Sunday Slow Baking # 16 - Taralli with Red Pepper and Oregano

Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe is a savoury one for a change and was selected by Cindy, sadly she wasn't thrilled with the results she achieved.

Today's recipe is a favourite of Gina's - in fact she wrote about it on the Babbo website. Taralli are snack food, a type of bread common throughout the southern half of the Italian peninsula: they're doughnut shaped, about 3 inches across, and are moderately crunchy; they can be either somewhat sweet or slightly salty, and some people sprinkle their surfaces with anise seed, pepper, or whatever. Gina suggests that they are like a pretzel but the ones I have tried are more bagel-like.

I really enjoyed these - they are a little more effort than some recipes to make but the result is well worth it. They will be perfect tonight with a bottle of wine! Next time I make them I will try different herb/cheese combinations.

Taralli with Red Pepper and Oregano
Taralli al Peperoncino e Herbe  

4 1/2 cups “00” Flour 
2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine 
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the wine and oil and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment to form a wet dough. Beat fro three minutes. Transfer the dough to a plastic container that has been oiled and well dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 2 hours. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight in an airtight container; bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. 

Preheat the oven to 375 and position the rack in the centre.

In a stock pot or dutch oven bring approximately 4 quarts of water to a boil. Season the water with the remaining 1 T. salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot to prevent the water from evaporating.

Prepare two baking sheets by lightly brudhing them with olive oil.

Have ready some paper towels to drain the tarilli on as they come out of the water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly. Divide the dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest in the bowl until ready to use. Roll portions of the dough into long ropes, about ¾ inch in diameter and 18 inches long. Cut the rope into about 4 or 5 pieces and shape them into rings, making a small knot at the top. As you finish each ring, place it on a cookie sheet dusted with flour, repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Drop the rings in to the simmering water, about 4-5 at a time; the water should remain at a simmer. The taralli will sink and then float when they are done. Increase the heat as necassary to keep the water at a simmer. Gently scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon or a Chinese skimmer, allowing them to drain for a moment in the spoon, place on paper towels for a few moments to remove any excess water. Place them on a cookie sheet greased with a bit of olive oil. You do not have to space the taralli too far apart, as they will not grow while they bake.

Bake the taralli should bake for about 25 minutes or so, or until they are a nice even, golden brown. When they are evenly golden brown, remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They will last only as long as you can keep from eating them!

Be sure and check in on the other sunday slow bakers to see how their taralli turned out:

Baked Alaska
Destination Anywhere
Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog
Keep your Feet in the Street
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Comments

[Cindy Ruth]

Jerry-Your Taralli look wonderful! Glad you liked the recipe. I just made an amendment to my blog and decided that I liked these. I like that you describe them more bagel-like, and Palma describes the texture as the flaky-crunch of a pie crust. I always loved the flavor, just didn't think the texture was the way they were supposed to be. Also, I liked them best within a few days of baking, rather than a week later. I said they weren't my favorite, but I don't even have one left, and I think I was the one that ate almost all of them!

[Jerry]

Cindy - I really think it was the flour that made mine difficult to roll (that and the fact that I didn't put in as much wine as I should because I didn't read the recipe properly! ARGH). I shall have to experiment some more.