Taralli Pugliesi all'Olio e Vino Bianco

Ingredients

• 400 g plain white flour (tipo 00)
• 120 ml dry white wine, Fiano or Primitivo rosé preferred
• 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the fennel variation (most traditional)
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp per 200 g flour

Method

1. 1
   Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the white wine and olive oil. Bring together into a rough mass, then turn out and knead until the dough is smooth and pliable — approximately 8–10 minutes. If making the fennel variation, incorporate the seeds during kneading. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. The dough should feel supple and hold its shape without sticking.
2. 2
   Divide the dough into small portions. Roll each into a rope approximately 1 cm thick and 12 cm long. Join the ends firmly to form a ring of roughly 6 cm diameter, pressing the join so it does not open during poaching. Alternatively, cross two shorter ropes to form figure-8 shapes. Lay the formed pieces on a lightly floured surface.
3. 3
   Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a full boil. Lower the taralli in batches — do not crowd the pot. Poach for 3–4 minutes. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the poaching sets the starch and gives taralli their defining dense, shatter-crisp texture; taralli that have not been poached will bake to an entirely different, inferior character. Remove each piece the moment it floats and holds at the surface.
4. 4
   Transfer the poached taralli to a wire rack set over a tray. Leave to dry at room temperature for at least 2 hours. The surface must be completely dry to the touch — no tacky or damp patches — before the oven is used. Any remaining surface moisture will generate steam in the oven, softening the interior from within.
5. 5
   Heat the oven to 160 °C. Arrange the dried taralli on lined baking sheets, not touching. Bake for 35–40 minutes until uniformly golden and fully dried through. Test by removing one piece and snapping it: it must break cleanly with no bend. A high oven temperature leaves the interior doughy; low and slow is the only means of drying the rings through to their centre.
6. 6
   Transfer to a rack and cool completely before storing. The taralli will continue to firm as they cool. Stored in an airtight container they remain crisp for 3–4 weeks — the complete elimination of moisture during baking is the preservation mechanism.