Name: Ali Baba bread
Prep time: 3 h 43 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 4 h 23 min
Yield: 4 loaves
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 100 g sesame seeds; 100 g water; 100 g leaven; 320 g water; 30 g sesame oil; 40 g tahini (sesame paste); 500 g plain white flour (French Type 65); 5 g yeast; 9 g salt; 10 g sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon oil

Ali Baba bread

This bread is so-called because its magical sesame flavour is non-negotiable! The triple dose comes from tahini (sesame paste), sesame oil added to the dough before kneading, and toasted sesame seeds both in the dough and on top of the loaves.

The texture is soft, rather like ciabatta, but with a very distinctive taste - so "open sesame" and enjoy!

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Last modified on: December 10^th 2017

For 4 loaves, you will need:

100 g sesame seeds

100 g water

100 g leaven

320 g water

30 g sesame oil

40 g tahini (sesame paste)

500 g plain white flour (French Type 65)

5 g yeast

9 g salt

10 g sesame seeds

1 tablespoon oil

Total weight: 1,229 grams

Preparation

Resting

Cooking

Start to finish

43 min.

3 hours

40 min.

4 hours 23 min.

Step by step recipe

Stage 1

15 min.

Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).

Lay a sheet of cooking parchment on a baking sheet and spread 100 g sesame seeds out on this.

Toast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Stage 2

1 min.

Take the sesame seeds out of the oven and tip them into 100 g water.

Mix quickly and leave to cool.

Stage 3

5 min.

Put into a mixer bowl in the following order: 100 g leaven, 320 g water, 30 g sesame oil, 40 g tahini (sesame paste), 500 g plain white flour (French Type 65), 5 g yeast and 9 g salt.

Stage 4

15 min.

Knead on slow spead for 15 mintes.

Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home..

Stage 5

2 min.

2 minutes before the end of the kneading time, add the sesame seeds with their soaking water.

Stage 6

1 hour

Gather the dough into a rough ball and transfer to a large clean bowl, then cover with a plastic sheet.

Leave to rest for 1 hour.

Stage 7

2 min.

After resting, knock back and work the dough: stretch it up with a dough-cutter as far as possible...

Stage 8

1 hour

...and fold it over.

Do this once or twice, then cover again with the plastic and leave to rest for another hour.

Stage 9

8 min.

After resting, weigh out the dough into lumps of about 350 g and shape these into oval balls.

Cover with the plastic sheet and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Stage 10

8 min.

After this, fold each ball lengthways in 3 to form a long roll.

Stage 11

2 min.

Lay the loaves in a baguette tin or mould or, if you don't have one, on a baking sheet.

Stage 12

1 hour

Brush the tops of the loaves with a little water or oil and scatter some raw sesame seeds over them. Press these in slightly to help them stick.

Stage 13

25 min.

Preheat the oven to 460°F (240°C ) and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Note: As when baking any bread, you should ensure that the oven is filled with steam for the first 15 minutes of baking. This page shows you how; it really is the secret of golden-brown, crusty loaves..