Durum Wheat Semolina flour is widely used in Italy and, besides pasta, it is a staple of bread-focaccia-pizza making in Southern Italy. Durum Wheat Semolina Flour is slightly more yellow in colour than white wheat flour, it contains carotenoids, is grainy and feels like fine sand. There are two types of it: semolina flour and regrinded semolina flour. The latter is what we used and it is used in bread-making and pizzerias to make focaccia and characteristic breads.

Makes about 10-12 rolls, Preparation 20 min + 2 hours rising time, Baking 20 to 25 minutes

  • 500 g regrinded durum wheat semolina flour
  • Approx. 300 ml water at room temperature
  • 1 heaped teaspoon fine salt
  • 7 g active dry yeast
  • half a glass of lukewarm water to dissolve the yeast to activate it
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1 tbsp of EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil + a bit more for brushing the rolls

Method

Dissolve the yeast in half a glass of lukewarm water with the addition of a teaspoon of sugar, stir well so that all the granules are dissolved and let it rest for 10 minutes until it forms a foam, a sign that the yeast has activated and is ready to use.

In a bowl pour the regrinded semolina flour along with the water with the dissolved yeast, add a teaspoon of honey and a tbsp of EVOO, give it a stir, add the water a little at a time and mix, add the salt at the end.

Tip: be careful because semolina flour can absorb a lot more water than other flours, so you might adjust the amount of water to use.


Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.

Wet your hands and knead vigorously now for at least 15 minutes, spreading it out with your fists and beating the dough on the surface several times to let the air out.

In the end you should obtain a dough with an elastic but slightly sticky consistency.

Divide the dough into as many balls as you want to make and knead them into smooth rolls.

Place the balls well spaced out in one or two trays, dust them with a little semolina flour, cover with a dry cloth and put them in the oven with the light switched on or in a dry, warm place to rise for about 2 hours or until the volume has doubled.

Line one or more baking trays with parchment paper, place the rolls on the tray spacing them out, and brush them with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 200 C, then bake the semolina rolls for about 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown in a static oven. If you want to bake them in a ventilated oven, set it to 190 C and place a small aluminium baking tin with water in the lower part of the oven. In general the cooking time may vary depending on your oven.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool down a little before eating them.

 

 

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