Semolina Bread
You'll love this Italian Semolina Bread with sesame seeds! It has a sweet, nutty taste, dense texture and crispy crust.
Servings: 12 Makes 1 loaf
Calories: 179kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups semolina flour (fine)
- 1 cup bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (see notes if using active dry yeast)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sesame Topping
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the semolina, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm water and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one. Otherwise use a large mixing bowl.
- If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook. Mix on the lowest speed for 1-2 minutes, then switch to the knead setting (speed 2 on a Kitchenaid mixer), and knead for five minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl. It will be soft and smooth.
- If kneading by hand, stir with a spoon, then knead the dough on a clean, floured work surface for at least six minutes until it's smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap or a towel, for two hours. (You can use the mixing bowl for this without cleaning it first. Just grease it with cooking spray.)
- Punch down the dough after it has risen. On a floured surface, use your fingers to flatten the dough into a 9x13 rectangle. Fold the top, long edge down ⅔ of the way toward the center. Then fold the bottom long edge over the first fold. Make a small fold on each side to tuck the ends in. (See the photo collage in the post.)
- Flip the dough over and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Score the loaf with a straight-edged knife, making diagonal slits 1 ½ inches apart to allow venting.
- Brush the loaf with water. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 40 minutes while you preheat your oven.
- Fill a metal pan ⅔ full with hot water and place it on the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with the pan inside.
- When the shaped dough has rested for 40 minutes, bake it for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Then lower the heat to 400 degrees F and bake the bread for another 13 minutes, or until browned. Take the pan of bread out of the oven and wearing oven gloves, flip the bread over. Take off the glove and tap the underside of the bread with your finger. If it makes a hollow sound, the bread is done.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic and then placed in a brown bag. It is best eaten by the next day or so for freshness. If you wish, you can slice the loaf and freeze it in a freezer bag.
Notes
If using active dry yeast, you'll need to proof it first to activate it. In a small mixing bowl, mix ¼ cup warm water with the yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Wait about 10 minutes, until the mixture foams and bubbles. (If your yeast doesn't foam and bubble during that time, the yeast won't work, so you'll need to buy fresher yeast.) Add the activated yeast to the mixing bowl with 1 cup of warm water, 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar, the semolina, bread flour, salt and olive oil. Then proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 0.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg
