Semolina bread is one of my favorite Italian breads. A light crumb and a crunchy crust make this the ideal bread for toasting or making sandwiches with. I'll give you step by step visual instructions on how to make the perfect loaf of semolina bread.
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Don't be intimidated by making breads with yeast. Making bread is so satisfying, and it's much easier than it looks. While it does take a while to make homemade bread, the hands on time is minimal and the wonderful fresh taste more than makes up for the extra effort.
Semolina bread is a classic Italian bread that's made using a combination of semolina flour and bread flour. It has a wonderful texture and a hearty, full favor that makes it perfect for toast, sandwiches and dipping into creamy soups like this potato soup!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- It's rich in protein, fiber and B Vitamins.
- This is one of the best sandwich breads ever!
- Semolina bread makes wonderful toast. Spread it with jam or cream cheese for the perfect vegan breakfast.
- If you're looking for the perfect bread to add to your next appetizer board or grazing platter, look no further than semolina bread. It partners well with hummus. It's even good with a simple olive oil dip.
- It's naturally vegan. If you're looking for more information on which breads are suitable for a plant based diet, check out my article on vegan breads.
🛒Ingredients
- Semolina Flour: There's both fine and course semolina. This recipe is best made with fine semolina. Course semolina is more widely available in some countries (like the UK). Should you not be able to find fine semolina, process course semolina in a bullet blender or coffee grinder until it has a fine and silky consistency.
- Olive Oil: When olive oil is added to bread, the result is a much softer crust and crumb. I like to use extra virgin olive oil for the nutty, rich flavor it gives semolina bread.
- Salt: In most recipes salt acts as a flavor enhancer, but in bread baking it serves a mandatory function. Salt tightens the gluten strands, making them stronger. Don't skip the salt!
- Yeast: Choose fast action yeast, which is sometimes referred to as instant yeast or quick-rise yeast.
- Bread Flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, making it the ideal choice for semolina bread. Having said that, I have also made this bread using all purpose flour, and it still came out well.
👨🍳How To Make Perfect Semolina Bread
- To make the sponge, combine the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 1 hour. I like to make the sponge the night before and leave it to ferment overnight.
- Stir the sponge until it has deflated. Add your semolina flour, all purpose flour, olive oil and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the dough hook, mix for 6-7 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
- Transfer your dough to a large oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
- Punch your dough down with your first and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough out into a rectangle. With the long end of the dough facing you begin tightly rolling the dough. With each rotation tuck the ends in and pinch the roll into the dough. Pull the sides in and seal them with your finger.
- Continue doing this until the the dough has been rolled into a baguette shaped loaf. Pinch the final seam and smooth it out with your finger.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife or razor, score the dough on the diagonal three times. Brush with water. Sprinkle with (optional) sesame seed or poppy seeds. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
🍽️How To Use Semolina Bread
🧡Semolina bread is a great bread to use for sandwiches. Try it using it with my Panera Mediterranean Sandwich. Another great bread to try is this quick Dutch oven bread.
🧡Cut semolina bread into small slices and toast them in the oven. Top with chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil for the best bruschetta ever!
🧡Make yourself the best tomato avocado toast ever! Semolina bread has that chewy crunchy texture that takes it over the top.
🧡Make some vegan French toast with your semolina bread.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
Semolina bread is best stored at room temperature in a paper bag or bread box. This will help the bread to stay fresh and prevent it from drying out or becoming moldy. Avoid storing semolina bread in plastic bags or containers as this can trap moisture and cause the bread to become soggy or moldy.
If you want to keep semolina bread for longer than a few days, you can freeze it. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer bag. Label the bag with the date and freeze for up to three months.
To thaw frozen semolina bread, remove it from the freezer and let it come to room temperature on the counter. You can also reheat frozen bread in the oven by preheating it to 350°F (175°C) and placing the bread on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
No, semolina bread is dairy free. It also has no eggs, making this bread suitable for vegans.
Absolutely! Let the bread cool completely. Slice it and wrap the individual slices in two layers of plastic wrap. Put the wrapped slices in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the slices in the fridge and reheat in a toaster or in the oven.
Love bread?
Vegan & Gluten-Free Naan
This vegan and gluten-free naan bread recipe is just as pillowy soft as its traditional counterpart.
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📖 Recipe
Semolina Bread
Ingredients
To Make The Sponge
- 2 cups flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dried yeast
- 1½ cups lukewarm filtered water
For The Semolina Bread Dough
- 1 cup semolina flour
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons flour
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the sponge combine the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and set aside for at least 1 hour. You can leave the sponge overnight if you wish.
- Stir the sponge until it has deflated. Add the semolina flour, all purpose flour, olive oil and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the dough hook, mix for 6-7 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large oiled mixing bowl. Cover and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
- Punch your dough down with your first and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough out into a rectangle. With the long end of the dough facing you begin tightly rolling the dough. With each rotation tuck the ends in and pinch the roll into the dough. Pull the sides in and seal them with your finger. Continue doing this until the the dough has been rolled into a baguette shaped loaf. Pinch the final seam and smooth it out with your finger.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife or razor, score the dough on the diagonal three times. Brush with water. Sprinkle with (optional) sesame seed or poppy seeds. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Notes
- Store leftover semolina bread in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze semolina bread, wrap each slice individually in two layers of plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag. Semolina bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in the toaster or oven.
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