Sourdough Lemon Thyme Biscotti are crisp, light cookies made with sourdough discard and baked twice for their signature texture. Fresh lemon zest and thyme bring a vibrant, herbal flavor to these cookies. Biscotti are the best excuse to eat dessert for breakfast and are delicious with coffee or tea.
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Biscotti have become my absolute favorite bake. They are easy to make and keep well for a long period, making them perfect for a homemade gift. Try my recipes for Sourdough Biscotti, Sourdough Cranberry Orange Biscotti, Sourdough Chocolate Biscotti and Sourdough Peppermint Biscotti.
Why I love this recipe
- Great way to use up excess sourdough starter.
- Makes light and crisp biscotti perfect for dipping into coffee or tea.
- Sourdough discard, fresh thyme, and lemon create a delicious, unique flavor.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All-purpose flour: The protein content of all-purpose flour results in tender and light biscotti. Don’t substitute whole wheat flour in this recipe or your cookies may become dense and dry.
Sourdough discard: Both sourdough discard and active sourdough starter will work in this recipe. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your biscotti dough.
Baking powder: Traditional biscotti recipes do not include leavener, but I prefer to add it to my recipes since it results in lighter, crisper cookies.
Thyme: Adds an herby note to these biscotti, both fresh and dry thyme will work for this recipe, just halve the amount of the thyme you use if measuring by volume.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is any portion of sourdough starter not used for making bread. It adds a great tangy flavor to bakes like these biscotti. You can use your discard straight from the fridge without feeding or activating your sourdough starter since it won't be used for leavening.
How to make Lemon Thyme Sourdough Biscotti
STEP 1: Make the dough
Rub the lemon zest and thyme into the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Transfer the dough on to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 350 F.
STEP 2: Final bake
Trim the edge off and slice the loaf into 14 portions. Arrange the biscotti upright on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 300 F.
STEP 3: Top the biscotti
Allow the biscotti to cool completely. Top the cooled biscotti with white chocolate.
Tips for making biscotti
- Both active sourdough starter and sourdough discard will work for this recipe.
- Weigh your ingredients instead of measuring with cups and tablespoons. It's more accurate and will help guarantee your chances of success.
- Don't over bake your biscotti or they may become too hard, dry and have a burnt flavor.
Recipe FAQs
The intensity of the flavor will depend on your starter. I find that sourdough always enhances the taste of my baked goods but the degree depends on how long you've had your discard.
Discard that’s been kept in the fridge for longer will have built up more acidity and will have a more intense flavor. While freshly fed starter will impart a milder flavor that will be a bit more difficult to detect.
These biscotti will last up to 1 month stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Baking biscotti twice dries them completely, so they are less likely to get moldy.
Absolutely! Simply use the same proportion of freshly fed sourdough starter in the recipe. Your starter won’t add a strong tangy flavor to your cookies, but will still work.
If you don’t have a starter, but still want to try out this recipe, simply add 28 grams of all-purpose flour and 28 grams of water to your dough. The recipe will still turn out delicious, but you won’t have the tangy flavor of sourdough.
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Sourdough Lemon Thyme Biscotti
Equipment
- piping bag optional
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Ingredients
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 3 sprigs thyme
- zest from 2 lemons
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 240 grams all-purpose flour
- 10 grams baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 20 grams cane sugar
- 180 grams white chocolate chips
Dough
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough: Strip the thyme leaves from the woody stem. In a large mixing bowl, rub the lemon zest and thyme into the sugar. This helps releases the oils and intensifies the flavor of these ingredients.170 grams cane sugar, 3 sprigs thyme, zest from 2 lemons
- Cream the lemon sugar and butter together for 3 minutes using a stand mixer or hand mixer.113 grams unsalted butter
- Stir in the wet ingredients and until fully combined.56 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Fold the dry ingredients in and bring the dough together into a ball with your hands.240 grams all-purpose flour, 10 grams baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Shape the dough: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands form a large log out of the cookie dough and flatten slightly so it’s about 1-inch thick, it should be about 12 by 3 inches. Sprinkle cane sugar on top of the dough.20 grams cane sugar
- First bake: Bake for 40 minutes or until the middle looks set, and the log looks lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and let the loaf rest for 10 minutes.
- Final bake: Trim off the edges, then slice into 14 pieces and arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Arranging the biscotti in an upright position ensures even baking and eliminates the need to flip them halfway through the process.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F and bake for another 30 minutes or until they look dried out but not too dark.
- Cool the biscotti: Move the biscotti to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Melt the white chocolate chips either using a double boiler, or in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals. Stir occasionally to prevent the chocolate from scorching.180 grams white chocolate chips
- Fill a piping bag with half of the melted white chocolate.
- Decorate: Spread the melted chocolate on the bottom of the biscotti. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 minutes to let the chocolate harden and set.
- Pipe layers of white chocolate on top of the biscotti. Top with additional thyme and lemon zest (optional)
- Enjoy and store: These are best enjoyed once they have fully cooled and the chocolate has set. Store leftover in an airtight container, like a jar, in a cool, dry place for up to 7 days.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- Sourdough discard and active starter will work for this recipe.
- Letting your butter soften at room temperature is preferable to softening it in the microwave. You can cut the butter into tablespoon pieces to let it soften faster.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of lemon extract to your white chocolate if you want a most intense flavor.
- Baking powder has a limited shelf life. Make sure yours is still effective by combining a pinch of baking powder with a drop of vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, then it will work.
- Avoid over baking your biscotti to prevent excessive browning, resulting in a texture that is overly hard and dry.
- Biscotti will last for up to 7 days when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Gina says
Perfect! I’ve made several times
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm so glad you loved this recipe!