Yeast-raised Genovese-style sweet bread slices with fennel seeds, rested overnight and toasted until dry and golden.
Genovese Lagaccio Biscotti
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 1160 minutes: 45 hands-on, 950 chilling or resting, 75 whole-batch cooking and 90 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measures
- Mixing bowls and covers
- Stand mixer with dough hook or sturdy kneading surface
- Two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Instant-read thermometer
- Clean dry towel
- Sharp serrated knife and cutting board
- Cooling racks
Yeast-raised Genovese-style sweet bread slices with fennel seeds, rested overnight and toasted until dry and golden.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Make a small starter
- 1Make a small starterCombine 100 g of the flour, 100 g of the water and all the yeast. Stir into a thick batter, cover and leave in a comfortably warm place for about 45 minutes until bubbly and expanded. This is the first part of the 230-minute rise allowance.
Knead the enriched dough
- 2Knead the enriched doughAdd the remaining 300 g flour and 95 g water with sugar, fennel and salt. Knead for 5 minutes, then work in softened butter gradually and knead another 5–7 minutes until elastic and smooth. A stand mixer with a dough hook is useful. Cover and rise about 120 minutes until nearly doubled; actual proofing depends on room temperature.
Shape and proof logs
- 3Shape and proof logsDivide into two equal pieces. Shape each into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide on a parchment-lined large sheet, leaving 4 inches between them. Cover loosely and proof about 65 minutes until visibly puffy. The three rises total approximately 230 minutes.
Bake the sweet loaves
- 4Bake the sweet loavesHeat the oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Bake both logs together for 30–35 minutes until golden and fully baked; the center should read about 195–200°F (91–93°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Cool on a rack for 60 minutes. Wrap loosely in a clean dry towel and rest in a cool dry room for 12 hours, included as 720 minutes in the rest allowance.
Slice and toast the next day
- 5Slice and toast the next dayHeat the oven to 300°F (149°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan. Cut each rested log into 15 slightly diagonal slices about 3/4 inch thick. Spread across two lined sheets. Bake both sheets together for 20 minutes, turn each slice and exchange sheets, then bake another 15–20 minutes until dry throughout. Allow 40 minutes toasting and 75 minutes total cooking.
Cool the finished rusks
- 6Cool the finished rusksCool the toasted slices on racks for 30 minutes before packing. Cooling totals 90 minutes including the first day's 60-minute loaf cooling. The rest total is 950 minutes: approximately 230 minutes rising and 720 minutes overnight resting. These slices have a bread-like porous crumb, not the dense egg dough of cantucci.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Bread flour helps the butter-and-sugar dough hold an airy yeast-raised structure.
Technique & texture
Use volume increase as the proofing guide; cool kitchens may need longer than the stated schedule.
Finishing & serving
The overnight rest makes the loaves easier to cut evenly without compressing their crumb.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 7 days after toasting | Keep completely dry, cold slices airtight; finish the second bake before starting this storage period. |
| Refrigerator | Not recommended for texture | Humidity softens the porous toasted crumb. |
| Freezer | Up to 1 month | Freeze finished toasted slices airtight with parchment separators. |
| Make ahead | One planned overnight rest | Hold the baked cooled logs as directed for 12 hours, then slice and toast the next day. |
| Refresh | 5–8 minutes | Warm thawed finished slices at 300°F (149°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan, then cool fully. |
Notes
- Bread flour helps the butter-and-sugar dough hold an airy yeast-raised structure. Use volume increase as the proofing guide; cool kitchens may need longer than the stated schedule. The overnight rest makes the loaves easier to cut evenly without compressing their crumb. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 30; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can baking powder replace the yeast?
No. Lagaccio slices in this formula come from fermented sweet bread and have a different crumb from quick biscotti.
Do they contain eggs?
This particular formula uses no eggs; the structure comes from bread flour, yeast and kneading.
Why wait overnight before toasting?
Published Lagaccio methods include a long loaf rest before slicing. It firms the crumb and improves clean, even slices.
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