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Oct 13, 2015

Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread

Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread

This Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread has a wonderful nutty, sweet flavor and a beautiful yellow crumb. It is wonderful with butter, and makes delicious toast. It is the perfect accompaniment for fall's soups, stews, and chilis. It also makes delicious garlic bread.

The best part? You make the dough in advance, shape it, and bake it the next morning.


Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread

Semolina is a coarse, grainy flour from high protein durum (hard) wheat. It is typically used to make pasta, but can be substituted for some or all of the flour in bread. It also is wonderful in pizza dough.

In the U.S., there are two types of semolina flour: regular semolina (used in this recipe), and durum flour, which is more finely ground. In India, the finely ground version is called Atta (I'm pretty sure). My bread baking buddies from across the globe also refer to the finely ground version as semola flour.

As a bread ingredient hoarder (because you never know when a "semolina emergency" might come up), I keep both on hand.

This recipe is from my friend Donna's (of the blog Cookistry) new cookbook, Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Melt-in-Your-Mouth Fresh Bread Every Day. Donna makes bread baking completely hassle free. She demystifies the whole process.

If you think you don't have time to bake your own bread, this book will change your mind. She's got recipes for breads, pizzas, pastries, and dinner rolls (perfect for Thanksgiving!).

Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread

This bread is kneaded, allowed to rise, shaped, placed in a Dutch oven, and then refrigerated over night. On baking day, after sprinkling a generous amount of sesame seeds on top, you put the cold pan, cover and all, into a cold oven and turn on the heat. fifty minutes later, you have this gorgeous loaf of bread.

We had it with slow cooker white chicken chili and a tossed green salad. Perfect for fall.

Resources:
  • I used this 5 quart Lodge Dutch oven for baking the bread. I love it because the lid also can be used as a frying pan. 
  • I usually can find semolina flour in the Bob's Red Mill section of the grocery store, but if you can't find it, you can order it from King Arthur Flour. 
  • I placed a sheet of parchment paper in the pot before adding the shaped dough. It makes it easier to lift out the bread. If you decide to use parchment, make sure it's heavy duty. I recommend the pre-cut sheets from King Arthur Flour, or the Reynolds brand from the grocery store. 
  • And of course, Donna's book
After the recipe, be sure to check out the amazing collection of fall breads from the #BreadBakers participants. 

For more bread recipes using semolina, check out this Semolina Sourdough, Semolina Rounds, Durum Bread, and Durum Stirato

Sesame Seeded Semolina Bread Recipe


Ingredients

Spray oil
Course corn meal, for the bottom of the pan
1 cup room temperature water, plus more if needed
1 large egg
2 1/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast (I used instant)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 ounces) bread flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semolina flour
2 tablespoons semi-soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Egg wash (one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water)
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

Instructions

On Prep Day

  1. Spray the bottom of a 3 to 5 quart Dutch oven with spray oil and sprinkle it generously with coarse corn meal. Optionally, line it with heavy duty parchment, spray the parchment with spray oil, and sprinkle with corn meal.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients except the egg wash and sesame seeds. 
  3. Mix with the dough hook for about 7 minutes, until smooth, adjusting the flour or water at about two minutes. The dough should be smooth but not stiff. I added an additional tablespoon of water. 
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise until doubled, about one hour.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball, and place it seam side down, into the Dutch oven. Cover and place it in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. 

On Baking Day

  1. Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. You will have way more egg wash than you will need. 
  2. Place the covered pan into a cold oven and set it to 400 degrees F. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the dough registers about 195 degrees F. I took the top off of the pan for the last 5 minutes. 
  3. Take the pan out of the oven and transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely. 

Let's take a look at the other Fall Flavors being shared today
BreadBakers #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Would you like to comment?

  1. I love Donna's book and so glad I have a copy. This bread is marvelous and one I want to make soon.

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  2. Absolutely gorgeous this bread, Karen! You know, this past weekend I happened to watch an American Test Kitchen episode, and you know what they did? They BRINED sesame seeds before using to top salmon steaks. They said that the texture of the seeds is considerably improved by a very short brine (5 minutes). I was wondering if it would be worth doing the same for seeds that go on top of breads, and now I see your post... hummmmmm..... nice coincidence! I wish I was home so I could jump on an experiment right away ;-)

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    1. Hmmm. Can't wait for your experiments Dr. Sally!

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  3. This is a gorgeous loaf of bread, and I really appreciated your information on the semolina and flours. I'm going to have to get a copy of Donna's book because I love baking bread! I guess most of us do in this group :).

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    1. Thank you Julie! You will love Donna's book!

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  4. Wow, how impressive is this bread. I have often seen recipes for bread made in dutch ovens and wondered how they would be. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you Wendy. I make most of my rustic breads in Dutch ovens. I love how they trap steam.

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  5. Beautiful! I appreciate the info on semolina and have some in the pantry intended for pasta but may use it for bread instead. You bake such wonderful breads!

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  6. Looks like a recipe I need to try. I love it when semolina is used with regular flour, such a great texture it gives the bread.

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  7. Great looking bread Karen! You must open a bakery, you are such a talented bread maker!
    We loved the addition of semolina in this one, you used the fine semolina right?We have 2 types here, the fine and the coarse semolina.
    Have a wonderful day!
    xoxoxo

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    1. I actually used the coarse semolina. Thanks so much for visiting!!

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    2. Really? That's great to know, thank you for clarifying Karen!

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  8. What a stunning and unique bread! I love that you can take it right from the refrigerator and put it in a cold oven to start - no steps for waiting around!

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  9. The bread has come out well. It must be delicious with the crunchy sesame seeds on top........

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  10. I love semolina bread and I love Donna's book, so this is a win-win in my book. Can't wait to make it.

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  11. The bread looks so beautiful. Love the sesame stunned crust. Normally though atta is made from durum wheat, in India its referred to the wheat flour we use for flat breads. Fine or coarse semolina is known as rava,sooji or suji.

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  12. H Karen, your seeded bread looks like it came out perfectly. I bet it makes great toast.

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  13. Wow, your semolina bread looks so fluffy and yummy!!

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  14. semolina bread is one of my faves I've made before - and anything in Dutch oven must taste awesome

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    1. Thank Mireille. It really traps the steam and the bread rises beautifully!

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  15. Bread ingredient hoarder you say? I wonder what it would be like to one of those. Not that I know ANYthing about it, but I've got a 20-pound canister of atta flour (which is what you get when you send Mr. Dough out with vague instructions to buy "a bag" of the stuff) that I'll be happy to share… Your breads always look picture perfect, Karen, and this one is no different. I have Donna's book to I'll have to stick a Post-It on this one and get to it sooner rather than later. Thanks for the nudge!

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    1. Ha ha Robin. We had to buy and extra fridge for all of the specialty flours I've managed to accumulate. Mr. Kitchen is constantly glaring at me when stuff falls out of the fridge... I'm so glad you have Donna's book! She's someone you'd love. She's one of "us." =)

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  16. What a gorgeous bread Karen!! I simply can't get over how beautiful it looks and I bet it tastes even better, what with all those seeds on top to give the bread that nutty edge!! Spectacular!!

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  17. Karen,
    The ingredient hoarder in me bows to the ingredient hoarder in you!
    This bread looks terrific--another great recipe from Donna's book!

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  18. I'm really sold on the whole slap it in the oven cold, cover and all thing. So easy and it can be baking while I get the rest of dinner ready. Nice!

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