I have just made some biscotti for the first time and they taste good, but the problem is that they are too soft! Not sure what I did wrong, but it would help if you can help me!
Our answer
Biscotti are hard, crunchy cookies as they are usually baked twice - the word biscotti is derived from Italian - "bis" meaning "twice" and "cotti" meaning "cooked". Usually the dough is formed into small loaf shapes (similar to a ciabatta loaf) and baked for around 20 minutes, then cooled slightly before slicing. The slices are then baked for a second time until dry.
If your biscotti are too soft then it is likely that the cookies were not baked for long enough second time around. If your biscotti slices are around 1/2cm/1/4 inch thick then they should only need around 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180c/350F to dry out sufficiently. If the slices are thicker then the baking time will need to be extended. We would also suggest that the biscotti are turned over halfway through the second cooking time. If the biscotti are browning too much on the outside and remaining soft on the inside then you will probably need to lower the oven temperature by 20C/50F and cook the biscotti for longer.
Once the biscotti have had their second cooking you can transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool for 20 minutes before carefully testing one - if the biscotti are too soft you can then return them to the oven to cook for a little longer.
The word biscotto, used in modern Italian to refer to a biscuit (or cookie) of any kind, originates from the Medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning 'twice-cooked'. It characterised oven-baked goods that were baked twice, so they became very dry and could be stored for long periods of time.
are too soft then it is likely that the cookies were not baked for long enough second time around. If your biscotti slices are around 1/2cm/1/4 inch thick then they should only need around 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180c/350F to dry out sufficiently.
Keep adding flour if mixture gets too wet. Divide into two equal portions and roll into 15cm long logs (or shorter if you want larger biscotti). Place on a silpad or well greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm.
How to Store Biscotti: Maximize Crunch & Prevent Soft Biscotti. To store biscotti, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. Lining the container with a paper towel will help soak up any excess moisture that finds its way in.
My recommendation is 15 minutes to bake for the second round. This dries out the biscotti enough to make it crunchy but not enough to break your teeth.
It's a good idea to flip them over halfway through the baking process, so they get toasty on both sides. Keep in mind that a longer second bake will result in a drier, more crisp cookie. If you shorten that bake time, the biscotti will be softer.
Once the biscotti have had their second cooking you can transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool for 20 minutes before carefully testing one - if the biscotti are too soft you can then return them to the oven to cook for a little longer.
Some purists will tell you that they should only be made with oil. But, step aside from tradition for a second and you might find it helpful to use a little bit of butter, which may be the difference between perfectly crunchy biscotti and ones that may be too hard to bite on.
After the first bake, the biscotti loaves should be firm and very lightly browned, but not hard. Loaves are ready to cut when you can touch them without burning yourself.
Why is biscotti dough so sticky? The reason is its high moisture content, room temperature components like eggs and butter, and the inclusion of ingredients like honey and molasses. But biscotti is meant to be sticky. This stickiness helps you bake up crispy, crunchy biscotti versus hard ones.
Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Be sparing with any flour you put on the work surface to roll your dough too. Too much will dry it out and cause the cookie to crumble (so to speak). If your freshly baked biscuits seem too soft after they're cooled, then they're either under baked, or there is too much liquid in the recipe.
Here it is, a biscotti recipe everyone can enjoy — unlike classic Italian biscotti, which are quite hard, these are light and crunchy. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, and thus take a bit longer start-to-finish than normal drop cookies.
Add in more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it's just workable. The very least amount of flour you can get away with is the best in these biscuits, but don't be killing yourself trying to roll out dough that is just too sticky.
“Wet" dough will still bake. The final bread will be more dense but the trade-off is that bread from a wetter dough actually lasts longer before going stale. The test is when you touch the dough it should feel only just slightly sticky but not enough for the dough to come away with the finger tip.
When cookie dough is too wet, your cookies may come out too thin and crispy, too dense, or just plain bad. However, this problem is easily fixed if you know how. To fix a cookie dough that's too wet, add in some more flour one tablespoon at a time. This should help absorb any extra moisture lingering in your dough.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.