Fennel Seed Taralli

📝 Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour
• 50 ml olive oil (about 45 g)
• 80 ml lukewarm water (for the dough)
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds (about 6 g)
• 1 level tsp fine salt
• 2 litres water (for poaching)
• 1 tbsp coarse salt (for the poaching water)

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Large saucepan
• Slotted spoon
• Baking tray
• Baking paper
• Clean tea towel

📖 Steps

1. Lightly crush the fennel seeds in a mortar or under the flat of a knife to release their fragrance. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, fine salt and crushed fennel.
2. Add the olive oil and lukewarm water, mix with a fork, then knead by hand for 8 to 10 min, until you have a smooth, supple, slightly oily dough that isn't sticky. If it sticks, add 1 tbsp flour; if it crumbles, 1 tbsp water.
3. Shape into a ball, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 20 min at room temperature: the dough relaxes and can then be shaped without shrinking back.
4. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Divide the dough into 32 pieces of about 10 g. Roll each piece under your palms into a rope 10 cm long and about 1 cm thick, then form a ring by overlapping the ends and pinching them firmly to seal.
5. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil with the coarse salt. Drop in the taralli 8 at a time: they sink, then rise to the surface in about 1 min. As soon as they float, lift them out with a slotted spoon.
6. Lay them on a clean tea towel to drain: they should be shiny and slightly puffed. Then arrange them on the baking tray lined with baking paper, without touching.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 min, until the taralli are nicely golden and sound hollow when tapped. Turn off the oven and leave them inside for another 10 min with the door ajar to finish drying out the centre.
8. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack or on the tray before storing in an airtight jar: shut away while still warm, they go soft. They stay crunchy for 2 weeks at room temperature.