Recipe: Italian Bread (bread machine)

Italian Bread
From: Verla,.Il
Makes 1 loaf

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Add all ingredients except egg, 1 tablespoon water, sesame seeds, and cornmeal into your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle.

Divide dough into 2 parts and form into loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal on greased baking sheet. Place loaves on pan seam side down. Brush top of loaves with water. Let rise til double, about 50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Brush loaves with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Make 4 cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of log. Place a pan of hot water in bottom of oven. Bake bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. To make a nice crusty bread, bake bread in the afternnon and pop into oven again for 5 minutes before meal. Makes a very crusty bread! You would be surprised how much better it is if you heat it that last 5 minutes. Try it. I learned this in a bread machine class!