How to make semolina pasta dough | Boston, MA | recipe and tutorial (2024)

FAQs

Is pasta better with semolina or flour? ›

And it has a higher protein and gluten content than all-purpose flour, making it a strong choice for pasta and pizza. Semolina dough is elastic and malleable but not sticky, holds its shape once boiled (important for more intricate pasta shapes), and plays nicely with all manner of sauces.

Unlike egg fresh pasta, semolina pasta is very easy to dry. All you have to do is leave it out for a day or two on a tray! Once the pasta is completely dry, you can store it just like you would store-bought pasta and it will last for months in your pantry.

Sift all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Make a mountain out of flour mixture on a clean surface; create a deep well in the center. Break eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well.

Semola and semolina flour are mainly used for making pasta, couscous, and some rustic cakes. Semolina has a coarse texture similar to polenta, while semola is flour. You might use semolina to make a breakfast porridge or sweet pudding, or under your pizza dough to keep it from sticking.

When you add semolina into an egg pasta dough it helps to add structure and an al dente bite. That is why I often mix it into '00' flour when making my easy homemade pasta dough.

Durum Flour: Ground from extra-hard wheat (durum comes from the Latin word for hard), this strong flour is high in protein and finely textured. Its strength means you can use it for shaped pastas, like orecchiette, as well as extruded pasta, such as spaghetti.

Semolina's coarse grind makes for chewy, hearty pasta that comes together quickly in a food processor and rolls easily through a pasta machine.

The general rule of thumb is 50% hydration, and so here I am using 200g semolina and 100g water. 2. Always use warm water, not cold nor room temperature. It's much easier to incorporate into the semolina when the water is warm.

Note that while semolina flour technically refers to a product made with durum wheat, sometimes the term “semolina” is more loosely used to refer to any manner of coarsely milled grain, from corn (cornmeal) to wheat (like farina, as in Cream of Wheat), although these products are generally not interchangeable.

What are the pros and cons of semolina flour? ›

Semolina is a flour made from ground durum wheat. It's rich in protein, fiber, and B vitamins and may support weight loss, heart health, and digestion. Most people can enjoy semolina with no issue, but a small percentage of the population may not tolerate it due to its gluten or wheat content.

Semolina is a type of coarse flour that's made from durum wheat, not from the other popular wheat type, known simply as common wheat. When durum wheat is milled, its most nourishing parts are ground into semolina. Durum wheat grains are golden in color, so the milled semolina is a pale-yellow flour.

This hard-wheat flour has grown in Italy's warm and sunny south for centuries. As a result, the pasta traditions of the southern and central Italian regions are mainly based semolina flour.

What are the health benefits of Semolina Pasta? Semolina is high in protein, fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Semolina can support weight loss, heart health and digestion. Protein and fiber can slow digestion, which can make you feel fuller for longer.

Its higher protein content contributes to stronger gluten development, which is necessary to give breads their rise and shape. Beyond just adding to batters and doughs, semolina is also a smart ingredient to keep on hand for dusting and sprinkling, as the coarse texture helps keep doughs from sticking.

Regular, or traditional semolina pasta, is made with refined flour. This flour has been stripped of heart-healthy fiber and nutrients. Whole-wheat pasta is made with the whole grain kernel, retaining what makes it most healthy and desirable.

Semola is key to the production of dried pasta because of its unique qualities. This flour has a high protein content of around 12-15% which, when kneaded, produces gluten. It is this gluten that creates the structure to hold the shape of the pasta (the word gluten actually derives from the Latin word for glue).

Pasta dough also needs some plasticity for it to be moulded into all of those wonderful shapes. All-purpose flour does what it says on the tin, so it's perfectly fine to use for making pasta. However, most pasta recipes will recommend either semola or “00” flour.