3½ cupsall purpose flour500 grams, plus more for kneading
½teaspoonbaking powder
pinchsalt
6eggsroom temperature
2tablespoonssugar
2tablespoonsvegetable oilor olive oil
½teaspoonvanilla extract
zest of one lemon
2teaspoonsof sambucagrappa or Marsala wine
Icing:
3cupsicing sugar
4 - 4½tablespoonswater
2teaspoonslemon juicefreshly squeezed
½teaspoonvanilla extractoptional
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, and with the whisk attachment, beat them on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes or until double in volume.
Add sugar and continue to whisk for about 2 minutes. At this point your whisked eggs should be thick.
Add oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Continue to whisk together.
Add sambuca to this egg mixture and whisk together.
Switch to a dough hook and incorporate the flour.
Knead for approximately 7-10 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly tacky at the end of this process. You will notice the dough pulling away from the sides of the bowl while still adhering slightly to the bottom. If the dough is sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
Form into a log; wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (I will usually place a tea towel over the top).
Cut dough into 8 pieces. To obtain 8 pieces of dough, cut the log into two halves. Proceed to cut each of these halves in half, resulting in four pieces. Then, cut each of these four pieces in half again, resulting in a total of eight pieces of dough.
To make taralli, work on a single piece of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered.
Join the ends of one section of a dough ball together and knead it with the palm of your hands for 2 minutes to form a small, round dough ball.
Place the dough ball on a lightly floured section of your wooden board and cover it with plastic wrap. Continue to shape the rest of the dough into small balls. Let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes at room temperature.
With thumb and forefinger, pinch the middle to create a hole. Slowly enlarge the hole while forming a donut shape (refer to the photo in the article).
Continue to form the rest of the dough.
Bring a large pot of water to 200°F/93℃. We want hot water with a couple of bubbles escaping to the surface.
Place the taralli in the water. Immediately, use a wooden spoon to move the tarallo around so it doesn't adhere to the bottom of the pot. Remember that the water should not be boiling or simmering but rather very hot, with just a few bubbles rising to the surface.
Once the tarallo rises to the top (approximately 2-3 minutes), remove it from the water with a slotted spoon. Transfer it to a tea towel to drain.
Repeat process until all the taralli have been boiled. Air dry the taralli on a tea towel for 15 minutes before baking.
To get started, preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Place the oven grate in the center of the oven.
Take each tarallo and use a sharp knife or razor blade to make a shallow cut across the top of the dough, forming a line that runs around the circumference of the tarallo.
Place boiled and scored taralli directly on oven grates or on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Reduce the oven heat to 375°F/190°C and bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 325°F /160°C and bake for another 20-25 minutes until cracked, golden brown and light to the touch. Check every 5-10 minutes to ensure they are not getting too dark. If they start to get too brown, loosely cover them with foil.
Remove taralli from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled completely, you can begin glazing your taralli.
Icing:
Combine 3 cups (375 grams) of powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of water in a small pot. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and whisk continuously for 30-60 seconds. Please note that you can adjust the consistency by adding more or less liquid as needed.
Remove from the heat and add 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Use tongs to dip each tarallo into the glaze, coating it evenly on all sides. You can use a small pastry brush to brush the glaze onto the sides.
Place the glazed taralli on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper to catch any excess glaze. Allow the glaze to dry and set completely before serving or storing the taralli.
Notes
The most precise technique to measure flour is by weight. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop it using a dry measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife. For reference, 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 142 grams [source].
Use room-temperature eggs.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping.
Work with small portions of dough to avoid drying out.
Boil the taralli before baking to achieve a crispy texture.
Air dry the boiled taralli on a tea towel for at least 15-20 minutes before baking.
You need to work quickly when glazing the taralli as the glaze quickly hardens and sets.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.