Sicilian Panini Buns

Total Time: 1 hr 42 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast (2 1/4 ounce packages)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for greasing
• 1 egg, beaten (optional)
• sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Recipe

• 1 stir together the water, yeast, and sugar.
• 2 set aside until the yeast blooms, about 5 minutes.
• 3 place 3 cups of the flour and the salt in a mixing bowl.
• 4 add the yeast mixture and the oil, and stir to form a sticky dough.
• 5 knead, adding the remaining flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes a smooth, elastic ball, about about 5 to 8 minutes.
• 6 if you use an electric mixer, combine the ingredients with the paddle attachment and then change to the dough hook.
• 7 add the flour, a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 to 4 minutes.
• 8 turn the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dry cloth or plastic wrap.
• 9 let rise in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• 10 preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 11 once the dough has risen, lift it out and cut into 8 equal balls.
• 12 shape into flat 5-inch rounds for buns, or 6-inch oblongs for a hero- or hoagie-style rolls.
• 13 place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a dry cloth.
• 14 let rise in a draft free spot for 30 to 45 minutes.
• 15 gently glaze the buns with the egg and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, if desired.
• 16 bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
• 17 transfer to a cooling rack until ready to use.