Sesame Rings that look like Taralli
Makes too many (about 7 dozen)
I would call them taralli but I think I strayed too far for these to be authentic. File under: recipes I made one time but haven’t thoroughly tested. Eddie and I can’t stop eating them and my notes are pretty thorough, but if you spot an error let me know!
310 grams warm water
21 grams fresh yeast (or 7 grams instant yeast)
50 grams tahini (Seed + Mill or Soom)
400 grams all purpose flour (King Arthur
125 grams semolina flour (Caputo’s Semola)
11 grams kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
25 grams olive oil
about 1 cup sesame seeds
In a small measuring cup, crumble or sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let stand about 5 minutes until the yeast hydrates, then slowly whisk the yeasted water into the tahini. At first the tahini will thicken and become creamy, but as you continue adding water it will thin out again.
Combine both flours in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the tahini mixture and stir until a rough dough forms. Add the salt. Knead on low speed (Kitchenaid speed 1) for 5 minutes until the dough is fairly, but not perfectly, smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue kneading until the dough comes back together, about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead gently into a pretty smooth ball.
Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour until doubled.
Return the dough to a clean work surface and pat into a square about 12-inches across. Fold the top half down to meet the bottom and the left edge over to meet the right. Round into a ball once more, return to the oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and set a large pot of water to boil. Spread about half the sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Line a few rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, pat into a rectangle about the size of a sheet of paper, and cut into strips of dough about 3/4-inch wide (the exact size isn’t very important). Using the palms of your hands, roll and stretch the dough into long ropes that are as thin as you can get them without tearing. Somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 inch should be good. You’ll need a lot of counter space to prep all the ropes at once, but you can work in batches. The thinner the ropes, the more delicate the crackers will be.
Working with one rope at a time, cut into strips about 6 inches long. The longer the strips, the bigger the rings will be. It’s up to you. Wrap a piece of dough around your fingers and pinch the ends together to seal, forming a ring. Set the completed rings on your work surface or a sheet pan. If you have a friend to help, you can start boiling the rings as you're making them, otherwise it’s probably easier to make all the rings at once before you move on to the next step.
Add about 5 or 6 rings to the boiling water, stretching to reshape them as you place them in the pot, and cook until they float, plus about 30 extra seconds for good luck. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, strain the rings out of the water and shake off the excess, then drop them into the sesame seeds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets when they are cool enough to handle and replenish the sesame seeds on the baking tray as needed. You can crowd the baking sheets with rings, they don’t expand much in the oven.
Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If your rings are brown but not completely cracker-dry, return them to the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes to dehydrate. Store in an airtight container.
