Ingredients
Store-bought fresh pizza dough*
Flavoring
about 1 tablespoon pepper, fennel seeds, anise seeds or crushed hot chilies
For brushing
Olive oil
* Will make about 14 to 18 taralli -- the amount will depend on the size of the dough ball, and the size of the taralli
Directions
o Place store-bought pizza dough in a container and add desired flavoring (e.g. about a tablespoon of black pepper, fennel seeds, anise seeds or crushed hot chilies).
o Mix in the desired flavoring, knead a minute or two, and then form the dough into a ball.
o Place the dough in a large plastic bag and close with tie twists.
o Place the dough in a large pot with a lid, and then cover the pot with the lid.
o Let the dough rest in a draft-free place until it doubles in size -- about 6 hours (An oven that is NOT turned on is a good enough place -- it's draft-free.).
o Flour your hands, and then make a cylinder with the dough. Using a knife cut a slice of dough about 1/2 an inch wide.
o Using the palms of your hands, make a taralli log with the dough -- about 8 inches long, 1/2 inches wide.
o Form a half bow or circle with the taralli log and pinch the ends together.
o Line an aluminum cookie tray with parchment paper.
o Place the taralli on the tray lined with parchment paper and brush the tops of the taralli with olive oil (Brushing the tops of the taralli with olive oil is important, as the pizza dough is generally on the dry side).
o Bake in a moderate hot oven (about 400 F. degrees) until the taralli are golden brown (about 20 minutes). The darker the color, the crispier they will taste (Too dark, and they will taste burnt!).
o Cool.
o Store in a cellophane bag and keep in the fridge (It's best not to make too many taralli at a time, as with all home-made goods, the fresher they are, the better they will be.).
o Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Taralli made with store-bought fresh pizza dough are easy to do. Needless to say, they are NOT the best testing taralli one can make at home (A bit too much yeast in the dough), but for those lazy cooks out there (I count myself as one) who have a yen for home-made taralli but don't want the bother of making the dough, one can give this recipe a try. Notes and photo: Mary Melfi. |
