Taralli Pugliesi and Bread Baking Babes

trying out Taralli Pugliesi with Bread Baking Babes - post a link to your efforts by Dec 29th.  Mine are rising in a warm moist oven at the moment so will post later.  Not sure anyone likes fennel flavoured breads so cut the fennel seed (home-grown) down by a fifth.  Always have the wild birds to scoff any failures.


http://www.luculliandelights.com/2010/12/bread-baking-babes-in-december-taralli.html

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Taralli - bagel cooler shows how tiny they are

Taralli look like miniature bagels but are made with a lot of olive oil and baked until firm.  Mine have come out with a texture which Tolerant Taster describes as 'a firm doughnut'.  I think they will make an excellent food for dipping in humus or mustard, and I'll put them out before my New Years Day lunch when the hoards arrive and want to eat before the meal is ready.  They always do, while we wait for the last guests to arrive.




Ingredients:
500g flour  (40% urid lentil, 40% tapioca, 20% cornmeal)
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
tepid water to get to soft but shapeable dough
5 g  fennel seeds
1/2 tsp yeast 
1/2  tsp sea salt
1 egg  (the recipe says use white wine if you don't want to use egg)



Large pan of boiling water for initial cooking, oven at 170C for baking.  
Slotted spoon, cooling racks, drip tray, baking trays.


Mix yeast with water or flour depending on type you have. I have the kind you have to mix with a little water rather than putting straight into the flour.
Mix oil and egg and yeasted water together,  
Mix dry ingredients. 
Mix the two together.  I used the food mixer and beat the dough, adding water as needed, until I got a smooth dough that held together and was easily shaped.  Don't make it any dryer than needed as it will rise easier if wetter.  

mixed dough - not sloppy, not dry

Leave the dough to rise for a while in a warm moist place.  When you are sure it has begun rising shape into little rings.

roll little snakes and press ends together

let them rise in a warm moist place.

I put doughs that are rising in the oven with some hot water to add steam.  I also spritz with water to keep the surfaces from drying out and slowing the rise.

When these little rings had risen a bit I put them in boiling water - the original recipe says put in a few at a time and take out when they rise to the surface.  I think this must be different with wheat flour, as these didn't really sink much, so I just boiled for about twenty seconds then drained on a rack.  When they had all been through the boiling water and drained I put them onto oiled baking sheets and baked at 170C for about twenty minutes.

bake in a medium oven

 When they are golden brown and firm put them on a rack to cool.

piles of mini fennel- flavoured bread rings.

The original blog suggests having these with a chili flavoured oil instead of fennel, plain or with rosemary.   I'll see how these age before I decide if they are to be a regular snack food and so worth trying with different flavours. At the moment they are very good, though I do admit I have never tried the original so don't know what I was aiming at.