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Perhaps nothing is more disappointing in holiday baking and, sorry to say, more expected than crumbly, slightly mashed, homemade
biscotti. Your loaves looked so lovely until you took the knife to them. And everything had gone so well up until then.
The loaves had risen nicely and smelled wonderful when you took them from the oven. You had visions of offering guests plates of
them, even and elegant, and giving baskets as gifts - the biscotti lined up like toy soldiers at attention.
And then you tried to slice the loaf and suddenly it fought you and refused to behave. Some slices mashed at the edges. Others
crumbled a bit. Or more than a bit. The biscotti taste just as wonderful as you expected but the slices are a not as pretty as you’d wish.
Here’s the thing - almost every recipe I’ve seen makes this inevitable. And it’s something easy for you to correct.
The problem is, you’re dealing with bread. It’s a quick bread, not a yeasted bread, but it is a loaf of bread. And just like any loaf of bread, when it’s fresh from the oven, it wants to be left alone for awhile. It wants time to cool and firm up. It wants its quiet time. If you’ve made yeasted loaves, you have likely learned this, they rip if you try to cut them when they’re still warm, let alone still hot. If you’re making a loaf or two of white or whole wheat bread, the recipes often warn you not to try to slice the bread until it’s had time to cool. You take it from the loaf pan, perhaps cover it with a towel, then wait. An hour isn’t too long. Two hours may be better. But biscotti recipes almost inevitably tell you to take the quick bread loaves from the oven, cover them with a towel, wait maybe twenty minutes, then use the towel to hold the biscotti loaf to keep from burning yourself while slicing it, then lay the slices on a baking sheet and bake to dry.
And your biscotti disagrees in the only way it can. It is a little mushed, crumbled, and crushed looking.
What’s to do?
Do what I do.
I treat my biscotti loaves with the respect they’re asking for. I let mine rest covered for an hour before taking them from the sheet pan, wrapping them in lightly dampened cloths then putting them to bed for the night. Mine go onto a wire rack then spend the night in an enclosed bakers rack. I slice, dry and package mine the next norning.
For the home baker, let them rest. Don’t try to even move them until they can be handled without burning yourself. Cover them
with a towel for at least 20 minutes. An hour isn’t too long. If you’re planning on slicing and drying them that same day, just
make sure they have fully cooled. Two hours is a good standard. If you do move them to a spot to fully set up and slice and dry later, support them in the center of the loaf - holding them by the ends may let them sag and break in the center. Wrap them in a lightly dampened cloth then slip them into a plastic bag to rest and firm. Putting them back this way allows you to plan your baking with time off between baking and drying.
I admit, I have a dedicated slicing board which allows me to get the thin, lovely, evenly sliced biscotti I offer. And I can slice thinner because I use a recipe with French white chocolate baked into the loaf that gives a slightly open crumb that holds together when sliced thin.
I believe I make glorious biscotti., in part because I give the loaves the respect beautiful baked good deserve.
But whatever biscotti recipe you consider your favorite, you should be able to give your friends and loved ones a lovelier biscotti if you’ll just give your loaves a chance to relax and completely cool before you slice them.
May you bake tasty and lovely biscotti this holiday season. And I hope some day you’ll give Bob’s Biscotti a try if you haven’t
already.
Here’s to beautiful biscotti!
And Happy Baking Holidays from Benish’s Bakery.
Bob
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