Rustic Italian Bread

 I've never baked this Italian bread before so naturally I was expecting a hard crusted bread but I was in for a surprise. The bread has a nice soft crust and the inside was fluffy and moist. 
This bread is a keeper and because it 's got a sturdy structure, I'm gonna use this as a base for my other bread projects.

1 cup  plus 2 tbs warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour or 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

cornmeal, for baking sheet

1 egg slightly beaten

In a large mixing bowl, add in the water and olive oil. Then in goes the  rest of the ingredients. With a wooden ladle, give it a good mix. 

Sprinkle some flour on your work area and dump the content. Knead the dough for a good 6 - 10 minutes.

If you are not into kneading by hand then place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using a dough hook attachment, add the rest of the ingredients, beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 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. 
Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hours or until doubled in size. 

Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand, and knead for 3 minutes. 

Place the dough on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal. 
Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with  sesame seeds over the top. 
Preheat oven  to 200 deg cel.  Bake  for 35- 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is knocked. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy...jue
recipe from food.com