biscotti dough cracking
Lisa
lisamasella13@hotmail.com
07/29/04 		I have tried several times to make biscotti, and each time the top of the dough after the 1st baking comes out cracked and split, so when I try to cut them for the 2nd baking they fall apart where the dough split. Can you help with this problem?
Thank you,
Lisa
ellen

07/29/04 		Hi, I have heard of this problem. Here are all the things I would try:

Use my Ellens Kitchen recipe (it has a low cracking risk)
Omit baking powder
Use a bit more liquid for a SLIGHTLY softer dough
Use a little less oil/ shortening
drop the oven temp 15-25 degrees (check your oven temp with a good oven thermometer)
use the air-insulated pans (see biscotti baking binge)
make sure the dough is not too cold- let sit 1 hour on the pan before baking if it is fresh from overnight in the fridge

As a last resort, brush the dough with water before baking and out a tin of water on the floor of the stove

If all else fails, cut along the cracks amd then slice the resulting pieces as best you can into bars.