Bread Focaccia Pizza

Pizza with sausage and sweet peppers

March 9, 2019 by Marisa 6 Comments

A thick crust Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers is my all time favourite kind of pizza. It’s topped with an easy to make homemade tomato sauce! Mildly spicy Italian sausages are scattered over the mozzarella layers. And, then topped with pan roasted sweet red bell peppers. It bakes up beautifully with a crispy outer layer. Delicioso!

This Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers post was originally published February 9, 2015. It’s been updated with new photos and content and republished March 9, 2019.

Pizza has got to be one of the most popular dishes to come out of Italy. There are endless possibilities!

From thin crust to thick crust and with a large variety of cheeses to choose from as well as sauces and toppings. It’s so much fun to make and in less time than you might think.

This pizza with sausage and sweet peppers is a family favourite. The combination of mildly spicy sausage and pan roasted sweet red bell peppers is a delicious combination. The dough bakes up just beautifully! It’s soft and airy on the inside with a crunchy, crispy outer layer.

As with most traditional Italian mammas, mine would make pizza once a week for us. There was no ordering in or take out in our family! It simply was not done!

She would say “che vergogna”! What a disgrace! So now, I too make my own pizza once a week. Like… religiously!

If you have never made pizza before do give it a try. There is something so comforting from creating dough from scratch!

With just a few simple ingredients listed below, you literally have fresh homemade pizza dough in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough

warm water
extra virgin olive oil
all purpose flour
salt
instant yeast
eggs

It’s a wonderful egg based dough!

You’ll need to let it rise in a draft free place.

On a sunny day I place my bowl of pizza dough on my dinning table where the sun comes shining through. It rises beautifully and works every time ! On a not so sunny day I let my dough rise on my kitchen counter right under one of the spotlights from underneath the kitchen cabinets. This works like a charm!

Ingredients For Pizza Toppings

Italian sausages
extra virgin olive oil
onions
red bell peppers
mozzarella

I first brown my my meat in a skillet with a little oil, just to get them a little caramelized on the edges. Them I simply transfer the browned meat to a plate so that I can use the same skillet to pan roast the veggies. Why dirty another skillet…right?

The pan roasted sweet bell peppers and onions are hands down my favourite pizza toppings.

You can, however, simply slice the bell peppers and layer them over the pizza.

In this case I would then brown the sausage with the sliced onions in the same pan.

Either way it’s sure to be delicious!

Ingredients For Homemade Pizza Sauce

ground tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
garlic cloves
fresh or dried herbs (oregano, basil and parsley)
salt and black pepper

The ingredients are pretty straight forward and which you probably already have on hand.

I love the San Marzano tomatoes as these are quite flavourful and sweeter then other varieties. They also have a low acidity level and really don’t have that many seeds in them.

You can use either fresh or dried herbs. Whichever is at your most convenient is quite fine.

The sauce yields approximately 3 1/2 cups. However you will only need 1 1/4 cup to top the 2 large pizzas. You can freeze the rest for future use for up to 6 months. But I’m quite confident you won’t be waiting that long to make pizza again!

So here you have my traditional Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers. It’s pure comfort food at my house and we so look forward to this treat every single week!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers

Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers and a homemade tomato sauce. This thick crust pizza is topped with Italian sausages and pan roasted red bell peppers.

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time25 mins

Resting Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time1 hr 28 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: homemade pizza sauce, italian sausage, pizza, sweet peppers

Servings: 16 inch pizzas

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH

2 cups warm water
4 tbs olive oil
4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt I use fine sea salt
1 packet "quick rise" instant yeast I use Fleischmann's 8 grams
2 large eggs

PIZZA SAUCE

1 28 ounes ground tomatoes preferably San Marzano
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp each of dried oregano, basil and parsley if using fresh, increase to 1 tbs each
salt and pepper to your taste

PIZZA TOPPING

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 links of mild Italian sausage about 1 pound
2 medium onions sliced thinly
4 large red bell peppers cut to 1 inch pieces
4 cups grated or shredded mozzarella cheese or as much cheese as you like

Instructions

PIZZA DOUGH

In a medium size bowl, stir together 3 cups of the flour, salt and the yeast.
Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tbs of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Take note that if your water is not warm enough the yeast will not activate. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast.
Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
Add in the 2 eggs and stir till very well combined.
Stir in another cup of flour.
Transfer the dough onto a well floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth. You may not even need the whole last cup of flour.
Grease a large bowl with some olive oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over.
Cover with cling wrap and let it rise till it doubles in size, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
While the dough is rising prepare the pizza sauce and toppings.

PIZZA SAUCE

Combine all the ingredients for the pizza sauce in a medium sized bowl and stir until well combined then set aside.
You will only need half of the prepared pizza sauce divided among the two pizzas. Freeze and store the remaining half for the next use.

PIZZA TOPPING

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and brown the sausage while breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the sausage to a large plate and set aside.
Using the same frying pan, add in the cut sweet bell peppers and onions.
Pan roast the veggies on medium high heat for about 7 minutes with a dash of salt and pepper, adding a little olive oil only if needed.
Set aside to cool.
When the dough has risen and doubled in size, transfer it onto a well floured counter and cut it in half.
Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin and roll to fit your pan.
Transfer the rolled pizza dough to your baking pan and repeat with the second half of the pizza dough.
Note that I use two 16" round perforated pans and I roll it out with a well floured rolling pin and on a floured counter.
If the dough seems to resist rolling just let it rest for a minute then continue rolling it out.
A perforated pizza pan does not need to be oiled. If you do not have a round perforated pizza pan you can use a cookie sheet which has been lightly greased.
Spread the reserved pizza sauce over the the pizza dough using the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the 2 pizzas evenly with the grated mozzarella.
Top with the sautéed sausages and pan roasted veggies.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 425 degrees F, for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Chickpea Red Onion Focaccia

January 26, 2019 by Marisa 14 Comments

A wonderfully soft and pillowy, Chickpea and Red Onion Focaccia topped with sweet golden raisins. This focaccia makes a delicious anytime snack or a complimentary side dish to a steaming bowl of soup.

Straight out of the oven comfort foods such focaccia are always met with much anticipation at my house.

The allure of freshly made bread or rather focaccia, which is essentially a flatbread has a broad appeal to both adults and young ones.

I especially love how and with very few ingredients you truly get so much. All it takes is some flour, yeast and water. A few add ins for flavour such as salt, sugar and olive oil and you have something so easily achieved in your own kitchen.

One other addition that bears mentioning here is mashed potatoes!

I can’t stress enough how the humble potato takes bread dough to a whole other level!

Surprisingly, it renders the dough so light, airy and fluffy. You immediately feel this as your kneading the dough. It’s like holding a pillowy soft cloud in your hands!

Well almost! And not that I know what a cloud feels like…but you get where I’m going with this!

You can top focaccia with just about anything!

A favourite sweet version of mine is Schiacciata Con L’uva, a sweet tuscan flatbread with grapes. Its a lip smacking delicacy that I simply never get enough of when the best coronation grapes are in season!

However, this time of the year is a perfect time to make do with a few good old pantry ingredients.

TOPPING FOR CHICKPEA RED ONION FOCACCIA

Adding raisins to savoury dishes was very common while growing up. Sweet plump raisins always made an appearance in calzone with greens such as my Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone.

To use raisins in this focaccia recipe, you’ll first want to plump them up by soaking them in hot water for about ten minutes. Then make sure to drain them, pat them dry and scatter over the focaccia before adding other toppings. This will ensure they don’t burn while nestled beneath the other toppings.

I adore caramelized onions and have often used them as a pizza topping. Take care to not cook them overmuch. You simply want them softened and translucent as they will continue to caramelize in the oven.

HOW TO PREP A PAN FOR FOCACCIA

I thought it would be a neat way to try focaccia in my cast iron pans.

I used 3, 8 inch round pans for this recipe but really any size pan will do. If all you have are rectangular rimmed baking sheets, those will work as well.

You can use one as large as 15 x 10, in which case it will yield one rectangular focaccia.

Which ever size you use, do grease your pans with oil and then sprinkle them with coarse cornmeal.

This will ensure crispy bottoms and edges and facilitates easy removal!

Enjoy as an appetizer or serve alongside your favourite salad or hot bowl of soup!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Chickpea Red Onion Focaccia

A wonderfully soft and pillowy, chickpea and red onion focaccia topped with sweet golden raisins. This focaccia makes a delicious anytime snack.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Bread, Main Meal

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Flatbread, Focaccia, Tuscan flatbread

Servings: - 8 inch round focaccia breads

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

FOCACCIA DOUGH

2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup warm water
1 8 gram pkg active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups mashed potatoes cooled
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour approximately
2 tablespoons coarse cornmeal

TOPPING

1 medium red onion thinly sliced
3/4 cup canned chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup golden raisins
sprinkle of coarse sea salt for topping

Instructions

FOCACCIA DOUGH

Place the sugar and warm water together in a large bowl and stir to dissolve.
Sprinkle in the yeast and let this stand until frothy, for about 10 minutes.
Once it's frothy, stir in the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix the mashed potatoes with the salt.
Stir the potato mixture into the yeast mixture until very well combined. (a whisk will actually work better here)
Gradually stir in the flour, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface.
With floured hands knead in as much of the remaining flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and has a slightly sticky feel. About 8 minutes.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
Cover your dough with cling wrap and let it rise in a draft free space until it has doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
Grease 3, 8 inch cast iron skillets with oil and sprinkle with the coarse cornmeal.
Divide the focaccia dough into 3 equal portions and place into the prepared cast iron skillets.
Pat down the dough, stretching and pulling with your hands to reach the sides of the skillets
Cover the pans with greased cling wrap and and set aside to allow the dough to puff up to the rim of the pans for about 45 minutes to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized frying pan.
Add the sliced red onions to the frying pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat while stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with a little bit of hot water.
Allow to soak for about 10 minutes until the raisins plum up.
Drain the raisins and pat dry. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the cling wrap from the risen dough.
Scatter first the raisins over the dough then top with the chickpeas, the sautéed onions and using your fingers gently press down into the dough while making indentations.
Drizzle the tops with a little olive oil. (about 1 teaspoon over each focaccia)
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are crusty and the focaccia is golden brown.
Sprinkle a pinch or 2 of coarse sea salt over each focaccia while still warm.
Allow to cool a little before slicing and serving.

Schiacciata Con L’uva

September 14, 2018 by Marisa 49 Comments

Schiacciata con l’uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes. More commonly known as focaccia, this flatbread is a seasonal dish made yearly during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

This recipe was originally published in October of 2016 and republished September 14, 2018 with updated content and photos.

There is much to embrace with the arrival of Fall. As the days get cooler and the air turns crisp, I get this sudden urge to roll up my sleeves and delve into the magical world of bread making. Or any sort of baking for that matter and wanting only to come up for air well after the Christmas holidays. Is it just me or do any of you feel the same way?

A little about coronation grapes

This time of the year grocery stores and local farmer’s markets are laden with thin skinned, seedless coronation grapes. A rather regal name for these Ontario blue grapes is it not!

They are vibrant blue in colour much like their relative the concord grape and quite interchangeable when making schiacciata con l’uva. Also, they have a deliciously sweet taste that simply bursts in the mouth, making them a perfect choice for baking or even preserving.

The sweetness of the coronation grape pairs beautifully with the savoury rosemary. Once baked you’ll find they mimic the taste of grape jam on toast. Definitely a lip smacking and finger licking delicacy!

This Tuscan flatbread consists of two layers of dough which are sandwiched together with a filling of seedless blue grapes, a sprinkle of sugar, chopped rosemary and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and topped with more of the same filling.

It’s then baked to a golden brown perfection with yummy crispy edges that we all love.

You can slice and enjoy as is while still warm with the grapes oozing their irresistible sweet juices. Or simply dust the tops with a sprinkle of icing sugar for some extra sweetness.

Gather friends or family around your kitchen and bake some today! I’m sure it will become a new favourite seasonal recipe!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Schiacciata Con L'uva

Schiacciata con l'uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes, a seasonal dish that is traditionally made during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

Course: Tuscan Flatbread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: pieces

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

Focaccia dough
2 cups water
4 tbs olive oil
4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 packet “quick rise” instant yeast Fleischmann’s 8 grams
Topping
2 cups grapes picked off the stem
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds or till lukewarm.
Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour till combined.
Invert the dough onto a well floured counter and knead for a few minutes, working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth. (I only used up to 1/2 cup of the remaining flour).
Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over. Cover with saran wrap.
Let it rise till it doubles in size for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, in a draft free place. (on a sunny day I place my bowl in direct sunlight and this helps tremendously with the rising).
When your dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a floured work space.
Grease a 17x11 rimmed baking sheet (or any large baking sheet you have) with some olive oil and then lightly sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan and impart a lovely crunch.
Cut the dough in half and working with one piece at a time roll it out to the size of your pan. (its ok if it does not entirely reach the edges).
Place the first layer of rolled out dough on your prepared pan.
Layer 1 cup of the grapes, evenly spread, onto the dough while pressing them slightly into the dough.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, evenly onto the first layer of dough. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Roll out the second piece of dough and layer it onto prepared first layer. Press down slightly and pinch the edges together.
Spread the remaining grapes over the top layer of dough, again pressing down into the dough.
Sprinkle with an additional 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary.
Drizzle more extra virgin olive oil evenly over the top layer.
Bake the flatbread in a preheated oven, at 350 degrees F, for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the grapes are oozing with delicious goodness.

Roasted Tomato Focaccia with Ricotta

August 24, 2018 by Marisa 17 Comments

This Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia makes a truly satisfying lunch with a side salad. It can also be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer before your main meal.

I’ve been loving lately these wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes made even more so by oven roasting them till they’re slightly charred and pop open. The roasted tomatoes ooze out the most sweetest concentrated juices with their wonderful aromas permeating the air.

There are so many ways to use these roasted jewels as some of my Instagram friends can attest! You can snack on them as they are with some crusty Italian bread or tossed with your favourite pasta.

Some suggested slow roasting the tomatoes, storing them in jars filled with oil and kept in the refrigerator up to a month.

Usually, I simply top the roasted cheery tomatoes over ciabatta bread which makes a crowd pleasing appetizer. As seen with this Roasted Cherry Tomato Ricotta Bruschetta.

I’ve decided to switch it up today by baking some fresh focaccia bread which is essentially a flatbread and not difficult to put together.

The flatbread with its soft, airy textures and crusty outer layers is then slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture. I must say its truly mouthwatering on its own but we’re going for the “swoon factor” here!

What better way to do so then topping the flatbread with some juicy oven roasted cherry tomatoes! Oozing out all their caramelized goodness and ready to be sopped up…yummy!

You can enjoy the flatbreads with a side salad and call it a meal. We especially love them sliced into wedges and served as appetizers.

You can also make and bake the flatbreads ahead and freeze them till ready to use. This way you’ll have a yummy flatbread to enjoy at a moments notice!

Buon Appetito!

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Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Soft and airy focaccia bread with crusty outer layers, slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture and topped with oven roasted cherry tomatoes.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: focaccia with oven roasted tomatoes and ricotta

Servings:

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

2 cups water
4 + 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
8 grams quick rise instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

800 grams cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic smashed
4 springs oregano fresh
sprinkle salt and ground black pepper to your taste
olive oil for drizzling

Herbed Ricotta

600 grams ricotta
2 tablespoons oregano fresh
2 tablespoons thyme fresh
sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

Focaccia Dough

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave until lukewarm.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, sugar and stir well.
Stir the warm liquids into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour until combined.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface and knead for a few minutes while working in the remaining cup of flour a bit at a time, just until the dough is soft and smooth.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl while turning the dough over to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions.
Transfer the portions to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 on each sheet allowing enough space between the 2 portions.
Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet while shaping it roughly to a 6x8 rectangle.
Cover with a clean dishcloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Uncover the focaccia dough and using your fingers press down to form indentations.
Stir together 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano and brush over the surface of the focaccia.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Scatter with the smashed garlic, tuck in the sprigs of oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

Herbed Ricotta

Combine the ricotta, oregano, thyme wth salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well.

Assembling The Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Slather the herbed ricotta mixture over the baked focaccia with equal portions.
Equally top with the oven roasted tomatoes.
Garnish with extra oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Soft Italian Anise Taralli

May 11, 2018 by Marisa 26 Comments

Soft Italian Anise Taralli have a wonderful aromatic scent from the speckled anise seeds. With crispy outer layers and soft spongy middles, these taralli make a perfect snack for just about anytime of the day.

Taralli are the quintessential snack of Italy and extremely popular throughout the country.

Every region in Italy has their own variation of the tarallo (singular). From sweet to savory, there’s bound to be one kind or another for every palate out there!

Some are the crisp and dry variety while others are the soft and chewier kind. There are also some recipes that call for yeast while others use baking powder as a leavening agent. Some are eggless and feature wine or even Grappa, not to mention the variety of spices that may be used. The more popular being fennel or even anise seeds.

One thing Italians will agree on is that they are excellent served alongside an antipasto platter with olives and cheeses or simply dunked in wine as an after dinner treat!

My friend and colleague Maria, has graciously shared her taralli recipe with me. She and her mom have been making them for years!

Don’t be alarmed by the large amount of flour because this is a large batch recipe. That is if you make tiny taralli as I did! I believe I counted 90+ and that was after I ate half a dozen or so while counting the batch! No judgments here because I know you would do the same after one taste!

Maria makes very large taralli and therefore the recipe yields approximately 3 dozen for her. Whereas I prefer the smaller sized ones. They make cute little morsels that resemble mini bagel bites!

However, there are no set rules here. You can make them any size your prefer.

A wonderful alternative would be to make both larger and smaller sizes, this way you get to please everyone!

I happen to love the wonderfully sweet aromatic scent of anise seeds with its liquorice flavor!

If your not a fan of anise seeds you can definitely substitute fennel seeds or add some spicy heat with coarsely cracked black pepper.

As with any freshly baked bread these Soft Italian Anise Taralli are at their best the day they’re baked. Mostly because when they’re fresh out of the oven, they have this yummy crunchy and crispy outer layer with such soft bagel-like centers, making them simply addictive!

However, you can replicate the same taste and texture by popping them in the oven the next day for about 5 to 10 minutes. If you have any left that is!

They also freeze wonderfully well, which is convenient when your’re craving some at a moments notice.

From freezer to oven they go for some fresh tasting taralli that are ready in mere minutes!

Roll them as thick or thin as you like…!

Shape them big or small…and watch them disappear in no time at all!

Many thanks to my friend Maria for sharing her Soft Italian Anise Taralli recipe with us!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Soft Italian Anise Taralli

A big batch of Soft Italian Anise Taralli with a crunchy outer layer and a soft bagel like interior that are totally addictable.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Anise Taralli, Italian Taralli, Taralli Recipe

Servings: small taralli

Calories: 75kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

13 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons anise seeds
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil I used canola oil
4 cups water

Instructions

In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the hook attachment, add in the flour, sugar, anise seeds yeast and eggs.
Heat the oil and water together just until warm. (I used the microwave for 2 minutes however take care that it's not too hot).
With the motor running on low speed, add in the liquids then gradually increase the speed to medium.
Knead until 3/4 of the flour has been incorporated then transfer the dough to a work surface and continue kneading by hand until you've worked in the remaining flour.
This should take about 5 to 10 minutes of kneading time by hand until you've achieved a nice malleable dough with the remaining flour.
Place the dough in a well greased large bowl and then cover with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rest for 1 1/2 hours. It will increase in size and look light and puffy.
When your ready to roll the taralli, divide the dough in half and and return one half to your greased bowl and keep covered so it does not dry out.
You'll also want to keep the dough your working with covered for the same reason.
There is really no set rule on how long or how thick to role the taralli, its a matter of preference.
For small taralli roll out a golf ball sized piece of dough to an 18 inch rope and cut into 3 pieces
Shape each piece into a ring and press the ends together to seal.
For evenly round taralli, once you press the ends together insert your index and middle finger into the loop where the 2 ends meet and make a back and forth rolling motion for a well rounded shape.
For big taralli cut a piece of dough the size of a golf ball and roll out to a half inch wide in diameter and about 12 to 14 inches long.
Press the ends together in a loop while sealing the ends as you would the smaller taralli.
Transfer the taralli on baking trays lined with a clean kitchen dish towel.
When you've finished working with one half of the dough, bring a large pot of water to boil while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Have 2 baking trays ready by your stove top and line one of them with a clean kitchen towel.
Drop a few taralli into the boiling water and as soon as they resurface (this should take a few seconds) transfer them first to the unlined tray then to the tray lined with the clean kitchen towel to absorb any residual water.
Transfer the boiled taralli onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about an inch apart.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 24 minutes, turning to flip them over half way through the baking time. I baked them 12 minutes on each side)
When ready the taralli will puff up somewhat and have a lovely golden brown appearance with crusty darker brown tops and bottoms.
Repeat the whole process with the remaining dough.
Small sized taralli yields approximately 8 dozen while bigger shaped taralli will yield about 3 dozen.
Of course this will depend on the size you wish to make and again there are no set rules here.
Simply have fun and enjoy!

Nutrition