Khobz el Dar (Algerian Semolina Bread)

1. Mix 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons semolina, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk in oil, egg, and egg white. Stir in warm milk slowly until a liquid dough forms.

2. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature until frothy, about 1 hour.

3. Stir in 2 3/4 cups flour with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Cover again and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

5. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the dough and your hands. Mix dough, adding flour as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Shape into a round loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place until loaf doubles in volume.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

7. Beat egg yolk and water in a bowl with a fork; brush over the entire surface of the loaf. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sesame seeds on top.

8. Bake in the preheated oven until loaf is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

To decorate, you can make cuts in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife before the final rise and sprinkle sesame seeds on the egg wash in a decorative pattern.

To speed up the final rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about 10 minutes while preparing the dough. Once the bread is decorated and covered with a clean drying cloth, turn the oven off and place the bread inside to rise. It will take only 5 to 10 minutes for the bread to double in volume.