Rosemary-Semolina Round with Sesame and Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon yeast dry (measured from 2 envelopes)
• 2 teaspoons rosemary leaves fresh minced
• 0.5 cup olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt coarse-grained
• 2 teaspoons sea salt fine-grained
• 2.5 cups semolina flour (pasta flour)
• 8 servings semolina flour 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed divided
• 2.3 cups unbleached all purpose flour divided ()
• 1.8 cups water divided (105°F to 115°F)

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• plastic wrap
• spatula

Directions

1. Place 1 1/4 cups warm water in medium bowl; sprinkle yeast over and stir to blend.
2. Let stand 5 minutes to soften.
3. Whisk to dissolve yeast.
4. Add 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour; whisk until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
5. Let stand at room temperature (about 75°F) until bubbles form and yeast mixture has more than doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
6. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup warm water, olive oil, and rosemary in large bowl to blend. Using rubber spatula, mix in semolina flour and 2 teaspoons fine-grained sea salt (dough will be very dry). Stir in yeast mixture. Work in 3/4 cup all purpose flour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, adding more all purpose flour by tablespoonfuls if sticky.
7. Let rest 5 minutes. Knead until dough springs back when pressed with thumb, about 8 minutes.
8. Lightly oil large bowl.
9. Transfer dough to bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap.
10. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
11. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Flatten dough into 18x12-inch rectangle. Starting from 1 long side, roll tightly to form 2 1/2-inch-diameter, 20-inch-long log. With seam side down, shape log into ring, inserting 1 end into second end; smooth seam.
12. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
13. Sprinkle sheet with additional semolina flour.
14. Transfer dough ring to prepared sheet, reshaping as necessary to form smooth circle.
15. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds, pressing lightly to adhere. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
16. Let bread rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
17. Preheat oven to 400°F.
18. Remove plastic wrap from bread. Using sharp knife, cut 1/4-inch-deep slit all the way around top of loaf. Spray bread lightly with water.
19. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon coarse-grained salt.
20. Transfer to oven.
21. Bake bread 15 minutes, spraying lightly with water every 5 minutes. Continue to bake without spraying until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 30 minutes longer.
22. Transfer bread to rack and cool completely.
23. *Semolina flour is available at specialty foods stores, Italian markets, and some supermarkets.