Rustic Italian Sesame Bread

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.

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. 

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Rustic Italian Sesame Bread

This Rustic Italian Sesame Bread is a cross between a ciabatta and focaccia bread. It comes together without kneading and is so good!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Rising Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Baking, Breads, Italian

Servings: 16

Author: Jonathan Melendez

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Pizza stone

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons 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!