Pane Siciliano con Sesamo

The first useful thing to know about Italian bread is that every region has its own, and they rarely travel. Sicilian bread belongs to Sicily. It is made with semolina flour because durum wheat grows on the island. It is covered with sesame seeds because Arab traders brought them a thousand years ago and Sicilians had the sense to adopt what was good.

This is not complicated bread. It requires no special equipment, no days-long fermentation, no sourdough starter demanding attention like a hungry pet. What it requires is proper flour, patience through two rises, and the confidence to coat the loaves so thoroughly in sesame that they look almost extravagant. They are not. This is simply how it is done.

The shape matters. The traditional S-curve, called mafalda, creates more crust and ensures even baking. It also looks like something, which matters when bread is the center of the table. Sicilians understand that bread is not a side dish. It is the foundation of the meal, torn and shared and used to push food onto forks and soak up sauces. Make it accordingly.