Sesame Semolina

Sesame semolina was one of my favorite breads to buy in the store. The combination of seeds & crunchy crust always kept me coming back for another slice. I decided to try making it at home a few years ago and now no store-bought bread can compare.

Ingredients:
2 c warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
1/2 c semolina flour
2 c whole wheat flour + white flour (~3 c)
1 t salt
1/4 c sesame seeds
1 egg

First, start the yeast in 1/2 c water and sugar. When the yeast is foamy, add the rest of the water. Sift the semolina flour, salt, & 1 cup whole wheat flour into the bowl & mix until well-combined. Sift the rest of the flour in, 1 cup at a time, and stir after each addition. When the dough has gathered into a ball and it is difficult to mix more flour in, dump it out onto a floured board.

Knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough stops taking up more flour, and it has a springy texture. Place back in your  mixing bowl, coat in oil, and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1 hr, until doubled. Punch down the dough a few times while it's rising.

After the first rise pour all but a few tablespoons of the sesame seeds into the bowl, and knead them in.
Dump the dough out & shape into a loaf. I like to make a nice braided loaf. Simply cut the dough into approximately 3 equal pieces, roll each into the same length strip, then braid. Make sure the ends are tucked under.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2nd rise; before going in the oven.

Place the shaped dough onto a greased & floured baking sheet & let rise 20-40 minutes, until doubled. You can test when it's done by poking it slightly. If the dough holds the indent, then it's done rising. Be careful about over letting the dough rise too much as it will collapse when you brush with egg.

Finally, brush the dough with egg, sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds, & bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Today I made one very long braided loaf, though I usually make two smaller loaves.