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Sesame Durum Sourdough Rolls
These crusty golden sesame bread rolls are Breadtopia’s Sicilian no knead bread shaped and baked in a different way. This classic recipe from the early Breadtopia days never ceases to please. In fact, when I’m not working on a specific bread project and my family can request whatever they want, my husband always asks for this bread.
The original Sicilian no knead bread in batard form
This week I was taking requests and when asked to bake this recipe, I decided to maximize the sesame-coated crust by making rolls. I served them hot from the oven with dinner, and then the next day I used them for sandwiches. I think they would also make great hamburger buns. Though they’re not brioche-like, they’re soft enough and so delicious.
Whole grain durum wheat flour comprises over 70% of the flour in this recipe, so shaping the rolls is trickier than if the dough were made with only conventional wheat. It’s totally worth dealing with some mild stickiness to get these beautiful and tasty golden rolls though.
I used my Hearth Baker to achieve a crispy crust on these rolls. The steamy baking environment created by a preheated enclosed baking vessel makes a perfect crust texture. If you don’t have a baking vessel with a flat base, you can use a baking stone or steel. For steam, use a roasting pan as a lid over the rolls for the first part of the bake or try one of the steam-making methods outlined in this ciabatta recipe or this baguette recipe.
After making sure the rolls fit in the baking vessel base, I moved the parchment from the baking vessel to a peel so I could eventually preheat the vessel. I covered my rolls with a roasting pan instead of plastic during the final proof.
Nicely expanded after 1 1/2 hours at a cool room temperature
The original recipe has a video that you may want to check out. You might notice that the original and the recipe below give both sourdough and instant yeast as options for leavening. Feel free to pick what you prefer; the timing should be about the same. That said, my sourdough leavening was shorter than the timing given in the original blog post because my kitchen temperature was warm and my starter just ripened.
If you don’t have durum wheat, khorasan wheat is a good alternative. Both are golden in color and have a smooth buttery flavor. Emmer wheat is the “grandparent” of durum and might be a tasty alternative with similar hydration needs as well.
Sesame Durum Sourdough Rolls
Durum wheat and sesame seeds are a heavenly combination and these rolls made from Breadtopia's Sicilian no knead sourdough bread recipe are pure golden deliciousness. They can be buttered to accompany a meal or be used for sandwiches or even as a lean, mostly whole grain hamburger bun.
Ingredients
Instructions
Mixing and Bulk Fermentation
Shaping and Final Proof
Baking
Photo Gallery
Shopping List
Sourdough Starter (Dry)
Mockmill 100 Grain Mill
Durum Whole Grain Flour
$8.30 – $68.65High Protein Bread Flour
Durum Berries
USA Pan Cookie Sheet
The Baker’s Board Basswood Pizza Peel
$34.00Breadtopia Hearth Baker
Breadtopia Combo Baker
FibraMent Oven Baking Stones
Parchment Paper Sheets — 200 Sheets
$19.00Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls — Set of 3
$39.99Sesame Durum Sourdough Rolls