Black sesame bread

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 40 g black sesame seeds for the dough and 60 g black sesame seeds for the filling in a skillet and toast over low heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. Toasting just right brings out the fragrant oils, but too much heat makes the seeds bitter. The seeds are ready when they start to pop and smell toasty and nutty.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Let the seeds cool, then grind the dough portion into a dry, fine powder, and grind the filling portion with 30 g granulated sugar until it starts to release its oil, then mix in 20 g soft unsalted butter. The sugar helps the seeds grind finer without clumping. The filling is ready when it's a thick, spreadable paste like peanut butter.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Knead 300 g bread flour, the ground dry sesame, 40 g granulated sugar, 5 g instant yeast, 5 g salt, 50 g eggs and 180 g whole milk for about five minutes, then add 30 g unsalted butter and knead for about ten minutes more. Ground sesame is oily, so the dough needs enough kneading for the gluten to develop well. The dough is ready when it's smooth, evenly gray and stretches into a thin windowpane.

   Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a bowl, cover tightly and let it rise somewhere warm for about an hour. This rise relaxes the dough so it rolls out thin more easily. The dough is ready when it has doubled and a fingertip poke doesn't spring back.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll the dough into a rectangle about 20 x 30 cm, spread the black sesame filling evenly over it, leaving a one-centimeter border, then roll it up tightly from a short side and place it seam-side down in a 10 x 20 cm loaf pan. Rolling tightly keeps the swirl continuous with no gaps. You'll see clear black-and-gray spirals at both ends of the roll.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Cover with a towel and let rise for about fifty minutes, until the dough domes about one centimeter above the rim of the pan, and meanwhile preheat the oven to 175°C. A full proof makes a light loaf that won't split along the swirl. The dough is ready when it's evenly puffed and the surface is taut and smooth.

   Suggested time: about 50 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bake at 175°C for 30 to 35 minutes, tenting with foil after about fifteen minutes, since the dark dough makes it hard to tell when the loaf is scorching. Sesame bread browns quickly, so watch the smell as well as the color. The bread is done when the center reaches about 90°C and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

   Bake at 175°C for about 30 to 35 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Turn the bread out of the pan right away and let it cool on a rack until completely cool, about an hour. Unmolding promptly keeps steam from condensing and making the crust soggy. The bread is ready to slice when the crumb has cooled and the cut face shows a crisp, clear swirl.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done