Al's Italian Bread Recipe

Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water. Combine flour, sugar and salt in
mixing bowl. Make a well in center of mixture; pour in yeast mixture.
Mix thoroughly with hands (Marino’s method) or dough hook of mixer.
Gradually add 1 to 2 cups remaining warm water; mix thoroughly. Dough
should be sticky. Spread 2 tablespoons shortening on top of dough;
knead in. Cover dough with a cloth and set in a warm place to rise
for 30 minutes. (Marino turns his electric oven to “warm” for a
minute, turns it off, then puts the bowl of dough inside.) After 30
minutes, knead dough in bowl for about 3 minutes. Cover and return to
warm spot to rise for 1 hour. Cut dough into 4 equal sections.
Lightly flour counter and rolling pin; roll each section of dough
into a rectangle. Roll up each piece of dough lengthwise, like a
jelly roll. Shape each into a loaf, sealing the seam with the side of
your hand or knuckles. Sprinkle some cornmeal and sesame seeds on
kitchen counter. Spread some warm water over top of each loaf with
your hand; roll loaf over seeds and cornmeal. Sprinkle another
counter lightly with cornmeal. Place finished loaves on top, cover
with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450
degrees. (If using oven tiles or a pizza stone, sprinkle them with
some cornmeal and place in oven to heat.) Place risen loaves on hot
oven tiles or in lightly greased oblong cake pans, using 2 loaves per
pan. (If baking the bread in pans, remove after 15 minutes and place
the loaves directly on the top oven rack to finish baking; place
empty pans on the bottom shelf to keep the bottom of the bread from
overbrowning.) Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until loaves are golden and
sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Yield: 4 loaves.