Foodgeist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Gathered
As an Amazon Associate, Foodgeist earns from qualifying purchases.
Premium bread machine — dual kneading blades, rectangular loaf
Domed stoneware baker traps steam for artisan crust at home
Professional baker's technical reference — formulas, troubleshooting
Bread baking kit — banneton, lame, liner, dough scraper, whisk
Electric knife — effortless bread slicing, holiday turkey carving
As an Amazon Associate, Foodgeist earns from qualifying purchases.
Free 2-day shipping on every tool and ingredient we recommend.
The best culinary books narrated, on the house for 30 days.
Every cookbook you've wanted to read — free for 30 days.
As an Amazon Associate, Foodgeist earns from qualifying purchases.
Premium bread machine — dual kneading blades, rectangular loaf
Domed stoneware baker traps steam for artisan crust at home
Professional baker's technical reference — formulas, troubleshooting
Bread baking kit — banneton, lame, liner, dough scraper, whisk
Electric knife — effortless bread slicing, holiday turkey carving
You're reading one of recipes available free. Full library with Gastronome.
Place the tepid water in your electric mixing bowl and add the olive oil, sugar, and yeast. Using the batter blade let the electric mixer blend these very well. It will take about 5 minutes on low speed. Stir in the salt. Gradually add 2 cups of the flour and beat on low speed until a thick and smooth batter forms. Change the blade to a bread dough hook and knead in the additional 2 cups of flour. If you do not have a heavy mixer such as a KitchenAid, incorporate the flour with a wooden spoon and finish the kneading by hand. Kneading should take about 10 minutes in the machine, 20 minutes by hand. Place the dough on a plastic countertop and cover with a large stainless-steel bowl. Allow the dough to rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and divide into 8 pieces. Let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle. Working with 2 pieces of dough at a time, arrange breads on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with milk and sprinkle sesame seeds over tops. Pierce with a fork many times, all over. Bake on the lowest racks in the oven, at 375F, for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. Rotate the pans in the oven from top to bottom, to insure even browning. Serve dry or wet. (To wet, hold the cracker under running water until lightly moistened all over, and then wrap in a moist towel for 10-15 minutes.) If the cracker is too dry to roll, it will crack. Sprinkle with a little more water and let stand a few minutes. If it is too wet, cover with a dry towel and let it stand.