Black Sesame Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Black sesame shows up constantly in Japanese and Korean baking, but almost never in a Western sandwich loaf. This one folds a roasted black sesame paste straight into an enriched sourdough dough, so the crumb bakes up a deep charcoal grey rather than the usual pale white.
The flavor is nutty and faintly sweet, closer to toasted cocoa than to a plain sesame seed. It makes a striking base for morning toast with butter, or for a sandwich where you want the bread itself to do some of the work.
Which one is this?Compare all 15 sourdough loaf recipes
These 15 sourdough loaf recipes are close cousins. Here is how they differ, so you can pick the right one.
- Plain Loaf18 hr 15 min · Makes 1 loaf
Caputo 00 flour and no added fat.
You want the plain everyday loaf.
- No-Dutch-Oven Loaf15 hr 15 min · Makes 12 slices
Bread flour and no added fat, baked on a baking sheet instead of in a Dutch oven.
You want a plain loaf and do not own a Dutch oven.
- Whole Wheat Loaf18 hr 15 min · Makes 1 loaf
Caputo 00 with Caputo integrale and no added fat.
You want more whole grain in an everyday loaf.
- Rye Loaf17 hr 45 min · Makes 1 loaf
Bread flour and dark rye, with no added fat.
You like the flavor of dark rye.
- Olive Oil Loaf15 hr 5 min · Makes 1 loaf
Bread flour with olive oil in the dough.
You like the taste of olive oil in bread.
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread15 hr 3 min · Makes 1 loaf
Bread flour, whole milk, honey and softened butter, rolled up and baked in a loaf pan.
You want a simple sandwich loaf and would skip the tangzhong.
- Milk Bread Loaf16 hr 35 min · Makes 1 loaf
Bread flour with a tangzhong and butter.
You want a soft sandwich loaf.
- Spelt Sandwich Loaf16 hr · Makes 12 slices
Whole spelt and bread flour with butter.
You want a whole grain sandwich loaf.
- Einkorn Hearth Loaf16 hr 30 min · Makes 12 slices
Whole einkorn flour only, with no white flour and no added fat.
You want an all-einkorn loaf.
- Sprouted Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf17 hr 3 min · Makes 12 slices
Sprouted whole wheat and bread flour.
You want a sprouted whole wheat sandwich loaf.
- Brown Butter Maple Oat Loaf16 hr 45 min · Makes 12 slices
Bread flour, whole wheat and oats, with browned butter and maple.
You want a nutty, lightly sweet loaf.
- Black Sesame Sandwich LoafYou are here7 hr 58 min · Makes 12 slices
Black sesame paste goes into a milk and butter dough, finished with an egg wash and more seeds on top.
You want a nutty, faintly sweet sandwich loaf with black sesame in every slice.
- Pistachio Cardamom Loaf18 hr 25 min · Makes 1 loaf
Ground cardamom in the dough with toasted pistachios folded in.
You want a lightly spiced loaf with nuts in every slice.
- Gluten-Free Pan Loaf5 hr 20 min · Makes 12 slices
Brown rice, sorghum and tapioca flours with olive oil, baked in a pan.
You bake gluten-free.
- Dark Cherry Chocolate Chunk Sourdough Loaf18 hr 25 min · Makes 1 loaf
Why You’ll Love It
- A striking charcoal-grey crumb that comes from real black sesame paste, not food coloring.
- A soft, enriched sandwich loaf that slices clean for toast and sandwiches alike.
- A good beginner enriched loaf. One rise, one shape, one pan.
- A nutty, faintly sweet flavor that pairs well with butter, honey or a savory sandwich filling.
Ingredients
Black sesame paste is sold at most Asian grocers and many larger supermarkets, usually near the tahini or next to other nut and seed butters. Measure it by weight. It is thicker than tahini and a measuring spoon alone tends to run short.
- Bread flour (500 g (about 4 cups)): the backbone structure of this sandwich loaf.
- Whole milk, lukewarm (180 g (about ¾ cup)): enriches the crumb and keeps it soft.
- Active sourdough starter (100 g (about ½ cup)): the rise and the tang.
- Black sesame paste (70 g (about ¼ cup)): the deep nutty flavor and the loaf’s grey-black color, sold as a paste similar to tahini.
- Granulated sugar (35 g (about 3 tablespoons)): a touch of sweetness that balances the bitter edge of black sesame.
- Fine salt (9 g (1½ teaspoons)): controls fermentation and rounds out the flavor.
- Unsalted butter, softened (45 g (3 tablespoons)): for a tender, soft crumb.
- Black sesame seeds, for the dough (15 g (1½ tablespoons)): kneaded in for speckling and crunch throughout the crumb.
- Egg, beaten with a splash of water, for the wash (50 g (1 large)): optional, for shine and to help the topping seeds stick.
- Black sesame seeds, for topping (10 g (1 tablespoon)): optional.
Equipment
Gear guides: Sourdough Equipment Guide·Kitchen Scales·Banneton Sizing·Scoring Tools·Storing the Loaf·Pizza Stone vs. Baking Steel·Shop All Picks →
- Kitchen scale: for weighing the flour and sesame paste accurately.
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl: for mixing and kneading the dough.
- Instant-read thermometer: confirms the milk temperature and the loaf’s internal doneness.
- 9×5-inch loaf pan: for proofing and baking the loaf.
- Plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel: for covering the dough while it rises.
- Pastry brush: for brushing on the egg wash.
- Wire rack: for cooling the baked loaf.
Sample Schedule
Day 1
- Warm the milk and bloom the sesame paste
- Mix the dough and rest 20 minutes
- Knead in butter and sesame seeds
- Bulk ferment 4 to 6 hours
- Shape, proof 1.5 to 2 hours, then bake
Black Sesame Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Method
- Warm the milk until just lukewarm, then whisk in the black sesame paste until smooth and evenly colored.
- In a large bowl, whisk the starter and sugar into the sesame milk until the starter is fully dissolved. Add the flour and salt and mix to a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Add the softened butter and knead for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic, then knead in the sesame seeds.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until nearly doubled.
- Deflate the dough gently, shape it into a tight log, and place it seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover loosely and proof for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the dough domes about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.
- Brush with egg wash, scatter the remaining sesame seeds on top, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden and 190°F (88°C) inside.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Warm the milk and bloom the sesame paste. Warm the milk until just lukewarm, about 90°F, then whisk in the black sesame paste until smooth and evenly colored. The mixture will turn a deep charcoal grey, which is normal and is exactly the color the crumb will end up. Cold milk will not dissolve the paste as evenly, so do not skip the warming.
2Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk the starter and sugar into the sesame milk until the starter is fully dissolved. Add the flour and salt and mix to a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. This short rest, often called an autolyse, lets the flour fully hydrate before you add fat, which makes the kneading that follows faster and the final crumb softer.
3Knead in the butter and sesame seeds. Add the softened butter and knead for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic, then knead in the sesame seeds. The dough should pass a rough windowpane test, stretching thin enough to see light through it before it tears. The finished dough will look nearly black, with the seeds showing as flecks rather than a uniform grey.
4Bulk ferment. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until nearly doubled. In an air-conditioned South Florida kitchen this usually lands around the 5-hour mark. In a warmer kitchen, start checking closer to 4 hours so the dough does not overproof.
5Shape the loaf. Deflate the dough gently, shape it into a tight log, and place it seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Roll the log a little tighter than feels necessary. Enriched dough like this one relaxes as it proofs, and a loose shape now means a loaf that spreads sideways instead of rising up.
6Final proof. Cover loosely and proof for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the dough domes about 1 inch over the rim of the pan. Press a floured finger lightly into the side. It should spring back slowly and leave a faint mark, which means the loaf is ready for the oven.
7Top and bake. Brush with egg wash, scatter the remaining sesame seeds on top, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden and 190°F (88°C) inside. The crust will look nearly black from the seeds and the sesame paste, so judge doneness by temperature and by the hollow sound a tap on the bottom makes.
8Cool completely. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing, at least 1 hour. An enriched crumb like this one is still setting as it cools, and slicing early will tear rather than cut clean.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Crumb looks streaky instead of evenly black: the sesame paste was not fully whisked into the warm milk before mixing. Next time whisk until no pale streaks remain.
- Loaf spread sideways instead of rising up: the dough was shaped too loosely in the shaping step. Roll the log tighter and tuck the seam firmly before it goes into the pan.
- Crust tastes bitter: black sesame paste turns bitter if it is old or was stored at room temperature too long. Keep an opened jar in the refrigerator and use it within a couple of months.
- Loaf collapsed slightly after baking: it likely overproofed. Watch the finger-poke test during the final proof rather than the clock, especially in a warm kitchen.
How to Store
To store: Keep the cooled loaf in a bread bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. In a humid South Florida kitchen the crust softens quickly, so slice only what you need.
To freeze: Slice first, then freeze in a single layer before bagging. Toast straight from frozen. It keeps well for about 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated per slice, for a loaf cut into 12 slices, and will vary with exact brands used.
195
Calories
28g
Carbs
6g
Protein
7g
Fat
1.5g
Fiber
220mg
Sodium
Desi’s Notes
Black sesame paste is not the same jar as tahini, even though they sit near each other at the store. Tahini is made from hulled white sesame and tastes milder. Black sesame paste is roasted and stronger, closer to toasted cocoa than to a plain sesame flavor.
In my experience the dough looks almost too dark to be appetizing right up until it is sliced, and then the contrast between the dark crumb and a pale swipe of butter makes the case for itself.
Before You Bake
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