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1
Combine the flour, fennel seeds, and salt in a bowl. Add the olive oil and dry white wine. Work the mixture until a smooth, tight dough forms — it should be stiff, not yielding. If the dough is soft, the rings will lose their shape in the water. The dough is ready when it is cohesive, firm to the press, and no longer sticky.
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2
Divide the dough into portions. Roll each portion into a thin rope approximately the width of a pencil. Cut into lengths that will form rings of about 6 cm diameter. Press the two ends of each rope together firmly, ensuring the join is secure. The rings must hold their shape unaided.
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3
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Drop the taralli in batches; do not crowd the pot. Boil until they float, 1–2 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the boiling gelatinises the surface starch, creating the characteristic smooth, shiny exterior that no other step can replicate — without it, the tarallo is a different object entirely. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean cloth.
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4
Heat the oven to 190 °C. Arrange the drained taralli in a single layer on unlined baking sheets. Bake for 25–30 minutes until pale golden across the surface. To confirm doneness, break one: the interior must be uniformly dry throughout, with no soft or translucent core. An under-baked tarallo is not shelf-stable.