Thanksgiving Sesame Seed White Bread

By
Elizabeth Yetter
Elizabeth Yetter
Bread expert Elizabeth Yetter has been baking bread for more than 20 years, bringing her Pennsylvania Dutch Country experiences to life through recipes.
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Updated on 11/17/22
Thanksgiving Sesame Seed White Bread

 Katrin Ray Shumakov / Moment / Getty Images

Prep: 2 hrs 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 20 servings
Yield: 2 loaves
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
164 Calories
2g Fat
31g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 164
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 327mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 51mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Homemade white bread topped with sesame seeds is such a delicious treat no matter what time of year it is. This easy recipe is made special for Thanksgiving because it makes two loaves of bread, enough to serve a large gathering.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or margarine, softened

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 6 cups bread flour

  • Sesame seeds, raw or toasted, optional

  • 1 large egg white

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients
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  2. In medium bowl, mix water and yeast.

    Mix water and yeast
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  3. Add sugar, butter, and salt and stir to combine.

    Add sugar butter and salt
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  4. Add 3 cups of bread flour and mix well. Slowly add in remaining flour, enough flour to make a dough that follows the spoon around the bowl.

    Add bread flour
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  5. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour as needed until the dough is soft and smooth to the touch.

    Turn dough out
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  6. Place dough in large greased bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so that the top is also lightly greased.

    Place dough in greased bowl
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  7. Cover with clean cloth and let rise in warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

    Cover with cloth
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  8. Punch down dough.

    Punch dough
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  9. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and knead for 8 minutes or until the bubbles are out of the bread.

    Dough in ball
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  10. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each half into a loaf of bread. Set loaves into greased 8 x 4-inch bread pans.

    Divide dough into two pieces
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  11. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

    Cover and let rise
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  12. Brush loaves with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

    Brush with egg whites
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  13. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

  14. Remove loaves from sheet and let cool on rack.

    Baked bread
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  15. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • Use bottled water instead of tap water to make your breads. Water softeners and chlorinated public water can sometimes kill the yeast needed to make your bread dough rise.
  • Bread flour has a higher amount of gluten than all-purpose flour. This means that bread made with bread flour will rise higher than bread made with all-purpose flour. You can make your own bread flour by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten to each cup of all-purpose flour you use in your bread recipe.
  • Spraying loaves with water while they bake will produce a crispy crust.
  • Brush loaves with egg white before baking to produce a shiny crust.
  • Brush loaves with milk before baking to produce a dark, shiny crust.
  • Brush loaves with butter immediately after baking to produce a soft crust.
  • To keep bread soft, store it in a plastic bag.