Italian Bread

Whisk together everything except AP flour in large bowl. Adjust yeast quantity based on time available and ambient temperature.

Add AP flour and stir until shaggy dough forms. Knead briefly until no dry pockets of flour remain. Shape into neat ball and place seam-side down in bowl. Cover.

Perform a few stretch-and-folds, letting rest for a few minutes in between each. Keep bowl covered with damp kitchen towel.

Scrape down sides of bowl with plastic scraper and gather into a single mass. Form dough into a neat ball and place seam-side down. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and a suitable lid.

Let rise until approximately doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450° convection roast.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Split dough evenly in two. Pre-shape into two short logs, then let rest for 20 minutes.

Shape into bâtards sized to fit long dimension of half-sheet pan. Taper ends to a point.

Spray lightly with water, then dip into a tray of sesame seeds. Place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment and dusted with cornmeal. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Score each bâtard with a razor. Spray bread with water, then bake for 20 minutes.