Tahini Bread
Jul 4th, 2010 by SteveB
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling a piece of halvah, that sweet, dense and crumbly sesame seed-based confection, then you’ll understand why I’ve been enamored of sesame flavor since childhood. Sesame seeds and bread are a classic combination. Whether sprinkled on top of a loaf, as in the quintessential sesame bread Scali, or incorporated into the bread along with other seeds, nuts and/or grains as part of a multigrain loaf, sesame seeds add a unique, rich flavor that perfectly complements the inherently nutty character of a well-fermented wheat dough.
The objective in creating this bread was to have a subtle sesame flavor permeate the entire crumb of the loaf, rather than providing the intense bursts of sesame flavor afforded by the addition of whole sesame seeds to the dough. Tahini, a paste made from roasted sesame seeds used ubiquitously in Middle Eastern cuisine and available in many supermarkets and ethnic food stores, turns out to be ideally suited to the task. In addition to its sesame flavor, tahini also provides enough sesame oil to result in a beautifully tender crumb. For those looking for a slightly more intense sesame flavor, by all means feel free to increase the amount of tahini used.
Final Dough
- 770 g King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
- 515 g Water
- 15 g Salt
- 240 g Levain (mature sourdough culture, 60% hydration)
- 50 g Tahini
The water and 50 g of the flour are added to the bowl of a 6 quart planetary stand mixer and the mixture is whisked at speed 3 using a whisk attachment until a stable, frothy emulsion is formed, about 1 minute. The remainder of the flour is then added and the mixture is mixed on speed 2 using a spiral dough hook, just until all the flour is incorporated, about 2 minutes. The bowl is then covered with plastic wrap and the rough dough allowed to rest at room temperature (78ºF) for an autolyse period of 30 minutes.
After this time, the levain and salt are added and the dough is mixed on speed 3 using the spiral dough hook to medium development, about 3 minutes. The tahini is then added and mixing is continued on speed 2 until all the tahini is incorporated, about 2 minutes. The dough is then placed in a lightly oiled container, covered, and allowed to ferment for 4 hours, with the dough being given a turn midway through this first fermentation.
After the 4 hour first fermentation, the dough is divided into two, 1 1/2 lb. pieces and each piece is lightly rounded. After resting under a plastic sheet for 15 minutes, the pieces are shaped into boules, and the boules then formed into fendus (Shaping a Fendu video can be found here). The fendus are placed, inverted, into rice flour-coated brotformen, the bottoms of which are sprinkled with sesame seeds. After covering with Saran Quick Covers, a second fermentation is allowed to proceed at 78ºF for 2 hours.
After the second fermentation, the loaves are inverted onto a peel, loaded into the oven and baked at 425°F for 40 minutes with steam applied for the first 20 minutes (Scoring and Steaming video can be found here. Note: No scoring is necessary for this shaping). The resulting loaves exhibited an open, tender crumb with a wonderfully subtle nuttiness which doesn’t overpower the natural flavor of the levain.
Your tahini breads look delicious, Steve! I’m another sesame seed fan, especially when the seeds are used in conjunction with durum/semolina flour. The combination of toasted sesame seeds and the crisp crust so typical of durum breads is a particularly good one.
Tahini is new to me, but the thought of that roasted sesame seed flavour permeating the crumb sure is appealing! Do you know whether tahini is used in traditional Middle Eastern breads (e.g. in flatbreads)? Tahini could probably work wonders in focaccias too.
As always, thanks for the inspiration, Steve!
Hans Joakim,
Like you, when I think of bread with sesame seeds, durum flour immediately comes to mind. It’s a shame that durum flour for bread baking is not as readily available as hard red winter wheat flour is here in the U.S.
To the best of my knowledge, tahini is not used in the making of any of the more common Middle Eastern flatbreads (e.g., naan, pita, etc.), although it is used as an ingredient in hummus, the chickpea-based dip/spread eaten atop pieces of flatbread.
I made your sesame bread. It was just lovely. Beautiful flavor and texture. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Cavella,
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Bringing the recipe to you was my pleasure.
That looks awesome! Tahini can be a bit bland, but I’m absolutely sure that did wonders to the bread. You’ve got my mind thinking now! Anyway, thanks!
I love the idea of using tahini in the dough. Never occurred to me! I’ll have to try it. The loaves look gorgeous. I have never cared for halvah myself (too sweet for my taste) but I love sesame everything else! The combination of paste and seeds must be heavenly. Very creative!
Hi MC,
If you love sesame flavor, then you’ll love this bread. By adjusting the amount of tahini used, you can get a range of sesame intensities, from a subtle, nutty nuance to a bold, in-your-face, sesame flavor.
Steve,
I just discovered your site this evening, and I couldn’t be more impressed. I’m a beginner baker (just picked up baking and blogging this past year), and I have fallen in love with yeast. I also had the opportunity to travel in the Middle East last year so the flavors of that region always appeal. I imagine that this bread is astounding!
Hi Monet,
Welcome to Bread cetera. It’s always nice to hear from a fellow bread enthusiast.
Have fun perusing the site. If you have any questions, always feel free to ask them.
Very nice, breads.
Irmina,
Muchas gracias.
This would be spectacular with hummos. Thanks for the recipe!
Beautiful idea, Steve!
[...] barbecues et un pain au beurre de cacahuète et au piment. Détonnant, ce dernier pain me remémore ce pain au tahini que Steve a publié récemment et qui me tente [...]
Hi Steve- Found your blog via a conversation on scalded milk at Fresh Loaf. I’m in love with your site – I am new at bread baking, and will likely come here often for ideas and advice. Thanks for a great resource – will link to you on my site.
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
Welcome to Bread cetera! I’m glad that you stopped by and fell in love.
Please feel free to ask any questions that might arise during your bread baking exploits.