Italian Anise Taralli #2

Forget the bag of chips! This recipe for these Crunchy Addictive Italian Anise Taralli taste like a gourmet version of a breadstick. Great for snacking. Ingredients • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 8 grams • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar • 1 cup water lukewarm • 1 kg all-purpose flour approximately 7 cups • 1½ teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon anise seed heaping • ¾ cup olive oil • 1 cup white wine Instructions • In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and water. • Stir and let stand for 10 minutes (will get foamy). • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the rest of the ingredients. • Add the yeast mixture. • With dough hook attachment knead for approximately 10 minutes until you have a soft, smooth elastic dough. Alternately, you can knead by hand. • Cover loosely with plastic wrap and tea towel and allow dough to rest for at least 1 hour. • Place the ball of dough on an un-floured wooden board. Knead the dough for about 1 minute. • Separate the dough into quarters (cover the dough you are not using). • Cut each quarter into 16 pieces. (each piece should weigh about 25 grams-almost 1 oz). • Roll each 25 gram piece of dough into a rope approximately 8 inches long and ¼ inch in diameter (about the size of a pencil). Join the two ends together to form an elongated ring and line them up on a wooden board. (There is no need to flour your cutting board when you are rolling your taralli. Feel free to adapt any sized ring-shape when you are making these taralli; if you want thin crispy taralli, the diameter must be ¼ inch thick). Make sure that you press the ends firmly together. • Bring a large pot of water to boil, then reduce heat so that the water simmers. • Plunge the taralli in boiling water; 3-4 at a time. Once they surface to the top, remove with slotted spoon. The boiling process (per batch) should take less than 15 seconds. • Place on cooling rack to drain. • Repeat process until all the taralli have been boiled Place boiled taralli directly on oven grates or on a parchment lined cookie sheet. • Bake in a preheated oven at 375° F for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350° F for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. (Set oven rack in the center). Notes 1 cup=142 grams Taralli will last about 1 month when stored in a dry place. I will usually keep mine in a basket, uncovered.I prefer to use the more pronounced taste of olive oil in my taralli. Feel free to use a vegetable or canola oil. Crunchy Addictive Italian Anise Taralli https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/crunchy-addictive-italian-anise-taralli/ January 23, 2016