Sesam Baguettes (Sfilatini al sesamo)

This bread preparation requires a poolish starter. The « Poolish » is a starter made from the same ingredients as the dough left to develop for a long time. Poolish should be left overnight, if you are in a hurry you can leave it for a couple of hours but the final result will not be the same. Once the poolish ready it will be mixed with the dough ingredients. When starting your dough make sure that the salt and the yeast don't get in direct contact, always better to mix the salt in the flour to be sure.

Will make 3 to 4 « sfilatini »

Ingredients :

For the Poolish:

• 1.5 cups flour 55 type
• 1.5 cups water
• Half teaspoon of dried yeast
  

For the Dough 

• 2.5 cups flour 55 tpe
• 0.75 cups cool water
• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 60 gr of sesam seeds
• The poolish
  

- Instructions for the Poolish :
Put the yeast in the water, stir the mixture. Place the flour in a bowl . Add the yeast and water mixture and stir it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it aside to develop. Leave overnight, or for a shorter time. In the morning, the poolish will be ready. Now it can be mixed to the other ingredients.

- Instuction for the Dough :
Disperse the yeast in the water. Add the salt into the flour. Add the yeast-water mixture to the poolish. Mix roughly.

Now add the salted flour in 3 times, mixing each time. If needed add an additional tablespoon of flour at a time until the mixture starts to pull away from the bowl. The mixture shouldn't be too dry.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Knead the dough (Fold the dough in half towards you. Flatten the dough a little, turn through 90 degrees and repeat)
Knead for 10 minutes. If needed add a little flour to stop the dough from sticking to the surface or your hands. Do not add much flour. Tip: If you have one you can knead your dough in a  Bread Machine: "Dough" programm, start and let go only for the first 15 minutes, then you stop the machine.

Now dust a mixing bowl with some flour and put the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to develop and rise for 30 min at about 30°C.

After 30 minutes lift the dough out of the bowl, stretch it out, and put it back in. Repeat the procedure two more times.



 Knead the dough again to take out the hair , dough should reduce half volume.
Divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions, and shape as a rectangle. Dust all over with a little flour, and cover them with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Leave to re-rise for 30 minutes.
Roll, stretch and flatten each potion into a long rectangle, cover with sesam seeds and fold lengthwise. Repeat the rolling and folding. The purpose is to distribute the texture throughout the loaf. Roll and stretch each loaf into a long, thin baguette. Place them on an lightly olied baking tray.
Set the oven to 230° C. Leave the sfilatini for 30 minutes.

After the 30 min. when they have doubled the volume, place a roastin tin with boiling water in the oven floor, this step is essential to have a good crusty bread. After 5 min. spray the baguettes with water slash them three times diagonally with a sharp knife and cover the top with sesam seeds, . Put them in the oven on the top shelf.

After five minutes, open the oven and spray the baguettes with a little water again. Repeat this after another five min. and take out the roasting tin of water from the oven.

After 25 minutes, remove the sfilatini, and put them on a wire rack to cool. Buon appetito !