Directions

1. To make the Poolish: Stir together flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir in water until blended. This dough will be like thick cake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight or up to 24 hours at room temperature. The dough will become frothy and have lots of little bubbles.
2. To make the Dough: Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water in a large bowl. Stir in Poolish, olive oil and salt until thoroughly blended. Add semolina flour and 1/2 cup of the bread flour. Stir until combined. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky like biscuit dough. Add remaining 1/4 cup bread flour, if necessary. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Turning Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Place in a large bowl. Cover and let rest 1 hour. With a slightly wet hand gently give the dough several turns by sliding the hand down the edge of the bowl, lifting and stretching the dough up and over the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 7 times until you have gone around the bowl twice. Cover and let rest 1 hour. Repeat turning and resting 2 more times for a total of 3 hours rising time.
4. Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands gently press to deflate dough. Divide in half, if desired. Working with each portion separately, and choosing from the shapes below do the Primary Shaping of each portion. Cover and let rest seam side up on a lightly floured surface for 20 minutes. Do the Final Shaping. Cover and let rise with seam side up 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until double.
5. For best baking results, place a baking stone, pizza stone or unglazed ceramic tile on bottom shelf of oven. Preheat oven to 475°F for 20 minutes to allow stone to get to temperature. Depending on the size of your baking stone, bake 1 or 2 loaves at a time, placing seam side down on parchment paper. If desired, brush flour off top, lightly brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Score each loaf with 2 to 4 slashes using a sharp knife or blade. Slide the dough with parchment onto bread peel or rimless baking sheet. Carefully slide onto heated baking stone, immediately spritzing the oven with water around the dough 7 to 10 times. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes spritzing every 5 minutes 3 more times. Bake to an internal temperature of 200°F. Remove from oven and parchment; cool on wire rack. Bake remaining loaf.
6. Batard (oval loaf): For Primary Shaping on a lightly floured surface with floured hands pull an edge of the dough from the outside to the center gently stretching the side of the dough to the center. Give the dough a sixth of a clockwise turn and repeat going around the dough 2 or 3 times shaping it into a rough ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. For Final Shaping working with the seam side up, slightly flatten the dough. Repeat the edge pulling shaping as above going around the ball 1 time. Now fold the far edge toward the center about 1-inch, pressing into the dough under the edge. Repeat folding and pressing several times until almost to near edge. Fold up near edge and pinch to seal. Turn the loaf over and gently roll with hands to an oval about 8 inches long (never use a rolling pin).
7. Boule (round loaf): For Primary Shaping on a lightly floured surface with floured hands pull an edge of the dough from the outside to the center gently stretching the side of the dough to the center. Give the dough a sixth of a clockwise turn and repeat going around the dough 2 or 3 times shaping it into a rough ball. For Final Shaping working with the seam side up, slightly flatten the dough. Repeat the edge pulling shaping as above going around the ball twice. Turn the ball over and cupping the side of the ball with one hand, work the other hand from top to bottom slightly pulling the dough around to the bottom as you spin the dough an eighth turn. Work until the ball is smooth.
8. Baguette (long loaf): For Primary Shaping on a lightly floured surface with floured hands shape into a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with a short edge toward you. Fold the far edge of the dough toward the center about 2 inches, gently stretching the bottom of the dough over the edge and pressing the edge to dough under it. Repeat folding and pressing until a roll is formed. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. For Final Shaping working with the seam side up, flatten the dough to a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with a long edge toward you. Now fold the far edge toward the center about 1 inch, pressing into the dough under the edge. Repeat folding and pressing several times working toward you, until almost to near-edge. Fold up near-edge and pinch to seal. Turn the loaf over and gently roll back and forth under two hands to about 14 inches long.