And they’re are an Italian tradition. Typical of Liguria and Piedmont, these biscuits are also known as Biscotti del Lagaccio, named after a district of Genoa.
It is a real biscuit, meaning the dough is baked twice like biscotti cantucci. First, you knead the dough and bake it in the form of a filoncino. After some time in the oven, you slice the dough and let it bake a bit longer. Biscottificio Mattei is famous in Prato for its biscuits, made with almonds and pine nuts for over 150 years since 1858. This biscottificio is also famous for its authentic Biscotti della Salute -- perfect for breakfast, but also excellent for appetizers (because they are not flavoured with the usual anise). Delicious simplicity makes these biscuits ideal for breakfast with jam or honey. Accompanied with a breakfast tea, the fragrance of this toasted bread is truly unforgettable. For a twist, try it with pate, cheese and sliced meats.
The secret of Mattei's Biscotti della Salute
The secret of the mouth-watering fragrance of our Biscotti della Salute is the slow, double-rising process of the brioche dough. It is not just a simple biscuit, but a brioche bread that is still soft, left to rest and then cut in half. The slices are then roasted to obtain the golden color and its typical crumbly, light texture. Still prepared according to the original recipe based on wheat flour, butter, eggs (from free-range hens), sugar, fresh yeast and salt... and above all without using preservatives like glucose syrup or coloring agents. The detail that makes the consistency of these biscuits even tastier and more pleasant is their thickness of about 1.5 cm.
Recipe for Biscotti alla Salute
Ingredients for two strands of about 400 g each
3 ½ cups flour, 1/3 cup water, 2 tsp brewer's yeast, 1/3 cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 3 eggs, Salt
Method
We recommend preparing the dough in the afternoon a day before serving (by kneading together flour, sugar, eggs, butter, brewer's yeast and salt). The first rising process lasts until the next morning when the dough is broken up and the loaves are shaped. Let loaves rise for about two hours before baking. After a couple of hours, bake loaves until cooked through but not yet golden in color. The loaves are then cooled, cut into slices and toasted in the oven once more until they become golden with a crumbly, light texture.