puglian fennel seed biscuits for white wine supping

I love finding new delights to nibble on and yesterday I picked up a Puglian cracker with fennel seeds from Crosta & Mollica.

So delicious. I set about investigating their origins. These little treats were a mini version of Taralli biscuits. To nibble before dinner with your wine. And wine and olive oil is what makes them so fabulous. I have made a sourdough version with my white starter. I also bruised the fennel seeds a touch to release more of their magic aroma. To be really special try and get ingredients from Puglia. But that’s just showing off really.

Ingredients

300g plain flour
200g 00 grade pasta flour
100g sourdough starter
150ml olive oil
200ml white wine
2tsp fennel seeds
1tsp fine sea salt

Method

First bruise the fennel seeds a little to allow their aroma to increase. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and fennel seeds and mix through.

Add the sourdough starter, olive oil and white wine and mix into a soft dough.

Knead this for a few minutes to stretch out the gluten and then return to the bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to bloom and change for an hour or longer.

Break off pieces weighing 40g each and roll into a short rope.

Wet one tip with water and shape into a teardrop and press the ends together. The teardrop shape is because if you eat too many, then you drink too much too, washing them down. And that always ends in tears.

Boil a large pan of water and drop the dough tears in. A few at a time so they don’t touch each other and stick together. After about 30 seconds or if they reach the surface fish them out with a slotted spoon and line them up on a baking sheet.

Pop in the oven on 200C for 40 minutes to and hour. You want them to be rigid in the centre not soft. You will have to judge for yourself. I depends on the dough. I know when I first checked I got a face full of white wine steam. Cool on a wire rack and then keep in a sealed tub to keep them crisp. Bring wine! You’ll need some.