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1
Combine the flour and sugar in a wide bowl. Add the anise seeds and mix briefly to distribute. Make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil and red wine together, and work the mixture with the hands until a dough forms. The dough should be firm, smooth, and pliable — not sticky and not cracked. If it clings to the hands, add flour a little at a time; if it crumbles, add wine a few drops at a time. The correct dough holds a rolled rope without splitting.
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2
Divide the dough into pieces of roughly equal weight. Roll each piece on a clean surface into a rope approximately 20 cm long and of consistent thickness throughout. Join the two ends firmly, pressing to seal, to form a ring. Inconsistent thickness will cause uneven baking.
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3
Arrange the rings on a parchment-lined baking tray without crowding. Dust each ring with granulated sugar. This is where the dish lives or dies: the biscuits must go into an oven at 180 °C and bake until they are completely dry, golden-brown throughout, and fully crisp with no soft interior — under-baked ciambelle carry raw flour and collapse when dunked. Tap the base of a ring; it should sound hollow.
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4
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely. The biscuits will continue to dry and firm as they cool and over the following days. At room temperature, the surface should feel hard and the crumb entirely dry to the touch.