This Semolina bread recipe has a rich earthy flavor and a nutty undertone. It is one of my favorite bread recipes because of its salty flavor.
It is my go-to for French toast in the morning, bruschetta for lunch, or dipping in soup on a cold evening. It’s also excellent sandwich bread. I have to agree that Semolina flour makes the best bread.
My children love to watch the sequel of stories known as Story Keepers. Ben, the baker, was a local baker living in Rome during the tyrant rule of Nero.
He owned a bakery where he had a stone oven and a pizza reel with a long handle that he used to remove his numerous loaves for sale or for Nero’s kitchen.
Let us briefly discuss the basic ingredients that form this perfect bread with a crispy crust. The specific amounts used in this recipe will be described in the recipe card.
Jump to:
Semolina Flour.
Semolina flour is the main ingredient. Semolina flour is a unique flour made from durum wheat. Durum flour from durum wheat is a primitive variety of wheat that is used to make pasta. Mostly semolina flour is more coarse in texture, almost like fine sand, however, there is fine semolina flour too.
I love primitive or what you may call ancient grains. They are nutritious and possess high fiber content.
Ancient grains will make loaves you will rarely find in bread sections of general food stores. That's why I love baking semolina bread, oatmeal bread, 100% whole wheat bread, and barley loaves at home.
I love Semolina flour because it is a high protein wheat and a versatile ingredient and can be used in so many recipes, including instant pot recipes such as semolina pudding, upma, and porridge.
This flour, found in most grocery stores, is a great alternative for other whole and ancient grains. I used Bob's Red Mill Semolina flour, but you can use any brand.
Semolina dough can make many other goods other than bread, the dough can be cut into smaller parts forming various pasta shapes.
The Ingredients.
Olive Oil
A very nutritious oil cold pressed from olives, a Mediterranean fruit. Olive oil is rich in flavor, and it moisturizes semolina bread dough. Semolina is suitable for vegans because olive oil is non-dairy.
Pre fermented poolish
To get the rich flavor and fantastic texture, I decided to use a poolish as a starter because it is high in moisture content. The poolish was left to ferment for two hours and then incorporated into the dough.
Sesame Seeds
Sesame is an ancient oil-rich seed that has been cultivated from time memorial. The tiny weenie seeds possess a strong nutty flavor that can never go unnoticed when included in any recipe. An Italian bread known as pane siciliano, a lot of sesame is sprinkled on the top of the dough, a tradition handed down from generation to generation. The pane siciliano is a bread made from semolina flour.
Bread flour or all-purpose flour
These flours are lighter in weight than Semolina. We add it in order to make the bread less dense. The only difference between all-purpose flour and bread flour is the amount of gluten in each. Bread flour contains more gluten, which gives the bread a chewy interior. In this recipe, we use all-purpose flour.
The Equipment Required
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Pastry brush
- A sharp knife
- Baking trays
- Parchment paper
- Oven for baking
- Pizza reel and stone (optional)
Let us find out how to make this delicious, golden brown bread with a beautiful crust.
Suggested serving
The sprinkling of the sesame seeds on top of the loaf semolina adds a nutty flavor and crunchy texture. This Semolina bread perfectly pairs with cold salads, delicious hot soups, and dips.
I find it absolutely delightful with pickles and jams for breakfast too! Try to make French toast; semolina bread and French toast are delightful.
Enjoy!
Bread Machine Semolina Bread
It is a good idea to use this kitchen appliance if you have it, as it works a whole lot easier. It saves a lot of time and energy. All you have to do is place all the ingredients as listed above, and let it begin the mixing, kneading, and first rise.
When the dough is twice the size, the timer should ring. You can let the bread bake in the bread machine or remove the dough and have it baked in an oven.
If you have a Dutch oven, you can as well bake the bread in it, the only difference is that you will have to change the shape of the bread. This recipe does not require a Dutch oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is a nutritious bread rich in fiber that slows digestion, keeping you fuller for a long time.
It is rich in folate, a B vitamin that is very important in early pregnancy for the baby's development.
Semolina flour contains iron and protein as well. Consuming this delicious bread carries with it numerous health benefits for your body.
No, it is not; Semolina flour is obtained by milling durum wheat. All varieties of wheat contain the protein gluten. Semolina actually has higher gluten content than white flour.
Semolina Bread can stay fresh for up to three days at room temperature if it's sealed in a plastic bag.
However, it will keep fresh longer in a plastic bag or in an airtight container within the refrigerator.
Expert tip
As an experimental home baker, I have learned this over my years of baking. Semolina flour tends to absorb a lot of water from the bread dough.
There's a tendency for your bread will be very hard on the exterior and thus it is considered crusty bread. Make sure you monitor the hydration and add water in case the moisture in the polish is not enough for
The dough, if the dough is sticky, grease your hands before handling it and resist the temptation of adding flour.
Related Posts
If you tried this Semolina Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Semolina Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Pastry brush
- A sharp knife
- Baking trays
- Parchment paper
- Pizza reel and stone (optional)
Ingredients
- 70 grams All purpose wheat flour
- 120 grams Semolina flour
- 2 tablespoons Salt
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ Cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
The Poolish Ingredient
- 210 grams All purpose wheat flour
- 10 grams Instant yeast
- 15 grams Sugar
- 100 mls lukewarm Water
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt and quickly mix it. Once the wheat flour and salt are mixed, add the poolish and mix with a spatula or paddle attachment on the stand mixer. Watch the dough's hydration; if it is stiff, add a bit of water.
- Grease your clean hands and begin to knead the semolina dough. A shaggy dough will start to form in the mixing bowl.Keep scraping the sides of the bowl to remove the sticky dough.
- Knead for about five minutes, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough on the counter for about ten minutes. Stretching and folding and occasionally hitting the dough on the counter. This process allows the gluten to work, making the dough stretch without breaking. In the process a smooth dough is formed. If you use a stand mixer, place the sponge and flour in the mixer's mixing bowl of your stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Let the mixer knead the dough at a low speed for about fifteen minutes.
- Tuck in the ends, forming a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rest. This will be the first time it's rising.
- After the first rise, deflate the dough to remove air by punching it down. On the work surface, begin to shape the dough.
- Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into two equal portions. You can shape one of the dough in a round rectangle shape.
- Roll out the dough on the counter then folding and tucking in the dough towards the center of the dough. Make sure to pinch the dough to seal the loaf perfectly.
- Turn over and let the sealed part be under the shaped loaf. Shape the other loaf into a slightly long loaf of bread with a long edge towards you. You can also place the dough in a loaf pan, let the dough rise then bake it to make a beautiful loaf of bread perfect for sandwiches.
- Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper / baking sheet and gently transfer the loaves of bread onto the tray.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and place the tray in a warm place in our kitchen for them to rise for the second time. You could also keep them in a cold oven as long as your kitchen is warm.
- On the first loaf: With a sharp knife, make three deep cuts at an angle of about 30 degrees. Using a brush apply some water on the loaf and sprinkle with a generous amount of sesame. You can also use egg wash to give it a shiny crush. (Beat an egg with two tablespoons of water)
- On the second loaf: Make incisions on the dough with a sharp knife and sprinkle semolina flour on top of the loaf.
- After one hour or forty-five minutes, move the proofed dough onto a pizza peel, then to the pizza stone in a preheated oven for best baking results.
The poolish
- Ina small bowl, whisk the yeast (you can also use active dry yeast), sugar andflour, then add water as you continue to stir. The result should be a runnydough.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for about one and a half hours. You can prepare the poolish, preferably a day before.
