Once again this year we are very happy to participate in the wonderful collection of Bread in Zorra on the occasion of World Bread Day. And we do it with a recipe from Puglia known and appreciated everywhere, of which not everyone perhaps knows the secrets. Although they are not bread in the strictest sense, the boiled Taralli, from us in Puglia, can not be missing in a basket of bread that respects itself. Therefore, propose them for the basket of Zorrah!
So here you are the recipe of my house, derived from the proportions of my grandmother's ingredients, just as they were recorded by Aurora aunt on a leaflet found by her daughter Claudia, in an old cookbook. On that leaflet, however, the process is missing.... Her grandmothers, at most our grandmothers noticed the doses, just to avoid making coarse mistakes, mica wrote everything by thread and sign as we do....
The process of certain traditional recipes was handed down from generation to generation by observing and repeating ancient gestures. Everything here!
At the suggestion of my "trusted Taralli dealer, the baker from via Campione in Bari, I added to the base dough a pin of brewer's yeast, which almost nobody mentions in the ingredients, but which, in my opinion, is all there. The Taralli will be tasty, crispy but not "guessed", that is too hard and compact, as if they were made of "tuff".
Boiled Taralli also known as Scaldatelli
Ingredients:
Heat both wine and oil and add to the flour, yeast and salt. First the wine, then slowly and gradually the oil. Knead and work for a long time the dough, which must have a firm yet elastic consistency. If it should be necessary, add a little white wine, do it gradually, continuing to knead. I recommend, the dough must be processed forcefully and for a long time, otherwise it will be difficult to form rolls. The kneading machine can be used according to certain methods. Make a ball, cover it with a bell (put the dough under a bowl upside down) and let it rest for 30 minutes. After the necessary time has elapsed, keeping the dough covered, detach small pieces of it, extend them with the two hands on the pastry board, cut and form the Taralli as thin as possible.
In a large pot, bring the water to the boil, salt and add a little oil. As soon as the water has resumed a slight boiling, set the Taralli a few times and drain them with the foam word, as soon as they rise to the surface. Place them on a dishcloth covered tray and allow to air dry for at least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight. The next day, bake them in a preheated oven at 200掳-220掳 until gilding. Check the Taralli during cooking, removing them from time to time so that the gilding is homogeneous. They can be flavoured with fennel seeds, pepper or chilli pepper, or they can be braided with a peeled almond.
If the onion is desired, it must be kneaded with the oil in which some onion is cooked.
Generally in my home we prefer simple ones, while pepper ones cannot be missing on the Easter table. But this is another story....
Thank you
