Taralli Pugliesi

Well, there isn’t really a translation for this type of “bread”; it’s typical of Puglia, and you can make it by varying the flavors with whatever spices you like best. You only need 4 ingredients to make about 60 thin tarali (I made mine a bit thicker, so I ended up with fewer): First ingredient, 550g of flour; second ingredient, 200 ml of dry wine; third ingredient, 120 ml of extra virgin olive oil; and lastly… 2 cucchiai of salt. Easy to make but a bit time-consuming. Let’s start by mixing all the ingredients together: add the salt and wine to the flour (this time I used Franciacorta… but don’t tell my husband)—you’ll need a white, sparkling wine—and finally, I added the extra virgin olive oil. I mixed everything well, then transferred the dough to the counter and kneaded it with my hands for a few minutes. Then I rolled the dough into long strands about 4 fingers long and as thick as a pinky finger. Keep in mind that if you make them too thin, they’ll become more crumbly.

Then join the ends by folding one end over the other to form a sort of small ring—which is nothing other than a real tarallo :-). Meanwhile, bring a pot full of water to a boil. As you shape the taralli, place them on a tray lined with parchment paper or on a silicone mat. Once you’ve finished shaping all the taralli, boil them in the water about 4 at a time; leave them in for a few seconds, and as soon as they sink, remove them with a slotted spoon.

Using a slotted spoon, place the taralli on a tray lined with a clean dish towel until you have finished baking them all. Next, transfer all the taralli to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for about 35–40 minutes. They’ll be a huge hit because they go well with everything, but I mainly use them as a savory snack.

Buon Appetito!!