Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds (Pane Siciliano)

Do you want a more complex flavor to your bread?  Then Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds (locally known as ‘Pane Siciliano‘) has got you covered. You’ll get the nuttiness both from the semolina and the sesame seeds, plus the soft interior and crunchy exterior in every slice!

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If you want an authentic Italian bread that you can just eat on its own, no salami, no butter needed, then this semolina bread from Sicily is your answer.

Traditionally formed in three different shapes, I only included one of them in this post — the ‘occhi‘ shape, which looks like an inverted ‘S.’ 

I chose this one specifically because it is an homage to Santa Lucia — the same thing that we have here in Sweden for saffron buns.  (I know, hard to imagine how it traveled that far. 🙂 )

IF YOU LIKE MORE AUTHENTIC SICILIAN RECIPES, THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Bread flour – all-purpose flour is ok, but bread flour is excellent for this semolina bread recipe.

• Semolina – fine milled semolina flour that’s known as ‘semola rimacinata di grano duro‘ in Italian.  It’s the same semolina that I’ve used in Gnocchi alla Romana and Focaccia Barese.

• Honey – just use your favorite brand.

• Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil, if possible.

• Salt – you need to make sure you mix it with the rest of the dry ingredients first.

• Yeast – I always use active dry yeast for pane Siciliano.

• Sesame seeds – you would only be using it on top of the bread, not combining it with the dough.

Preparation

Start by combining the yeast three-quarters cup of warm water, mix, then set aside until it becomes foamy (photo 1).

In another bowl, mix bread flour, semolina, and salt. 

Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the stand mixer’s bowl, add the olive oil, and half a cup of water (photo 2).

Use the paddle attachment to mix.

Add the dry ingredients: bread flour, semolina, and salt (photo 3).

Continue mixing with the paddle attachment until a dough starts to form.

Switch to a dough hook and mix until you get a soft, smooth dough.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl (photo 4).

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until it doubles in size — usually takes at least ninety minutes.

Uncover, deflate and transfer the dough onto a flat surface.

Start forming your semolina bread by cutting the dough into two portions, then cut one of them into two smaller parts.

Form a log from the bigger half of the dough and place it on top of a baking sheet (and tray) that’s generously dusted with flour (photo 5).

Form a log of about twenty inches long of one of the smaller dough portions and roll each end towards the center; on the opposite side — forming an inverted ‘S.’

Place it on top of the baking tray and brush it with water (photo 6).

Sprinkle the dough with sesame seeds and do the same for the rest.

Using a sharp knife, create a cut on top of pane Siciliano that’s shaped into a log (photo 7).

Cover all three with the kitchen towel and set aside until it (almost) doubles in size — generally takes forty-five to sixty minutes.

When you reach the thirty-minute mark, preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F).

Once the dough is ready, uncover them and place the tray in the middle of the oven.

After fifteen minutes, spray the inside of the oven with water three times, then lower the temperature to 200°C (375°F to 400°F).

Keep the tray of semolina bread inside for another 25 minutes.

Transfer them on a cooling rack, then serve once it has properly cooled.

Helpful tips

• Do not be wary of adding a bit of water if you feel the dough is dry. It’s a regular occurrence when using semolina flour — start with adding a tablespoon of water first, and then repeat if you’re still not happy with it.

• Unlike the Tuscan bread, you need to punch this dough in the center to deflate it.

• Do not skip the brushing of water to the dough — it helps make the sesame seeds stick to the semolina bread.

FAQ

So give it a try this weekend, and let me know how it goes!