This unique Italian bread is everything we want in crusty bread. The golden crust, creamy texture, and amazing flavor make it irresistible! Perfect for toast and sandwiches. This post has step-by-step images and instructions to guide you.
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Originally posted in February 2012. Images and text in this post have been updated to serve you better. The recipe stays the same, of course.
I must admit this is one of my favorite bread I bake, especially for breakfast toast with butter and sandwiches.
I love baking with yeast. And though I know it's not everybody's thing, some bread recipes are worth the time and dedication. This is one of them, for sure.
Others include oatmeal bread and 100% whole wheat bread. And let's not forget the easiest french bread that needs no kneading, taking complicated out of the bread baking equation.
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.
Frequently asked questions
This bread makes the best toast for bruschetta and some sandwiches. It's also great for morning toast with butter, dip in olive oil, or part of an antipasto platter.
It's made of durum flour and usually wheat flour. Durum wheat is used to make semolina, but it's too hard to use it exclusively. This recipe uses bread flour.
Semolina gives the bread a fantastic golden hue and a crackly crust.
Semolina gives it that color. It's used a lot in Italy, especially in the south, so it's common to see the bread with a golden color.
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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The Best Semolina Bread
This unique bread is everything we want in crusty bread. The golden crust, creamy texture, and amazing flavor make it irresistible! This post has step-by-step images and instructions to guide you.
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
Ingredients
Sponge:
- 1 cup lukewarm water (tap is fine)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (for alternatives, see Notes below)
- 1 Ā½ cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
Dough:
- All the sponge, above
- Ā½ cup unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
- Ā¾ cup semolina flour
- 1-2 teaspoons salt (If you normally don't use much salt go for the 1 teaspoon)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
To make the sponge:
- Place the warm water in a mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast.
- Stir in the flour, mix lightly and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Set the sponge aside to rise at room temperature (draft-free and warm) until the sponge doubles, about 1 hour. I do this directly in the bowl of the standing mixer and then add the dough ingredients.
To make the bread:
- Have ready a baking sheet lightly dusted with semolina.
- Stir the sponge to deflate, and add the flour, semolina, salt, and oil.
- Adjust the bowl in your stand mixer and knead on low speed with the dough hook for about 5 minutes to form a smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky dough. Alternatively, turn the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 6-7 minutes. See the post above for images and further details.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Turn the dough, so all the sides are oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Turn the risen dough out on the floured work surface.
- Press with the palms of your hands to deflate.
- Shape the dough into an oval, folding as you would a cinnamon roll, pinching at the seams after each fold, and place tucked side down on the prepared pan and cover with oiled plastic wrap.
- Allow it to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- About 20 minutes before baking, turn the oven to 400ºF / 200ºC.
- Sesame seeds on top: this is optional. Lightly dampen the dough on top (carefully, as you don't want to tear or deflate it) and sprinkle the seeds.
- Hold a razor blade or sharp kitchen knife at about a 30º to 45° angle to the loaf, and slash 3 lines.
- Bake the loaf for about 35 minutes until well risen, golden brown, and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. All ovens are different, so if 20 minutes into baking you feel the bread is darkening too much, turn it down to 375°F/190°C for the rest of the baking.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack until able to lift from the baking sheet with a spatula, and wait until completely cooled to cut.
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.
- Types of yeast: besides active-dry yeast, you can use instant yeast (Ā¾ teaspoon) and add it to the flour, then add the water. Or fresh yeast (3 teaspoons) that you crumble and mix with the water first.
- 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.
- Pan: I like to use flats baking sheets dusted with semolina. But cornmeal or oats will work too.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Proofing time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 389.1 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.6 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 3.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Adapted from How to Bake by Nick Malgieri
Marlena says
Hello,
I just wanted to pop in and say I absolutely LOVED how this recipe came out. I made a slight variation by adding 2 tbsps of raisins and about 1 tbsp of fennel seeds. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. The bread was deliciously crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. It slices beautifully and I just cannot stop eating it!! Thank you for making such a perfect, approachable recipe for fresh baked bread.
Paula Montenegro says
SO glad you liked it Marlena! I love it also. And think your add-ins are great btw. Will try them in the future. I love having this bread sliced and frozen so I can make last-minute bruschettas! Thanks for the comment.
Mel says
Your notes say bread flour is better with this recipe, but
your recipe says...all purpose flour!?!?!?!
Which is it?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Mel, I use bread flour but it can be made with all-purpose also, in case bread flour is hard to get. I will add that note to the recipe. Thanks for the heads up!
Caitlyn says
Thanks for this great recipe! Itās in the oven now and I canāt wait to taste it. By any chance has anyone tried it with Bread flour instead of all purpose flour? Just wondering what the results were like! Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
I use bread flour and all-purpose. The results are great. It might be a little coarser crumb, but not a big difference.
Mieke says
I tried your recipe last week.
Instead of all-purpose flour I used spelt, as that was the only thing I had and it turned out amazing!
So soft and perfect on the inside, with an incredibly tasty crust.
So delicious, it was finished in no time and I can't wait to make another one.
Also, very easy to knead with hand, which is a plus for me as a novice š
Paula Montenegro says
So glad it turned out great Mieke! It is a very easy dough to work with. And good to know it can work with whole wheat flours too!
Barbara says
I wanted to make a semolina bread for bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches using my homegrown heirloom tomatoes. I found your recipe and the second rise is almost finished and the oven is preheating. I canāt wait to taste it! Thank you for this cool recipe!ā¤ļø
Paula Montenegro says
Love that you're making it! Let me know how it goes. I always have some in the freezer for bruschettas and sandwiches.
Jagruti Dhanecha says
I have baked many loaves of bread but never tried baking it with semolina, I think it's time to bake one. Gorgeous pictures!
Danielle says
Time to try that semolina bread. Everyone is talking about it and I've had so many friends asking my opinion on it, that I guess it is time to try it out (using your recipe)!
Paula Montenegro says
It is amazing. I'm surprised it started getting so much attention in the past months since it's such an old grain! And post too, the original is from 2012, haha.
Nicole says
Oh yeah! Iām trying this recipe! I love bread and this looks like you can just spread some butter and go to town.
Kathryn says
I really need to plan on making some bread this fall so will be pinning this one for later!
Michele says
Your Semolina bread looks SO perfect! I usually use my bread maker, but now that I see how easy you've made it look, I think I'm going to try this. I love that I can use my Kitchenaid and dough hook to mix the dough. Yum!
Paula Montenegro says
I used to knead it in the bread maker but shape and bake it by hand. That way I could not only make it in different shapes, but the crust turns out different too!
Sara says
I adore homemade bread, and this looks so approachable and delicious! I've never used this particular type of flour before, but this recipe definitely makes me want to make it a pantry staple. Can't wait to try this one out!
Jo says
Making homemade bread is so rejuvenating! I love baking bread more than cakes and other sweet treats. Semolina bread looks perfect, the texture is amazing!
Lorie says
Huge fan of semolina bread as well right here. True story: when I was younger I thought I heard someone say āsalmonella breadā and was so confused as to why it was ok to eat. But notice that didnāt keep me from diving in to it!!
Linda says
I have my favorite yeast bread I make at Christmas time but hardly have the time to do it regularly. I have to say though, that I love fresh baked bread and nothing is as good as homemade. This looks like a delicious bread and now I'm kinda yearning to get my hands in some dough and knead away. Great instructions and I'm so jealous that you get to eat that right now.
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Linda! I do love to bake for the holidays too. It's my therapy!
Julie says
I bake homemade bread all the time, but never thought to try semolina bread! We always have semolina flour at home to make pasta, so I'm going to try to make a loaf of it this weekend!
Paula Montenegro says
Do add it! It's wonderful. I'm jealous you make your own pasta!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
This semolina bread looks like the perfect baked bread recipe. The soft inside and crunchy outside is seriously calling my name. I need to make this because it would be great for so many things!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Dominique!
Gloria says
I am a bread fanatic. LOVE the aroma of bread baking. I would devour this all by myself.
Macarena says
The best semolina bread recipe I found! Beautiful and easy, even for me as a novice. thanks for posting this Paula
Juliana says
Such an easy and delicious bread for any occasion
Jane says
That's a beautiful loaf. I love using semolina in bread and other baked goods, and I understand what you meant about finding yourself with tons of the stuff lying around!