• This recipe can be baked in 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 9 x 4 x 4 inch Pullman loaf pan without the lid (also known as small Pullman pan). The former yield a wider shorter loaf and the latter yield a really tall loaf
• This recipe is best made with a machine. I don't recommend kneading by hand as the dough is a bit difficult to handle

Prepare the dough:

• Place all ingredients (except for the black sesame seeds, which we will add last) in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Use the hook to give it a stir to roughly mix all the ingredients so when you turn on the machine, the dry ingredients won't "fly"
  
• Give it a knead on low speed (speed 2 on KA) until things come together into a dough ball, about 5 minutes.
  
• Add the sesame seeds and continue to knead until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. If it's still very sticky, you can add one tablespoon of flour and knead again.
  
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• When the dough is ready, round it up into a dough ball. You can move it to another large see-through container (this is a large dough). Spray with some non-stick spray and cover. You can mark the side of the container to monitor how much the dough has grown in volume during first proofing
  

First proofing:

• The dough should double in volume. It may take 1-2 hours, depending on the surrounding temperature. It took about 1 hour at 82 F (28 C). It takes longer if it's much cooler
  

Shaping:

• Fold the edge of the dough onto itself several times to deflate the dough.
  
• Transfer the dough out onto a working surface. You can lightly dust with a bit of flour, not too much.
  
• You can flatten the dough with your palm (or use a rolling pin, lightly dust with some flour to prevent sticking) into about 10 x 12 inches rectangle.
  
• Fold the 2 short ends to meet at the center
  
• Fold the dough down to form a log.
  
• Use the heel of your hand to "seal" the seam each time you roll down to form a tight log later
  
• Pinch the seams to seal
  
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• Brush oil on the loaf pan on all sides. I line with parchment paper on the long side. Place the dough into the prepared pan. Press the dough down to fill up the pan evenly
  

Final proofing:

• Let the dough proof for about 45 minutes or until the dough rise about 1/2 to 1-inch above the rim. 10 minutes before the end of proofing, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
  

Baking:

• I brush some egg wash on the surface of the bread. Place the baking pan in the middle rack and bake for 3-35 minutes if you use 9 x 5 loaf pan. If you use 9 x 4 x 4 inch loaf pan, it may take a bit longer, about 35-40 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the bread reads 200 F (93 C)
• If the bread gets a bit too dark, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil after about 20 minutes of baking

Cool down:

• When it's done baking, remove from the oven and unmold the bread immediately and let it cool down completely on a cooling rack. If you leave the bread too long inside the pan, it gets soggy because condensation starts to form
  
• Do not slice into a warm bread. It needs to be cooled down completely before attempt to slice it