Making tarallini

 Tarallini are Italian crackers, similar to bread sticks and pretzels in texture. They are with a circumference of 3.8 to 7.8 cm (1.5 to 3 inches) and can be sweet or savory. They are often accompanied by a glass of wine. Once baked, can be stored in an airtight container for several months.

Some weeks ago I bought a small amount of them at a local supermarket and I was immediately sold. Since I prefer eating things in which I know what the ingredients are, the idea to make my own came naturally. Searching the Internet for the right recipe I could only conclude that they consist of flour, olive oil, white wine and seasonings. Beyond these, everything else is experimenting. So experimented I. Here's what it resulted in.

For this recipe (30 to 40 tarallini ) you will need:

• 2 cups of plain flour (you can use any type, really)
• half a cup olive oil
• half a cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• seasoning of your choice - I used chilli

Preparation:

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Mix the seasonings and salt with the wine and olive oil in another bowl. Let the salt dissolve and pour the liquid into the flour. Mix very well until a ball of dough is formed. Knead the dough for 15 minutes by hand, cover it with foil and let it sit for half an hour.

While the dough sits, prepare a large pot and your baking dish, lined with paper. Put 2 liters/ 0,5 gallons of water to boil. Add a liiiiitle bit of salt in it, since we already salted the dough. Prepare a big kitchen towel and a slotted spoon next to the pot. Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 392 F.

Once you have all that and half an hour has passed, it;s time to form the tarallini. You can see that it's pretty easy - you cut a ball from the dough, make it into a thick stick, cut the stick into pieces, make each piece into a smaller, thinner stick again and form in into a circle. Basically you repeat this process until all the tarallini are done. 

When you have made about 10, put them one by one into the boiling water and wait until they come to the surface. Take them out with the slotted spoon and lay them on them towel so they remaining water can be absorbed. (see the pictures below)

When you have boiled all the pieces, put them on the baking paper and bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Let them cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy with a glass of white wine!