Description
Taralli Pugliesi are traditional Italian black pepper cookies with a crisp texture and a hint of spice. These savory snacks from the Puglia region are perfect for serving as appetizers or alongside wine, cheese, and charcuterie. Made from a simple dough of flour, olive oil, water, and a generous amount of coarse black pepper, they are easy to prepare and bake to golden perfection in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Additional olive oil for brushing on before baking
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, coarse ground black pepper, and optional granulated sugar. Stir these dry ingredients together thoroughly.
- Add wet ingredients: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the water and olive oil into this well. Begin to blend them together, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges to form a dense dough.
- Knead the dough: Lightly flour a clean working surface or cutting board. Transfer the stiff dough onto the floured surface and knead it for about 3 minutes. This helps develop the gluten, resulting in the perfect texture for the taralli.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) to prepare for baking the taralli.
- Shape the taralli: Pinch off small pieces of dough roughly the size of 1 tablespoon. Roll each piece into a narrow rope about 6 inches long. Then, form the rope into a ring shape and pinch the ends together to seal.
- Place on baking sheet: Arrange the shaped taralli on a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet. Leave some space between each piece, as they will slightly expand during baking. You can fit about a dozen per sheet.
- Bake the taralli: Brush the tops with additional olive oil. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through if baking multiple sheets. The bottoms should become lightly browned and the cookies crisp.
- Cool: Carefully remove the taralli from the baking sheet and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy: Serve these flavorful black pepper cookies immediately as a snack or appetizer. They pair wonderfully with wine, cheese, fruit, or cured meats and make an excellent addition to a charcuterie board or breadbasket.
Notes
- You can omit the sugar if you prefer a purely savory taralli.
- Ensure the dough is firmly kneaded to develop gluten for a better texture.
- Use coarse ground black pepper for a more pronounced flavor and slight crunch.
- Rotate baking sheets midway for even cooking if baking multiple trays.
- Store taralli in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
- These cookies do not expand much, so spacing on the baking sheet does not need to be very wide.
