Chef Graziella
Biove Piemontesi
The boat-shaped bread rolls of Piedmont, crusty and substantial, built on an overnight biga that gives them character no quick bread can match. Northern Italian baking at its most honest.
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Pane Siciliano con Sesamo
Created by
The sesame-crusted bread of Sicily, where Arab traders left their mark on Italian tables centuries ago. Golden semolina dough beneath a generous blanket of toasted seeds.
Breads
Italian, Sicilian
Weeknight
Make Ahead
30 min
Active Time
35 min cook•3 hr 30 min total
Yield2 loaves
The first useful thing to know about Italian bread is that every region has its own, and they rarely travel. Sicilian bread belongs to Sicily. It is made with semolina flour because durum wheat grows on the island. It is covered with sesame seeds because Arab traders brought them a thousand years ago and Sicilians had the sense to adopt what was good.
This is not complicated bread. It requires no special equipment, no days-long fermentation, no sourdough starter demanding attention like a hungry pet. What it requires is proper flour, patience through two rises, and the confidence to coat the loaves so thoroughly in sesame that they look almost extravagant. They are not. This is simply how it is done.
The shape matters. The traditional S-curve, called mafalda, creates more crust and ensures even baking. It also looks like something, which matters when bread is the center of the table. Sicilians understand that bread is not a side dish. It is the foundation of the meal, torn and shared and used to push food onto forks and soak up sauces. Make it accordingly.
Arab rule in Sicily from the 9th to 11th centuries transformed the island's cuisine permanently. The Arabs brought sesame, along with citrus, almonds, and sugarcane. When Norman conquerors expelled the Arabs, they kept their ingredients. Pane con sesamo persisted through centuries of foreign rulers, a quiet reminder that conquest cannot erase what tastes good.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
semola rimacinata
Quantity
300g
bread flour
Quantity
200g
fine sea salt
Quantity
10g
instant yeast
Quantity
7g
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
warm water
Quantity
320ml
about 100°F
sesame seeds
Quantity
100g
egg white
Quantity
1
lightly beaten
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| semola rimacinata | 300g |
| bread flour | 200g |
| fine sea salt | 10g |
| instant yeast | 7g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| warm waterabout 100°F | 320ml |
| sesame seeds | 100g |
| egg whitelightly beaten | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Bench scraper for dividing dough
- •Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment
- •Metal pan for steam
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
- 1
Combine the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the semola rimacinata, bread flour, salt, and instant yeast. The semolina gives this bread its characteristic golden color and slightly nutty flavor. Do not substitute all-purpose flour. The result would be pale and forgettable.
- 2
Form the dough
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil and warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. It will feel different from bread flour dough, a bit more resistance, more tooth. This is the semolina.
If the dough feels dry and tears when stretched, add water one tablespoon at a time. If it sticks to your hands and the counter refuses to release it, add flour sparingly. Humidity and flour absorption vary. Trust your hands more than measurements. - 3
First rise
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The dough is ready when you press a finger into it and the indentation springs back slowly, not immediately.
- 4
Shape the loaves
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a rope about 20 inches long, keeping the thickness even. Form the rope into an S-shape, curling each end into a tight spiral that meets in the center. This is the traditional mafalda shape, though some bakers prefer a simple braid. Repeat with the second piece.
The S-shape is not decoration. It creates more surface area for the sesame crust and ensures even baking throughout the loaf. Form and function together, as proper design should be. - 5
Coat with sesame
Spread the sesame seeds on a large plate or baking sheet. Brush each shaped loaf generously with beaten egg white, covering every surface. Roll and press each loaf into the sesame seeds, coating completely. The seeds should cover the bread so thoroughly that you barely see dough beneath. Sicilians are not timid about sesame. Place the coated loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving several inches between them.
- 6
Second rise
Cover the loaves loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes. The sesame coating will crack slightly as the bread expands. This is correct. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F. Place a metal pan on the lowest rack for steam.
- 7
Bake with steam
When the loaves are ready, pour one cup of hot water into the metal pan on the lower rack. This creates steam that helps form the crust. Immediately place the loaves in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking until the loaves are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 18 to 20 minutes more. The internal temperature should reach 200°F.
- 8
Cool properly
Transfer the loaves to a wire rack and let them cool completely before slicing. I know this is difficult. The bread smells extraordinary. But cutting into hot bread compresses the crumb and releases steam that should stay inside. Wait at least 30 minutes. The bread will still be warm. It will be better for your patience.
Chef Tips
- •Semola rimacinata is durum wheat semolina milled twice to a fine texture. Italian grocers carry it, or order it. Regular semolina is too coarse. Bread flour alone produces an entirely different, inferior bread.
- •Buy sesame seeds from a store with high turnover. Sesame contains oil that turns rancid if the seeds sit too long. Taste before using. They should be sweet and nutty, not bitter.
- •The loaves keep well for two days wrapped in a kitchen towel. Do not refrigerate bread. The cold accelerates staling. For longer storage, freeze the cooled loaves wrapped tightly in plastic.
- •Toast leftover slices for panini or bruschetta. The sesame becomes even more fragrant when toasted a second time.
Advance Preparation
- •The dough can rise overnight in the refrigerator after the first rise. Shape it cold, let it warm for 30 minutes, then proceed with coating and the second rise.
- •Baked loaves freeze beautifully for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature, then refresh in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 53g)
Calories
165 calories
Total Fat
5 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
245 mg
Total Carbohydrates
24 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
6 g
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