• About ⅔ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon aniseeds
• 2½ cups barley flour
• 2–2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup sweet red wine, such as Mavrodaphne or sweet Marsala
• ½ cup dry red wine

In a medium bowl, combine ⅓ cup of the water, the honey and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes, or until frothy.

In a mortar or a spice grinder, grind the salt and aniseeds into a coarse powder. Place the barley flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour and aniseed mixture in a food processor. With the motor running, pour in the yeast mixture, oil and wines, then add enough of the warm water, about ⅓ cup, to make a soft, sticky dough. Process for 1 minute, or until the dough comes together. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Process the dough for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until smooth and sticky (add more water if the dough is too stiff).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is soft and only slightly sticky, adding more all-purpose flour as needed. Shape the dough into a ball. Oil it all over with a few drops of oil, place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until it has doubled in volume, about 1½ hours.

Oil two large baking sheets. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into quarters. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap. Roll each piece into a 1-inch-thick rope, then shape each rope into a ring, overlapping the ends slightly. Pinch to seal and place 1½ inches apart on the baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 2 hours.

At least 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bake the rings for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until they are light golden on top and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to warm (175°F).

With a serrated knife, halve the circles horizontally. Place the halves cut side up directly on the oven rack in the middle of the oven, overlapping if necessary, and bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until completely dry. Let cool completely and store in airtight containers.