Semolina Bread Recipe

What is semolina?

Also called durum flour, semolina is a fine-textured flour (image below, right) made from durum wheat (used to make dried pasta). It has a nutty undertone and gives the bread a welcomed golden hue.

It's similar to very fine sand. Very different and much finer than bread flour (image below, left).

Bread made with semolina has a crusty crust like no other. It makes the best croutons and the best bruschetta.

How to make semolina bread

This is a fantastic recipe because it's easy to knead by hand. And even easier with a stand mixer (using the dough hook).

It is supple, soft, and not sticky.

• First, a sponge is made: active-dry yeast (image 1) is mixed with flour and water (images 2 and 3). After resting covered for 1 hour it will have grown, and air pockets like bubbles will have developed (image 4). If this doesn't happen, the yeast is not working. Don't go on. Go buy new yeast.

• Adding the rest of the ingredients: with the sponge ready, we need to add the rest of the ingredients (images 5 and 6).
• It will look like there are not enough wet ingredients when you turn it out onto the counter (image 7), but the dough starts forming in no time after you start bringing it together and kneading.
• After 1 or 2 minutes, the dough is rough but not sticky, and all the ingredients are combined (image 8).

• Kneading the dough: it takes 6-7 minutes to knead it by hand. Maybe just 5 with a stand mixer.
• Kneading by hand: fold the dough onto itself and push it away. Don't push it away so much that you see it tearing. Repeat this until the dough is supple and soft. If you press a finger, it should leave a slight indentation that doesn't rise again immediately.
• Letting the dough rest: this is a crucial part of bread making. Bread doughs with yeast need to rise until doubled in size in about 1 hour. So put it in an oiled bowl, turn it around so it's all greased, and cover the bowl with plastic (image below, left).
• Temperature: let rise in a draft-free, warm place. If the room is cold, I wrap it around something that keeps the temperature, like a sweater, blanket, or pashmina.

• Forming or shaping the bread: this part is easy because the dough is supple and great to work with. It can be shaped differently, and I like the batard, a very fat and short baguette.
• Important steps are flattening the dough with your hands (image 9), folding it like a cinnamon roll, and pinching after each fold (images 10 and 11). Lastly, you need to pinch and seal the whole bread (image 12), so it doesn't 'unfold' during baking.

• Second rising: the bread, once shaped and on the baking sheet, needs a second rising, covered and in a draft-free warm place, before it is scored and baked (image 13 shows bread before the second rising).
• Scoring the bread: now, you need to score the formed bread. These are the cuts or slits you make to the dough. They will allow the bread to rise better as it has a place to unfold and grow while baking. You can use a sharp knife (images 14 to 16) or a special tool called a lame. It is a razor blade on a stick. You can lightly aid yourself with your hand (image 15), but it's best to be decisive and just go for the 45° cut.

If you take the time to make this bread, let me tell you it's one of the best.

The crumb is creamy and delicious, dense without being heavy, and perfect for toast or Italian Tomato Bruschetta. And makes the best croutons.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Semolina: buy the superfine one. Though it would be labeled differently, semolina comes in different sizes. Couscous is also semolina, for example.
• Bread flour: there is flour specially made for bread. It has more gluten than all-purpose. Gluten is the ingredient that develops with kneading and helps the bread grow. The bread will work with all-purpose (not cake) flour, but it's a good idea to look for it or buy bread flour online.
• Freezing: this is a wonderful bread to freeze in slices and have ready for toast or bruschettas. Slice it and wrap it in plastic or put it in a Ziploc bag. It will last for a month.

I wanted to bake an all-semolina bread, but it didn't turn out well. It just didn't work. So the compromise was to find bread with semolina and bread flour.

I found it, and it's perfect.

Substituting semolina flour

Semolina flour is unique and doesn't have a direct substitute.

But, if you still want or need to substitute it, you can use spelt or Kamut flour. They're whole flours, so the texture and color will vary.

Find them at specialty stores and some supermarkets. Or buy whole spelt flour and whole kamut flour online.