Italian Bread

2 cups water, lukewarm
1/4 cup yeast, I buy mine in bulk
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons Kosher salt (or, 2 teaspoon table salt)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Place the water and yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour salt and olive oil and mix on low speed until the dough starts to form. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size(proofs).

Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be log shaped, with slightly tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score 5 (1/4-inch deep) slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.

Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F.

Place the dough on a piece of Parchment paper. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.

Spray the dough generously with water from a spray bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time. Bake the dough for 10 minutes then remove the parchment paper and turn the loaf around for even baking. Continue baking for enough time to get the bread nicely browned, for me this is 8 more minutes. Ideally, the internal temperature will get to around 190-200F at the same time the crust gets to a nice brown color. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.

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Variations:
Substitute 1/2 cup bread flour with 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. or, Substitute 1/2 cup bread flour with 1/2 cup rye flour. With this, add caraway seeds to the bread and use them on top of the bread instead of sesame seeds.