ITALIAN PEPPER BISCUITS

Italian Pepper Biscuits image

Provided by Golden Sunflower

Time 1h45m

Yield 60-80 biscuits

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 (1/4 ounce) packages instant yeast
2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups olive oil (a must)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon fennel seed, grind in coffe grinder
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, grind in coffee grinder
1 tablespoon anise
1 egg, beaten
8 cups flour

Steps:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
Prepare yeast.
Add olive oil, salt and egg - mix. Add spices and flour. Knead dough until smooth. Place in a clean bowl, cut a cross into dough, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 1/2 hour in a warm dry place.
Remove dough, follow the cut you made and cut in 1/4 "chunks". Cut each 1/4 piece in strips. Roll dough with fingers into strips around 8-10 inches. Fold in half to make ends meet and twist. You can leave the biscuits in this shape or connect ends to make a twisted circle. Whatever shape you like!
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the first cookie sheet in the oven on the bottom rack. After 15 minutes remove cookie sheet from bottom rack and place on top rack. Then place the 2nd cookie sheet on bottom rack. After 15 minutes, remove cookie sheet from top rack and let cool. Then continue again w/cookie sheet on bottom rack and moving it to the top rack.
Each cookie sheet must stay in the oven a total of 30 minutes - 15 minutes bottom rack and15 minutes top rack.
Enjoy.