1 Tbl. yeast2-1/4 cups warm water
2 Tbl. sugar
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
5-1/2 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Knead. Put in greased bowl, cover and let rise. Punch down and divide in half. Roll each part into a long rectangle and roll up loaves (starting at long side). Grease two jelly-roll-type pans and sprinkle with corn meal. Place loaves on pans, corner-to-corner.
Optional: Beat 1 egg white with 1 Tbl. water. Brush over loaves and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Gently cover loaves with tea towels and allow to rise. When risen, bake at 340 degrees. Put a small pan or oven-proof bowl of 1 cup of water in the corner of the oven...this will allow the loaves to be crusty. Brush tops of loaves with butter after removing from oven. After cooling for a bit, loaves cut nicely with an electric knife.
