4 cups flour*
1 package of "traditional" dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds OR anise seeds OR sesame seeds

* Measurement is approximate

Mix yeast in 1 cup warm water, stir. Cover with a cloth [to keep it warm] and and then let it activate (Takes about 10 minutes). If the yeast mixture bubbles up and increases in volume then the yeast is "proofed" -- meaning it's O.K. to use (Should work).

Meanwhile mix the salt and fennel seeds with the flour.*

Mix the activated yeast, water and wine with the seasoned flour.

Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and malleable.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled container; cover the container with a warm blanket and let the dough rest for about an hour. [Please note that in Puglia the timing of the first rise is kept at a minimum. In this region the taralli are first formed, and then later are left to rise).

Cut off a piece of the rested dough and roll it between your palms to form a rope about 18 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide.

Place the "rope" on a wooden board and continue to process the dough.... Let the ropes rest for about half an hour.

Cut each rope in half and roll between your palms, making ropes 10 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.

Shape into "roundish" half bows (In between a half bow and a circle -- see picture).

Place the "roundish" half bows on oiled baking sheets [to avoid them sticking] and cover them with a linen cloth [to keep them warm].

Leave the shaped ropes [taralli] to rise for about 4 to 6 hours [Some cooks leave them overnight].

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Place the taralli in the boiling water a few at a time, and remove them as soon as they rise to the surface [Takes about 1 minute].

Drain the taralli on a linen or cotton cloth.

When all the taralli have been boiled, place them on oiled baking sheets (or one lined with a silicon baking mat that has also been oiled -- the oil on the silicon mat is used to improve the texture of the bottom of the tarrali, rather than to avoid stickiness).

Bake the taralli in a preheated 350 F degree oven for about 40 minutes or until they are golden brown. [The length of time needed to bake the taralli will depend mostly on the type of cookware one uses, the aluminum baking sheets require longer time to cook as they don't conduct heat as well as other more expensive types of cookware. Nonetheless aluminum baking sheets do work better than other types of cookware because the bottom of the taralli don't end up getting cooked faster than the top. Also, the longer the taralli cook, the crispier they are.]

Cool before serving.



*Anise seeds or sesame seeds can be used instead of fennel seeds. Fennel seeds are the most popular taralli flavoring, anise comes next. Sesame seeds are the least popular but that's what the taralli in the photo I took attached to this entry contain.

Pugliesei taralli are thicker than those from other areas in Southern Italy. Pictures of this style of taralli can be viewed at an on-line store: "www.tarallipugliesi.it." The on-line store advertises taralli made with fennel, onions, hot chillies and black pepper. Apparently, their cooks use the highest grade of flour (type "00"), extra-virgin olive oil, wine, salt and yeast to make their taralli. Following the traditional method of preparing this food, the taralli are "pre-cooked in boiling water for just a moment" before they are baked. Obviously, their taralli are as they should be. Making "Pugliesi taralli" at home is a challenge. The quality of one's home-made taralli will depend largely on how well the dough rises. From studying the various recipes on the world-wide web it seems that there are 4 ways of doing this style of taralli: A) Make the dough and let it rise (Takes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours) and then shape the taralli; B) Make the dough, do the taralli and then let the uncooked taralli rise anywhere from 4 to 8 hours; C) Make the dough and let it rise for an hour or so and then do the taralli ropes, let them rise for half an hour or so and then shape the taralli and let them rise for four to six hours). D) Make the dough, let it rise for an hour or so, shape the taralli let them rise for another hour or so, boil them in water, place them on a wooden board and let them rest overnight. Then bake them in the morning.... It seems in Puglia the majority of cooks do the dough and then let the shaped taralli rise for a few hours. I found the first method -- making the dough and letting it rise for six to eight hours and then shaping the taralli -- the easiest to do. I suppose the reason I have had more success by following this method is because it is easier to control the temperature of the dough that is kept in a container than it is to control the temperature of shaped taralli that have been placed on a wooden board. If you cover the taralli they might stick to what you covered them with, and/or if the covering is too heavy, it might damage their shape. So personally I avoid shaping taralli and then letting rise. It does not work for me, but it must work for many others as this is the preferred method of doing taralli in Puglia. There are a number of recipes (mostly in Italian) on the internet that give detailed instructions, so if one wants to do them in the traditional manner there is more than enough information on how to do it. In any case making good-tasting taralli is not just a question of skill. A lot depends on temperature -- both inside one's house, and inside one's oven. If neither are "just right" you will be in for an unpleasant surprise. In addition, the humidity level also plays an important role. I dare say taralli are not that easy to make (Though on my "good days" I will deny this). One needs a lot of patience and a bit of luck.... Luckily, the taralli shown on the photo attached to this entry were quite edible, though the seasoning (sesame seeds) was rather on the bland side.

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