Golden Semolina Biscotti Recipes

HOLIDAY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
• Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.
• The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

CHEF JOHN'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• Place butter, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, olive oil in a separate mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly until mixture has a creamy texture. Add 1 egg; mix into butter/sugar mixture. Whisk in 2nd egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Add whole almonds and chopped almonds; mix in evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Divide dough in half. Place each half on a length of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Wrap with the plastic wrap and press into a shape about 3 or 4 inches wide and about 1/2 inch high. Transfer both pieces to prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 or 4 inches of space between them to allow for spreading.
• Bake in center of preheated oven until turning golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut each piece at a slight angle into 1/2- to 1 -inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Transfer pieces back to baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 12 minutes; remove from oven and flip pieces over. Return pan to oven and bake until biscotti are golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack; let cool to room temperature.

ITALIAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 165 degrees C ).
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time; beat until fluffy. Stir in the anise and vanilla extracts. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; Add them to the egg mixture along with the chopped almonds. Stir with a spoon and as the dough comes together, Knead by hand.
• Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll each piece into a log about 15 inches long. Place logs onto cookie sheets, 2 to a sheet, the long way. Flatten the logs out until they are about 3 inches wide with a slight hump going down the middle. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, loaves should be firm. Cut the loaves into diagonal slices 1/2 inch wide, place the slices onto the cookie sheets and return to the oven. Toast on one side, then turn them over to do the other side. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes.

GOLDEN SEMOLINA BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir together melted butter, sugar, salt, flavoring and vanilla, mixing until blended.
• Stir in eggs, then blend in the flour, baking powder and semolina flour.
• Mix in the cranberries and raisins. Divide dough into two portions.
• Form the dough into two 10 x 2.5" logs, slightly flattened, on the prepared baking sheet. The dough is quite sticky. Flour your hands as required when forming the dough.
• Bake for 25 minutes until a light golden colour. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until cool enough to handle, about 10-15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325F (300F convection).
• Slice on the diagonal into 1/2"-3/4" pieces. Place biscotte on baking sheet on the cut edge and bake for about 15 minutes until golden.

GOLDEN SEMOLINA BREAD

Steps:

• Make the starter: In a medium bowl, whisk together durum flour and yeast; then whisk in water and stir until very smooth for 2 mins; scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with clingwrap.
• Combine the 1/4 cup of durum flour and the 3/8 tsp of yeast, then whisk in the salt.
• Gently scoop it onto the sponge to completely cover it, cover with clingwrap and allow to ferment for 1-4 hours at room temp (up to 24hrs in the fridge, remove from fridge 1 hr before mixing the dough).
• Mix the bubbly starter together with flour mixture (covering the top of starter) using a wooden spoon until all flour is moistened.
• Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then scrape it onto a surface floured with some of the remaining durum flour and knead for about 5 minutes.
• Add more reserved durum flour as needed to keep dough from sticking (use a bench scraper to scrape and gather the dough as you knead).
• The dough will be slightly tacky and cling slightly to your fingers; cover it with the inverted bowl and allow to rest for 20mins.
• Knead dough for another 5 mins until it is smooth and elastic, adding more reserved durum flour if necessary.
• It's ok if dough is still slightly tacky, but you should be able to form a ball and holds its shape.
• Let the dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with clingwrap, until doubled in bulk 1 1/2- 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto lightly floured counter and shape it into a torpedo-shaped loaf (or regular loaf), set it into a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cover it loosely with oiled clingwrap and let rise again until doubled in bulk (1 hr- 1 hr 15 mins); when the dough is ready to be baked, a fingertip-depression will very slowly fill inches.
• One hour before baking, preheat oven to 450F, with a cast-iron skillet or sheet pan on the floor of the oven.
• Make a few 1/4-1/2 inch deep slashes in the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
• Mist the dough with water and quickly set the baking pan on the hot stone/sheet pan; toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath and immediately shut the oven door.
• Bake for 20mins, lower the temp to 400F and continue baking for another 10-20mins, until bread is golden brown (skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or instant read thermometer read 208F).
• For crispier crust, lift the bread from the pan with a heavy pancake turner about halfway through baking and set into directly on the baking stone.
• When the bread is done, cool completely on wire racks.