Potato and rosemary taralli {vegan}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

Happy Monday!

Whoever invented taralli was a genius. I hope everybody knows what they are otherwise you’ve been missing out big time!!! They are originally from Puglia in Southern Italy and are sort of like very crunchy crackers in the shape of small, hard donuts. They are made with very few ingredients, namely: evo oil, white wine, salt and flour. Traditionally fennel seeds are added but there are countless varieties. I decided to add potato flakes and rosemary, which is my favorite combination. I’d tried it once many years ago and have been hooked ever since. Taralli are super easy and fun to make but require a couple of hours in total. Try making them with friends (also kids)!!

POTATO & ROSEMARY TARALLI {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
yields 40-45 taralli
prep time: 1 hr, cook time: 1 hr 10 mins, total time: 2 hr 10 mins + 30 mins rest time

 1 + ¾ cup / 225 gr flour
¼ cup / 25 gr potato flour (instant mashed potato flakes – NOT potato starch)
90 gr white wine
80 gr / 100 ml evo oil
5 gr salt
a bunch of rosemary, fresh or dried

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift and combine the two flours with the salt, mix, add oil, mix, lastly add wine and rosemary and mix.
2. Transfer the dough to a floured working surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until it becomes as smooth and silky as possible. Depending on the moisture of your dough, you can add a tiny amount of flour or water as long as it no longer sticks or crumbles apart.
3. Cover with a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
4. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil.
5. Take small bits of dough at a time, roll it out to make small and thin “logs”, then join the ends together. Try to make them all the same size so they cook more uniformly. Because the potato flour makes the dough a bit crumbly, I suggest carefully rolling it between your warm palms rather than on the working surface.
6. Place the shaped taralli on a clean towel and proceed with all the dough (or you can work in smaller batches too).
7. Add taralli, a few at a time, to the boiling water. After about a minute, when they resurface, remove them with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them back to the clean towel (make sure they don’t touch).
8. In the meantime preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Transfer the boiled taralli to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, bake for 30 minutes, then turn them upside down and bake them again for another 30 minutes.
9. Let cool completely before serving.