My Aunt "Nanny" use to make these pepper biscuits for us regularly. We would have them on the table after we ate or when company came. We would have these biscuits with a glass of wine. The recipe is the basic one used. Sometimes she made them with a tablespoon of pepper instead of a teaspoon. They come out with a little more zing. Still the same biscuit, but I like them a little better with more pepper. You try the basic recipe and then experiment to suit your taste.

The grocery stores in Italy all carry these pepper biscuits. The size is about 1 - 1 ½" rings. They tend to make them a little smaller. I like them a little bigger. You will notice that they come out looking as though they become crusty and get hard. The oil in the mixture allows the skin to become crusty and the inside stays soft. They are really delicious and can be used for several purposes (very versatile). Try them you will like them.

 

INGREDIENTS
1 cake Yeast
6 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pepper
1 cup Warm water
1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
1 cup Olive oil

PREPARATION
1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. We break up the fennel seeds to release the flavor.
2. Put yeast in warm water and let dissolve. Add yeast mixture and oil and mix together by hand. Let mixture rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
3. Take out mixture after one hour and begin rolling out into ½" diameter round lengths.
4. Cut every 4" and form a round ring. Attach ends by squeezing together.
5. Preheat oven to 400° F.
6. Place on a cookie sheet. Let the little biscuits rise on cookie sheet and then cook in oven till light brown. Be sure that they don't get dark brown. You must take them out a little earlier rather than later. Usually 15-18 minutes. This will yield about 50-60 biscuits.

Note: Before baking dough rings, Aunt Bea sometimes boiled them first. When they float to the top, take out, drain and bake.