Italian Homemade Breakfast Biscotti

These Italian Breakfast Biscotti, are a delicious not too sweet bread that is double baked. Very popular in Italy especially as the perfect breakfast idea, serve with your favorite jam or Hazelnut cream. It will become the perfect wake up treat or even snack.

It has become my breakfast go to and I love to eat it with either a Strawberry Jam or a Cherry Jam, other members of my family prefer a good helping of a Creamy Hazelnut Cream spread.

Recipe Ingredients

• Flour – all purpose flour
• Milk – 2% or whole milk lukewarm
• Yeast – active dry yeast
• Salt
• Egg – one whole large egg
• Sugar – granulated sugar
• Oil – vegetable oil, I use either corn or sunflower oil
• Honey – you could substitute with granulated sugar if you prefer

What temperature is lukewarm?

Lukewarm is considered between 105-110F (40-43C). Be aware that the yeast will die at a temperature over 140F (60C).

How to make Breakfast Biscotti

In a medium bowl add the milk and sugar stir to combine then sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit, then whisk together.

In a medium bowl add the flour, pour the yeast mixture on top, let it sit so the flour absorbs the mixture, then stir, add the egg, honey, oil and salt mix with a fork, then place on a flat surface and knead until smooth.

Form the dough into a log and place in prepared loaf pan, cover and place in a warm draft- free area until doubled in bulk.

Brush the dough with a little milk and bake approximately until golden and baked through. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, cut into slices and place on preared baking sheets and bake again until golden. Let cool completely before serving.

If you have ever been to Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia or Greece or plan on going. You may decide that you want breakfast included in your stay and I would bet you will be served a certain type of bread.

It is a crisp and crunchy lightly sweetened bread. In Italy it is refrerred to as Fette Biscottate. This type of bread originated in East Prussia.

When I first tried it many years ago, I am sorry to say I thought it was the Italians way of making toast. Boy was I wrong, it has a delicate sweet taste, I would probably say more like a Brioche Bread that is double baked.

What does Biscotti mean?

The direct translation of biscotti is baked twice. But in Italy biscotti also means cookies in general, all types from butter cookies to sandwich cookies and all flavors such as almond or even lemon cookies. What we consider biscotti are actually called Cantucci or tozzetti, of course it depends on the Region.

At one time they were called “health biscuits” because they were nutritious and digestible, they were actually made to be consumed on ships since they were a long life product.

If you are ever looking for a different type of breakfast bread or biscotti I hope you give these Fette Biscottate a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Updated from February 24, 2017.

Recipe Adapted from –  Misya.info  / Il Giornale Cucina Simplice