Barbari Bread - Nan-e Barbari

Total Time: 6 hrs 12 mins Preparation Time: 6 hrs Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups flour (or more, as needed)
• 4 tablespoons oil or 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Recipe

• 1 dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
• 2 add sugar and set aside for 10 minutes.
• 3 pour yeast mixture in large bowl or food processor, add remaining warm water, and salt--mix well.
• 4 gradually add flour while stirring constantly.
• 5 after flour has been added, knead by hand, adding more of the flour if needed until the dough is not sticky.
• 6 pour oil in a large bowl and place dough in bowl.
• 7 cover with a clean damp towel and let rise 4 hours in warm, dark place without moving.
• 8 punch air out while dough is in the bowl.
• 9 flip dough over and return to bowl.
• 10 cover with new damp towel and allow to rise until double.
• 11 place cookie sheet in center of oven and preheat to 500°f.
• 12 divide dough into 11 parts, each piece about 5 inches in diameter.
• 13 dust a tray with corn meal and place loaves on tray.
• 14 with damp hands, press fingertips into each loaf, then sprinkle tops with sesame seeds.
• 15 put loaves on the cookie sheet, corn meal side down, and bake sesame side up for 8 minutes in oven.
• 16 turn bread over and bake corn meal side up for 4 minutes in closed oven.
• 17 remove loaves from oven.
• 18 cover with clean towel, serve hot or wrap in foil and freeze (toast before serving.).