENTIC TARALLI
Taralli are crunchy little knots of snacking goodness. A specialty from the Puglia region, they are an unleavened crispy cross between a bagel, pretzel, and breadstick. These no-yeast, ring-shaped bread substitutes are perfect for your cheese boards, soups, or salads.
Provided by Buckwheat Queen
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Snacks Cracker Recipes
Time 2h35m
Yield 60
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oil, and wine in a stand mixer. Mix ingredients using the paddle attachment until a ball forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead dough for 10 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and add the remaining salt. Spread a large, clean cloth out on a counter or table.
- Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough once kneading has finished. Roll dough piece into a snake about 2 1/2 inches long. Form a tear drop shape, lightly pressing the two ends together to seal them into a ring. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Turn down the boiling water to a low boil. Drop taralli into the water a few at a time. Do not stir; they will sink at first, then begin to float. Remove floating taralli with a slotted spoon. Place them on the clean cloth and continue until all the taralli have boiled and are drained on the cloth. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake in the preheated oven until taralli are golden and firm on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 40 minutes. Cool completely and rest for at least 1 hour before serving. Wrap with a clean cloth or place in a paper bag; store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 56.8 calories, Carbohydrate 6.4 g, Fat 2.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 15 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
ITALIAN TARALLI
Steps:
- In the stand up mixer add the flour, salt, olive oil and half the wine start to knead with the dough hook on speed #2, add the remaining wine and the fennel seeds, knead for 7-10 minutes until smooth and compact.
- Move the dough to a flat surface and knead to form a compact dough ball. Roll small pieces of dough into a 5 inch / 12 cm long rope. Place one end slightly over the other to form a knot. Place the knots on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I made 32 taralli.
- Boil water in a large pot, once it is boiling add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add the taralli 5-6 at a time (depending on the size of your pot) and boil, remove once they float and not before. Remove with a sieve and place on a clean cotton tea towel. Continue until all the taralli have been boiled.
- Leave the taralli to dry for at least 4-5 hours, you can even leave them overnight, turn them over after half the time has passed.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F (190C).
- Place the dried taralli on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Turn off the oven, open the door half way and leave for 10 minutes.
- Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 46 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 2 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 73 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, ServingSize 1 serving
TARALLI
Taralli are delicious ring shaped rusk-like Italian snacks from Apulia and Campania. Now that I know how easy they are to make I could be in big trouble, as whenever I've bought them from one of my favorite Italian delis I have a hard time resisting them. It's the olive oil, I now know, that makes them special and different from other twice-baked breads. They are crisp but not hard, and this whole wheat version is as good as any traditional taralli I've tasted. I particularly like the version with black pepper. But I like them plain, without any embellishment, as well. The olive oil gives them so much flavor on its own. This recipe is based on a recipe in Carol Field's "Italy In Small Bites."
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories lunch, snack, breads
Time 4h30m
Yield 36 taralli
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Combine wine and water in a small bowl or measuring cup and add yeast. Stir until dissolved. Add olive oil and stir together.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine flours, salt and fennel or pepper. Mix for about half a minute at low speed, then add liquids and beat at low speed until mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Remove paddle and let sit for 5 minutes. Change to dough hook and beat on low speed for 3 to 5 minutes (5 to 7 minutes if kneading by hand), until dough is smooth. Remove from bowl, knead a few times on a lightly oiled surface, and shape into a ball.
- Clean and oil bowl and place dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover bowl with plastic and place in a warm spot to proof for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Dough should be puffed but not doubled.
- Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly oil parchment. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into an 18-inch long rope. Cover each rope loosely with plastic or a towel as you roll the rest. Once all pieces are shaped into ropes, cut each rope into 3 equal pieces (6 inches long) and join their ends to form rings about 2 inches in diameters. Pinch ends together firmly (dough will bounce back). Place on prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic or a towel and let proof for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large or medium pot of water to a boil.
- Set a dish towel or paper towels next to your pan of boiling water. After rings have risen for 1 hour, carefully remove 4 or 5 at a time from baking sheet and drop into boiling water. As soon as they float to surface - in a matter or seconds -- remove from water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on towel. It should not take more than a few minutes to blanch all of the rounds. Return to baking sheet. Bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. Flip rings over and lower heat to 225 degrees. Return to oven and leave for 1 hour. Taralli should be crisp all the way through. Allow to cool, and store in tins.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 79, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 11 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 56 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams
TRADITIONAL TARALLI RECIPE FROM PUGLIA RECIPE - (2.5/5)
Provided by á-25630
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cooking Directions 1.In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. 2. Add the oil and wine, and mix with a fork until the dough forms into a rough mass. 3. Dump the dough onto a wooden board and knead it for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth. 4. If you want to add any optional spices, knead them into the dough (or divide the dough and add spice to ½ of the dough) - knead well to distribute the spice. 5. Cover the dough and let it rest, along with your arms, for 15-30 minutes. 6. Pinch walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll first between your hands, and then against the wooden cutting board, so that the dough forms a thin rope, about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter and 4" long (10 cm). 7. Shape each rope into a ring, and seal the edges together by pressing lightly, then set aside the taralli rings on a wooden board and cover with a towel. 8. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. 9. Put 6-10 of the taralli into the boiling water, and when they float to the surface - this will only take 30-60 seconds - remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a cloth to dry and cool. 10. Tip: Try not to plop one tarallo on top of another when dropping them into the pot, and if they stick to the bottom, give them a gentle nudge with the slotted spoon 11. Put the cooled taralli on baking sheets and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, until golden. 12. Remove and cool on racks. 13. Store in a closed container to keep them crisp, and serve with an aperitivo - they are the a nice accompaniment for the rest of that dry white wine - or pile them into a breadbasket at dinner.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients, especially the flour and the olive oil. This will make a big difference in the taste of the taralli.
- Make sure the dough is well-kneaded. This will help the taralli to be chewy and flavorful.
- Don't overcook the taralli. They should be golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
- Let the taralli cool completely before storing them. This will help them to stay crispy.
- Store the taralli in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Taralli are a delicious and versatile snack that can be enjoyed on their own or with a variety of dips and spreads. They are also a great addition to cheese plates and charcuterie boards. With so many different flavor variations to choose from, there is sure to be a taralli recipe that everyone will enjoy. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy snack, give taralli a try. You won't be disappointed!
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