A September Special Bake of Sicilian Sesame Semolina (9/4 & 9/5)
How to turn it into Sicilian tuna sandwiches
Once again, I’m happy to share the good news that the Bakehouse’s Sicilian Sesame Semolina will be available as part of a very special Special Bake this coming weekend, September 4 and 5! Stock up—it freezes beautifully. And don’t hesitate to order ahead; we’d be really happy to hold some for you!
The Sesame Semolina, which we’ve been baking for 34 years now, is the bread of Sicily. Made from silky, finely milled golden semolina and baked with a sesame-coated crust, you’ll find something very similar in most every bakery on the island. For many Sicilians, it is, literally, their daily bread. I agree with Bakehouse Co-Managing Partner Amy Emberling, who says, “I really enjoy this bread—to eat and just to look at. The color of the crumb is so beautiful!” A couple of years back, we began to make the Sesame Semolina bread even better by baking it with flour milled fresh right here at the Bakehouse. The experiment elicited stellar results. As we often say, “You really can taste the difference”—in this case, the difference that fresh milling makes. The bread was already excellent, but milling the grain on-site took it to an entirely new level.
In July, I wrote about how to turn the Sicilian Sesame Semolina into what folks on the island call cunzatu—essentially, an especially tasty Sicilian version of bruschetta. In dialect, the word “cunzatu” means “dressed” or “seasoned” (here with olive oil and beautifully ripe summer tomatoes). Today, I thought I’d share another favorite: turning the bread into the base for a spicy Sicilian tuna salad sandwich!
To make the salad, start with top-notch tuna: the amazing single-boat tuna from American Tuna that I wrote about last week, or the tuna from the folks at Ortiz in the Spanish Basque Country (we have both the bonito, aka albacore, and the yellowfin—the latter is a bit more full-flavored and what I prefer). If you like a mayonnaise-based salad, drain any liquid from the tuna into a bowl on the side, then mix the tuna and mayo. If you’d rather do olive oil, do the same but sub a great extra virgin oil for the mayo.
Squeeze on a small bit of fresh lemon juice. Add a spoonful or two of the spicy IASA peperoncino—a super tasty chile that’s particular to the small Neapolitan town of Cetara. (Use more or less to suit your taste in spice. I love the stuff!) If you like, you can add a bit of the Carciuga artichoke and anchovy spread I write about below, too.
Toast two slices of the Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread. Be sure to note the lovely aroma when it comes out of the toaster. Cut a good-sized heirloom tomato in half and rub it into the toasted bread. Sprinkle on a small bit of fine sea salt. Chop the juiced tomato halves and add to the tuna. Pile the tuna on the toast, and top with roasted peppers and fresh arugula. Eat and enjoy!
P.S. A Special Bake of Jersey Onion Rolls is also coming to the Bakeshop September 5 and 6. A classic onion roll, perfect for Labor Day grilling—tender, egg-enriched dough loaded with a mixture of savory caramelized onions and poppy seeds. Toast one up on the grill and top it with a juicy burger!
