Taralli: Italian Wine Ring Crackers

Name: Taralli: Italian Wine Ring Crackers
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

RECIPE: Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Pizza. Copyright © 2026 by Maurizio Leo. Photographs copyright © 2026 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

Photo: Nico Schinco

September 01, 2026

Leftover wine boosts the flavors of this crunchy Southern Italian snack.

Ubiquitous in bars, cafés, and family kitchens across southern Italy, crunchy taralli get a flavorful boost from leftover wine. “They’re the perfect salty aperitivo,” Maurizio Leo writes in his new cookbook, The Perfect Pizza. Leo uses sourdough starter discard to give his taralli layers of texture and tang. “The dough is simple to mix and shaping the taralli is fun, a great activity for little kids,” he says. The recipe is flexible, too. Instead of ring-shaped taralli, make yours into knots, ovals, or gnocchi-like nuggets. Or swap the Pinot Grigio for another dry white or red wine, he suggests. “I like a lighter red wine, like Nero d’Avola or Pinot Noir.”

Ingredients

Yield:65

450 grams white flour (approximately 3 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
15 grams (2 1/2 tsp.) fine sea salt
150 grams (2/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp.) extra virgin olive oil
125 grams (1/2 cup) dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
75 grams ripe sourdough starter discard (100 percent hydration; approximately 1/3 cup)

Tools:stand mixer with a paddle, large pot, sheet pan, slotted spoon

Preparation

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour and salt, and then add the olive oil, wine, and sourdough discard. Mix on low until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix on low for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the dough is hydrated and starts to come together with a tacky, Play-Doh texture. If it’s very shaggy and dry, add a teaspoon of olive oil at a time until it comes together. Or, if it’s very sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it dries out.

On the counter, knead the dough for a minute or two, folding it over itself and pushing away with the palm of your hand until it’s smooth and cohesive. Form it into a tight ball. Place it in the mixer bowl, cover it tightly, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place the dough into the fridge and leave it for up to 24 hours.)

While the dough rests, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a wire rack in a sheet pan near the stove. Preheat a convection oven to 350°F (or a regular oven to 375°F). Line another sheet pan with parchment paper. Pinch the dough off into small pieces about the size of a large olive. Roll one into a tight ball in your hand, and then on the counter into an evenly tapered, pencil-thin rope, about 4 to 5 inches long. If the dough breaks apart while rolling, pinch it back together or make a new ball. Shape each piece into a ring with the ends slightly overlapping, and press to seal. Set aside on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Continue with the remaining dough.

Working in batches of 8 to 10 rings, place taralli into the boiling water and boil, stirring occasionally, until they float to the surface, about 60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the cooling rack inside the sheet pan to drain while you continue boiling the rest of the pieces. Once all have been boiled, return the taralli to the parchment-lined pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let cool on the pan on a cooling rack. The taralli will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.