Great bread without all the fussy kneading or the use of a complicated starter is possible! Speaking of which my starter is practically just dying at the back of the fridge and has been there for a couple months as I type this. What can you do? This Rustic Italian Sesame Bread however, is my new go-to bread because it comes together without much work. The hardest part is just waiting for it to rise. That’s my kind of recipe. It’s made with a mixture of all-purpose and semolina flour, which along with the sesame seeds on top, give it a great taste. It’s like a cross between a ciabatta (of sorts) and a focaccia. Think of it has your new every day bread.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast and allow to sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
**Note: If you want to speed things along, you can add a pinch of sugar or a small amount of honey to this mixture. It’ll help bloom the yeast. Also, if you have instant yeast you can skip this step and just mix it in with the rest of the ingredients!**
Add in the salt, olive oil, all-purpose flour and semolina flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
**Note: Semolina flour is a high gluten flour made of durum wheat. It usually is used to make pasta but I find that the flavor and texture it gives the bread is so good. If you don’t have any or can’t find any, you can just use all all-purpose flour instead!**
It will be somewhat loose, but that’s okay. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and divide in half. With floured hands, carefully fold each half of dough onto itself (stretch from the outer dough and bring it to center) to create a somewhat smooth rounded dough.
**Note: Again, the dough will be somewhat loose so it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a rustic bread after all. Just do the best you can.**
It should be rounded and smooth and the bottom and pinched at the top if that makes sense. Flip over and place on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the second half of dough. Cover loosely and allow to rest for 40 minutes.
Once ready, use a sharp pairing knife or bread lame to make a slit in the center of each loaf. Sprinkle each liberally with sesame seeds. Cut away any excess parchment paper if needed. I use these pre-cut sheets and just cut one sheet in half. It was the perfect size. Carefully transfer each loaf onto a large baking stone that has been preheated in a 450°F oven. You can use a pizza peel or the corners of the parchment paper for this, just be careful. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
**Tip: I have this baking stone, but if you don’t have one you can get similar results with a baking sheet that has been flipped upside down and preheated in the oven in the same way!**
This is an optional step that isn’t part of the recipe, but I thought I’d share it in this part of the post. I like to create a garlic and herb infused olive oil to dip the bread in. It’s super easy and doesn’t really require a recipe at all. Just place about 1/2 cup (or more) of olive oil into a small skillet and set over low heat. Once warmed, throw in a few smashed cloves of garlic and whatever fresh or dried herbs you like. I like rosemary, dried oregano, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat for about 15 to 20 minutes over low until infused thoroughly.
Carefully remove the loaves from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
**Note: I know it might be tempting to slice into warm bread (what’s not to love about that?) but it really needs to cool completely so that the texture gets right. Don’t skip it!**
Once cooled you can use the bread for a nice charcuterie board. Serve with your favorite meats and cheese, nuts, olives and that infused olive oil for dipping.
**Tip: You could also use the bread for a delicious Italian picnic sandwich. Cut the whole loaf and fill like you would a muffuletta. This bread would be perfect for a sandwich like that!**
This recipe makes two smaller loaves, which I prefer because you can do more with two different loaves, but if you’d prefer you can just make one larger loaf and bake it for a bit longer.
I hope you’ll give this bread a try because it’s one of my favorites. I especially love the fact that there’s no kneading involved or having to deal with a starter. The taste from the sesame seeds and the semolina together is what really makes this bread. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below. Stay safe out there my friends.
Rustic Italian Sesame Bread
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup semolina flour
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast and allow to sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in the salt, olive oil, all-purpose flour and semolina flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. It will be somewhat loose, but that's okay. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and divide in half. With floured hands, carefully fold the dough onto itself (stretch the outer dough and bring it to center) to create a somewhat smooth rounded dough. It should be rounded and smooth and the bottom and pinched at the top if that makes sense. Flip over and place on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the second half of dough. Cover loosely and allow to rest for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a large rectangular pizza stone on the center rack of your oven. Remove the top rack if necessary to make space for the bread to bake. Preheat oven to 425°F. You want it to get super hot while the dough rests.
- Once ready, use a sharp pairing knife or bread lame to make a slit in the center of each loaf. Sprinkle each liberally with sesame seeds. Cut away any excess parchment paper and then carefully transfer each loaf onto the preheat baking stone. You can use a pizza peel or the corners of the parchment paper for this, just be careful. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
I love anything with sesame seeds and I would like to make this bread. Problems is I don’t have an oven. Can I use this recipe in the Bread Machine using instant/rapid rise yeast?. I can just sprinkle the sesame seeds before it starts to bake. Thanks for any suggestion.