Starter

1 cup unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/3 to 1/2 cup cool water, enough to make a stiff ball of dough

pinch of instant yeast

Dough

all of the starter

2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2/3 cup lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping

1 large egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Make the starter:

Mix the starter ingredients together, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight. (Note: This is a dry, stiff starter. If it’s too dry to come together dribble in sufficient water to make the dough come together, and proceed with the recipe as directed.)

Make the dough:

Combine the starter with the remaining dough ingredients, and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover, and let it rise for about 90 minutes, till it’s just about doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rough log, and let the logs rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. This gives the gluten in the dough a chance to relax, which in turn will make the logs easier to roll.

Working on a lightly greased surface, roll each log into a rope about 24″ long. Brush each rope with the egg white/water, and sprinkle heavily with the sesame seeds, rolling the ropes gently in the seeds to pick up as many as possible.