Nana'S Pepper Cookies "Tarralli" - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 cups semolina flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns

Preparation

In a small pan, heat the oil until just warm to the touch (maybe 70-80\u00b0F), and set aside.
In a small pan, heat wine until very warm to the touch (about 100\u00b0F).
Sprinkle yeast over the warm wine and let sit for several minutes until it softens; then stir to mix.
In a large bowl, add all the other ingredients, including the warm oil.
Add the wine/yeast mixture to the bowl.
Use your hands to mix everything well, until a dough is formed.
Turn dough out onto an unfloured board; knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a clean, dry bowl.
Cover the dough with a clean, damp, kitchen towel (not terry cloth), and let rise for about 30 to 60 minutes in a warm place.
Cut the dough into small pieces.
Roll each piece into a long, thin, rope (about the thickness of your little finger).
Cut the rolled ropes of dough into 4-inch long pieces and join the two ends of each piece together so that it forms a round, doughnut like shape.
Continue the rolling and shaping with all the remaining dough.
Heat oven to 350-375\u00b0F Fill a pot with water, and bring to a rolling boil.
Drop the shaped dough into the boiling water (a few at a time).
When the taralli come to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, and place them on a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) to dry.
When all the taralli have been boiled and dried, place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a rack.
When cool, serve with a glass of wine for dunking.