italian supermarket bread

Having made baguettes the other weekend, I wanted to find a thicker loaf that would pair well with a whole wheat penne dish. I didn't have to look far for this winner!

Yield: 1 large loaf

1,150 calories per loaf

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

ingredients

2 cups high gluten flour
2 tablespoons dried potato flakes
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
1½ tablespoons olive oil

preparation
1. Mix together the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes. See step 4 of "semolina bread" for before and after photos of fermenting yeast.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and “stir”.

3. Slowly add the yeast mixture and olive oil to the dry mixture, continuing to “stir” until a dough forms,which will be a little loose. Increase the speed to 2 and knead, until the dough becomes smooth. Add more water or flour as needed. (I had to add a bit more water to get the dough to form.)

4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise until it's doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Turn the dough out onto a hard surface and shape into a smooth log. Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. About 30 minutes into the proof, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

6. Brush the loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds. You can score the loaf too.

7. Arrange water bath and bake for about 25 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown. (See step 9 of “carbs, glorious carbs!” for more information on water baths)

Other modifications:

• When you're shaping the bread in step 5, stuff it with something delicious like prosciutto and brie! Make sure to select "dry" ingredients to ensure your loaf will rise and bake.
• Skip (or replace) the sesame seeds.

Original recipe found here.