Chocolate Sourdough Biscotti with Hazelnuts

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Biscotti or Cantucci in Italy, Croquets in France, Mandelbrot in Germany - crunchy Italian twice-baked cookies with nuts are enjoyed all over Europe. We make our Chocolate Sourdough Biscotti with Hazelnuts and Cocoa Powder and love them dunked in black coffee, but these are also great with tea or dessert wine!

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Wan to make biscotti even more Christmassy? Try our Almond and Orange Sourdough Biscotti (Made With Discard).

Perfect Sourdough Discard Biscuit

I have been feeding my sourdough starter often over the last couple of weeks in preparation to make Sourdough Pannetonne, so I was left with a lot of discard to use! After making a big batch of Herby Sourdough Crackers and Sourdough Banana Bread to snack on during the week, I was still left with quite a bit and fancied something sweet.

These Italian Twice-Baked Cookies are a wonderful way to use up a lot of sourdough discard. They keep for a couple of weeks and are a perfect dunker for your afternoon tea or coffee!

Love the combo of sourdough and chocolate? Try our Sourdough Discard Brownies or Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Fudgy) next! Looking for a recipe using active sourdough starter? Try our Chocolate Sourdough Bread (or better yet, Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Bread)!

Sourdough Biscotti: Great Christmas Biscuits For Gifting

Over Christmas, Seb's family bake copious amounts of biscuits to give to all their loved ones as a gift. One of those biscuits is a French croquet double-baked biscuit that we enjoy every year. Similar to Italian Twice-Baked Cookies, Croquets are crunchy and intended to be dunked in your hot tea (or coffee) or cold drink (like dessert wine). The beauty of these biscuits is that they keep very well and can be made in advance.

I haven't asked for the recipe from my in-laws but decided to try and replicate their recipe with the addition of sourdough discard. Truth be told, mine taste nothing like their Christmas Croquets, so I decided to call them Sourdough Discard Biscotti. Crunchy, with a hint of bitterness of cocoa powder and orange zest, and lots of hazelnuts, our Sourdough Biscotti taste great and are perfect to have over the festive period with a cup of tea! And most importantly, they make a perfect gift!

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Ingredients and Substitutes

• sourdough discard: unfed starter that is 100% hydration. Don't use an old and forgotten starter that formed liquid on top though - your chocolate hazelnut biscotti will taste too sour!
• egg: large in the UK, and extra-large in the US. You will need 1 whole egg and 1 egg white for eggwash.
• olive oil: may be substituted with avocado or rapeseed oil.
• orange: we will only use the zest.
• plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour.
• cocoa powder: unsweetened.
• caster sugar: divided into 140g and 25g
• baking powder: not to be mixed up with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda).
• salt
• blanched hazelnuts: or use other nuts that you like, almonds, pistachios and macadamia nuts work well.

Method: How To Make Sourdough Biscotti with Hazelnuts?

STEP 1: Make the Dough

In a large bowl, mix sourdough discard, egg, olive oil and the zest of an orange. You don't have to beat it much, just mix until combined.

In a separate large mixing bowl mix the plain flour, 140g of caster sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix just enough to combine. Add the blanched hazelnuts and mix to distribute. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment (we recommend Bacofoil Baking Parchment).

Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into two portions. Roll each piece into a long log, about 2 cm in diameter. Transfer the rolls onto a baking tray, leaving plenty of space in between the two logs.

STEP 2: First Bake

Using a pastry brush, brush the rolls with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 35 minutes. The rolls should brown and feel firm when pressed. Allow them to cool slightly but not completely (just enough so you can handle them with your hands).

STEP 3: Second Bake

Use a sharp (ideally, serrated) knife to cut each roll into 1.5cm slices (be quick but gentle, as it will crumble quite easily). Lay the sourdough biscotti on a baking tray on their side. Return the tray to the preheated oven (180°C) and bake for 10-13 minutes. Turn the chocolate hazelnut biscotti over and bake for another 10-13 minutes. Lastly, transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

How To Store Sourdough Discard Biscotti?

Italian twice-baked cookies are known for their perfect crunch. For that reason, it is important to store them in an airtight container, to prevent the humidity from making them soggy. Let the sourdough biscotti cool down to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes

For other recipes that use sourdough discard, have a look at the links below:

• Lemon & Blueberry Sourdough Scones
• 'Perfect-For-Snacking' Herby Sourdough Crackers
• Sourdough Lime Drizzle Cake

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