• Mix all dough ingredients. Start with the minimum amount of flour. Dough should be silky but not sticky and have a firmish texture.
• Knead either by machine or hand. With machine, attach dough hook and knead for 5-8 minutes. Knead by hand 8-10 minutes.
• You may use a bread machine for the mixing and first rise. Follow manufacturer's directions for adding ingredients and use the "DOUGH" cycle.
• Place a little oil in a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, coating bottom of dough with the oil. Turn dough oil side up and cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
• (I use the oven-rise method. Before you put the bowl of dough in, turn on the oven. Let it run for about 30 seconds once you hear the heat come up, then turn the oven off. Put the bowl of dough in and it rises in the perfect environment)
• When dough is double in bulk, punch down, cover and let rise again until double in bulk; about 30 minutes. If you are using a bread machine, if there is a cycle for a 2nd rise, use that. If not, remove and follow directions from placing in the oiled bowl.
• When the 2nd rise is up, punch down dough and roll out in a 10 x 15 -inch rectangle. Roll up tightly from long side; seal seam. Roll the log of dough by placing hands at the 2 ends thus ending up with skinnier ends and a fatter middle.
• Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Dust with the cornmeal or semolina flour. *If not using parchment, grease baking sheet lightly and sprinkle with the cornmeal/semolina flour.
• Place shaped dough on prepared baking sheet. With sharp knife or razor blade, cut a 1/4-inch deep slit down center or make 3 short diagonal slashes across top of dough. Brush top with cold water.
• Let rise UNCOVERED in a warm draft-free place (I use the unlit oven) for 1 1/2 hrs.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush top of loaf again with cold water.
• Mix the water with the egg white and set aside.
• Bake bread for 20 minutes. Brush with egg white glaze and sprinkle with a topping if using. Return to oven and bake an additional 25 minutes.
• Makes 1 large loaf.

Bread Machine:

• If using a bread machine, add the ingredients in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set on BASIC/WHITE cycle...and that's it if you want to do it entirely in a machine. If you want to shape yourself, then set to DOUGH cycle and remove dough, roll and shape and place in a greased 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until double--about 30 minutes. Bake as for conventional method.

Conventional Method:

• Add all ingredients to the bowl of a large stand mixer. Using dough hook at speed recommended by manufacturer, mix dough and knead for 5-8 minutes.
• Put a little oil in a large bowl and add the dough, coating one side with oil. Turn oil side up, cover with greased plastic wrap and set in a warm, dry, draft-free place to rise until double in bulk--about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and shape as for a loaf.
• Place in well greased 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and set in a warm, dry, draft-free place to rise until double in bulk--about 30 minutes. Note: Shirley cautions that this is a high-rising bread, so once it's shaped, when it has risen to 1-inch over the top of the pan, that is the time to bake.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake loaf for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and tapping the bottom of the loaf makes a hollow sound (190 degrees F on an insta-read thermometer).
• Remove from pan and cool on a rack.