Sesame Filone

The sesame variation lends its own special characteristics. The baked sesame seeds add a nutty, crunchy component that almost caramelizes in the crust to give a wonderful chewy toastiness to this loaf. It’s a great sandwich bread or delicious simply dunked in your favorite olive oil with a few flakes of fiore di sale.

Makes 1 loaf

1 batch filone dough, made through creation of the boule in step 5 of Filone recipe

Flour, for dusting

½ cup unhulled sesame seeds

1. Fill a shallow tray with just enough water to cover the bottom. Put the seeds in a separate tray. Briefly roll the top and sides of the dough into the water bath. Then transfer the wet dough, top side down, to the sesame seed tray, making sure to cover as much of the top and sides as possible. Leave the bottom (the seam side) seedless, as the seeds will burn when baking.

2. Place the dough seam side up in a proofing basket lined with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Sprinkle more semolina over the dough once it is in the basket. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel and refrigerate overnight, anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. Proceed with baking by following the filone loaf instructions, steps 6 through 9.