Semolina Bread is a crusty, hearty loaf of bread. It makes for the perfect addition to your dinner table. This bread recipe is made using semolina flour and is topped with sesame seeds, giving this bread a wonderful flavor. Yields 2 loaves.
Serve this crusty bread with Meatless Baked Ziti for a hearty weeknight meal!
Love baking homemade bread? Try my popular 3 Ingredient Bread and Condensed Milk Bread recipes. And for a flavor variation of this Semolina recipe made with plain flour, try my Italian Herb Cheese Bread.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Semolina Bread
Homemade bread recipes are so satisfying to make. Here are some of the many reasons why you'll love this crusty bread recipe:
- This bread is perfect for dipping, toasting, topping and sandwiches
- Even if you are not an experienced bread baker, you can make this this delicious homemade semolina bread recipe!
- No bread machine, dutch oven, or proofing basket required
- Crisp crust with a nutty flavor from the sesame seeds and a soft and flavorful inside from the semolina flour
Ingredients & substitutions
To make Semolina Bread, you'll need a few basic ingredients:
- Bread flour: This type of white flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, giving the bread more chew. If you do not have bread flour or you are having trouble finding it, you can easily substitute for all-purpose flour. The texture may not be as chewy as with bread flour, but the baked bread will still be delicious
- Active dry yeast: Make sure your yeast is fresh. There's nothing worse than realizing your yeast is dead when your bread does not rise. If you only have instant yeast, that will also work. Pay attention to the bread while it's rising, as it will likely rise faster than the instructions call for if you use instant yeast. Avoid overproofing the dough by checking it often
- Lukewarm water (90° to 100°F): I recommend using a thermometer to check the temperature of the water. This will ensure the water isn't too hot which will kill the yeast, resulting in dense, flat bread
- Olive oil
- Salt: fine salt is recommended
- Semolina flour: Semolina flour is made from durum wheat, has a coarser texture than all-purpose flour, and an earthy aroma. This flour can be found in most grocery stores in the flour aisle. Look for fine semolina flour. I would not recommend substituting semolina flour for any other type of flour in this recipe.
- Sesame seeds
- Large egg: Mix with water to make the egg wash. This gets brushed on the surface of the loaf to create a golden brown exterior when baked
How to make Semolina Bread
Don't be intimidated by any of the bread making terms used in this recipe. It's not a difficult bread to make, even if it is your first time. Like most bread recipes made with yeast, this recipe does take time to make. Patience pays off because time equals flavor!
This recipe yields two loaves of bread.
Step 1
Make the Poolish: This is just a yeast mixture that pre-ferments to provide flavor and leavening to your bread. To make it, stir together flour and yeast in a medium bowl then stir in the warm water until blended and you have a shaggy dough.
This dough will be like thick cake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, in a warm place (a cold oven with only the light on works really well). The dough will have lots of little bubbles and should jiggle
Step 2
Make the bread dough: To the bowl of your stand mixer, add the yeast and lukewarm water. Whisk together to combine and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Yeast should be foamy at the edges.
Using the paddle attachment, stir in poolish from step 1, olive oil and salt until thoroughly blended. Add semolina flour and bread flour. Stir until combined. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Cover and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
Step 3
After 20 minutes, switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for several minutes until you have a smooth dough, about 7-8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl (a large bowl that's been lightly coated in vegetable oil), turning the dough to cover in oil.
Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for one hour or until a finger gently pressed into the top of the dough does not immediately bounce back. This is an indication it's fully proofed
Step 4
Pre-Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently press to deflate dough. Divide in half. Working with each portion separately, shape into a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with a short edge toward you. Starting with the far edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Repeat with second piece. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes
Step 5
Shape dough: On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough to a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with a long edge toward you this time. Roll into a tight log, pinching to seal. Turn the loaf over and gently roll back and forth until you have a 14 inch long loaf. Repeat with second loaf.
Place loaves side-by-side on a sheet of parchment paper set on top of a pizza peel or upside down baking sheet. Leave a few inches of room between the loaves to allow room for rising. Cover and let rise with seam side up for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven
Step 6
For best baking results, place a baking stone or pizza stone on the middle shelf of the oven and place an empty baking dish on the bottom shelf.
Note: do not use a glass baking dish; be sure to use an aluminum baking pan. If you do not have a pizza stone, bake the loaves on the parchment on the overturned baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 475°F for 30 minutes
Step 7
Make the egg wash by lightly whisking the egg together with the water. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash (you likely will not use all of it) then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Score each loaf with 3 slashes using a sharp knife, blade or lame.
Step 8
Depending on the size of your baking stone, bake 1 or 2 loaves at a time. Gently and carefully slide the parchment paper and loaves onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven.
Quickly pour one cup of water in the baking pan that’s sitting on the shelf beneath the pizza stone, closing the oven door quickly to prevent the steam from escaping.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until tops are golden brown and the internal temp is 200°F; baking time may vary based on your oven, so check the loaves often. Remove from the oven and cool at least one hour on a wire rack before slicing
Pro Tips
- As with most homemade bread recipes, pay attention to what the dough looks and feels like more than watching the clock. For instance, when kneading the dough, look for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and to look smooth with some elasticity to it. These signs are an indication the dough has been kneaded enough. If this takes more or less than 7-8 minutes, that's perfectly okay. The time is a rough gauge of how long it typically takes, but this can vary based on the climate in which you live, the temperature of your kitchen, the speed at which you knead, etc
- I would not recommend substituting the ingredients in this recipe, as it will likely change the end result of the baked bread
- This bread is best when it's consumed the same day it's made, just like Italian Herb Cheese Bread and Banh Mi baguettes. The crust may lose some of it's crustiness or crispiness the next day. It'll still taste great and will make for wonderful toast or even French toast. Serve either bread with my Meatless Baked Ziti!
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FAQs
What does semolina flour do in bread?
Semolina flour may sound fancy, but it's simply flour that's made from durum wheat that typically comes from the middle east. It has a bit coarser of a texture than all-purpose flour and a more earthy aroma and flavor.
Can I use semolina flour instead of bread flour?
I would not recommend using semolina flour instead of bread flour. It's good practice to follow the recipe as written, as substitutions can change the final result of the baked bread.
What does semolina do in baking?
Semolina flour brings a slightly nutty, earthy flavor to baked goods.
Can I make semolina bread gluten-free?
Semolina flour is not gluten-free. It is made from durum wheat which contains gluten.
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Ingredients
Poolish
- 1 cup bread flour
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup lukewarm water 90° to 100°F
Dough
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup lukewarm water 90° to 100°F
- Poolish from recipe above
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 cups semolina flour
- ¾ cup bread flour
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the Poolish
- Stir together flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir in water until blended. This dough will be like thick cake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, in a warm spot (cold oven with only the light on works really well). The dough will have lots of little bubbles and should jiggle1 cup bread flour, ½ teaspoon active dry yeast, ¾ cup lukewarm water
Make the Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast and lukewarm water. Whisk together to combine and allow to sit for 10 minutes*. Yeast mixture should be foamy at the edges. Using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, stir in poolish from step 1, olive oil and salt until thoroughly blended. Add semolina flour and bread flour. Stir until combined. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.½ teaspoon active dry yeast, ¾ cup lukewarm water, Poolish, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 2 cups semolina flour, ¾ cup bread flour
- Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for several minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes. Place in a large bowl that’s lightly coated in vegetable oil, turning the dough to cover in oil. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for one hour or until a finger gently pressed into the dough does not immediately bounce back. If the dough does bounce back immediately, allow it to rest for a few more minutes, then check again
Pre-Shaping
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently press to deflate dough. Divide in half. Working with each portion separately, shape into a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with the short edge closest to you. Starting with the far edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Repeat with second piece. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes
Final Shaping
- Flatten the dough again to a rough rectangle (6 x 9-inches) with a long edge toward you this time. Roll into a tight log, pinching to seal. Turn the loaf over and gently roll back and forth to about 14 inches long. Repeat with second loaf. Place loaves side-by-side on a piece of parchment paper set on top of a pizza peel or upside down baking sheet. Leave a few inches of room between the loaves to allow room for rising. Cover and let rise with seam side down for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven
- For best baking results, place a baking stone or pizza stone on the middle shelf of the oven and place an empty baking dish on the bottom shelf. Note: do not use a glass baking dish; be sure to use an aluminum baking pan. If you do not have a pizza stone, bake the loaves on the parchment on the overturned baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 475°F for 30 minutes
Make Egg Wash
- Lightly whisk together the egg with the water. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash (you likely will not use all of it) then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Score each loaf with 3 slashes using a sharp knife, blade or lame1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water, ¼ cup sesame seeds
Bake
- Depending on the size of your baking stone, bake 1 or 2 loaves at a time. Gently and carefully slide the parchment paper and loaves onto the pizza stone. Quickly pour one cup of water in the baking pan that’s sitting on the shelf beneath the pizza stone, closing the oven door quickly to prevent the steam from escaping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until tops are golden brown and the internal temp is 200°F. Remove from the oven and cool at least one hour on a wire rack before slicing
Video
Notes
- *if using instant yeast, you do not need to wait ten minutes before mixing in the flours
- Bread is best the day it is made
- Store cooled bread at room temperature in a brown paper bag or bread bag for up to 4 days
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week
- The bread may lose some of its crispy and crustiness when stored.
Nutrition
Comments
Cynthia Christensen
This bread looks as good as any bread I’ve gotten from professional bakery! I can’t wait to make it!
Kimberlee Ho
Cynthia, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to you trying it, too - you're going to love it!
Jaime
Should I press the air out of the dough after the first rise? I’ve seen that instruction elsewhere and just curious on your thoughts. Thanks!
Kimberlee Ho
Yes! The instructions state to gently deflate the dough before pre-shaping, just after the first rise. Good luck and enjoy!
Kathryn
Fabulous recipe: fun to make, and delicious to eat. I especially liked using a poolish, and semolina flour, in this recipe. Both give the bread a lovely texture and taste. Yum!
Kimberlee Ho
So so happy you loved it Kathryn!!
Joanie Barrett
Have you ever used 100% very fine Italian imported semolina flour? The recipe came out great but I was hoping for a more yellow color. Please let me know- Thanks!
Kimberlee Ho
I have not tried it with 100% very fine Italian imported semolina flour, so I cannot say how it would turn out.
Kelly Crews
My baking dish exploded into a million pieces when I added the water??
Kimberlee Ho
Oh no! Was the baking dish glass? If so, that can definitely happen with the extreme change in temperature. The baking pan should be aluminum. I will make sure to add a note to state that clearly in the post. I'm sorry this happened to you....
Kelly Crews
Yes it was Pyrex. New baker here. It was going to be wonderful! I’ll try again tomorrrow.
Kimberlee Ho
Ugh I'm sorry you had to go through that... But really glad you're going to try again!
Laura Carter
I made this because my brother, whom I hadn’t seen in almost a year, came for a visit and lives semolina bread. He said it was the best loaf of any bread he’s ever eaten. Then my sister tasted it and tears welled up in her eyes, said it reminded her of our grandfather’s semolina bread. So … THANK YOU for this recipe.
Kimberlee Ho
Your comment brought tears to my eyes! I made everyone in my family read it - thank you for sharing this!! ♥️
Dell
Hello,
Does the oven temperature need to be turned down after the preheating time before baking?
Or do you bake the bread at 475 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes?
Thanks so much for clarifying!
I'm looking forward to making these this weekend!
Kimberlee Ho
No, no need to turn down the temp. These bake at 475ºF for the entire time. Enjoy!
MarkV
I was worried when the dough seemed a bit too dry after using the dough hook to bring it all together but pressed forward. The results were amazing following the recipe exactly as you have it. This recipe has replaced my old recipe for semolina Italian which always defeated and left me with flat loaves no matter how gingerly I treated the dough. Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberlee Ho
This is fantastic to hear, Mark! Thanks for sharing your review!
Peggy
This is by FAR the BEST semolina bread I have ever made! The taste is like my local Brooklyn Italian Bakery! The recipie is spot on! I doubled it the second time and the loaves lasted amazingly in the fridge in a zip lock after they were out of the oven for 1/2 day so I knew they were cool! Reheated slices for dinner in my toaster oven on air roast! Thank you! 🥰
Kimberlee Ho
This is fantastic to hear, Peggy! Thanks for sharing your tip for reheating it - so helpful for other bakers!
Bonnie Katz
Love this bread. I would like to form it into a shape for sandwiches. I checked over sites and its seems I could make one loaf. What about the time and temp. What I checked out had the oven at 400 for 35 minutes. What do you think?
Kimberlee Ho
I think it's worth a try! I have not made it into one loaf, so I cannot say for sure what the proper temp and time to bake would be.
jim
Had a great time with this recipe. I am a "by weight" kinda person so i can repeat my results over an over. below are the measurements I used for dry ingredients for anyone else that wants or needs them. I used the King Arthur weight chart. Also ending up using 1 tsp of instant yeast since it was a bit cold and my water is filtered...less minerals, less of the rise. This worked beautifully for me.
Ingredients
Poolish
1 cup bread flour - 120 grams
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
¾ cup lukewarm water 90° to 100°F
Dough
½ teaspoon active dry yeast - 1 tsp due to cooler temps and purified water
¾ cup lukewarm water 90° to 100°F
Poolish from recipe above
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 cups semolina flour - 326 grams
¾ cup bread flour - 90 grams
Kimberlee Ho
This is wonderful, thank you for writing this out and sharing it with other bakers! So glad you loved this recipe 😊.
Patrick Christensen
Spot on. Follow to a T. My first journey into this type of bread was successful! Mobile version of the page the recipe is on is a bit annoying to use due to adds and such.
Kimberlee Ho
So happy to hear this! (PS those ads help support the work I do to provide free recipes to you. I get that they can be annoying - you can hit the 'print recipe' button to view a clean version without the ads).
Ahti
My first time making bread, I'm on step 1 of making the dough and the dough is very dry, not sticky as you described. Is this going to be a problem? - I'm certain all of measurements are accurate, i checked and double checked before adding anything. The poolish seemed to proof nicely. I didn't see very much foam for the step 2 part.
Kimberlee Ho
I would check to make sure you didn't add too much flour. It sounds like that's what could have happened.
Stella C.
I made 1/2 the semolina bread recipe just to be sure I followed the recipe correctly. It came out perfectly. The taste and texture was exactly what I was looking for. I’ve been baking breads for years but never had the opportunity to make a semolina bread. I would highly recommend this recipe. I can’t wait to make more.
Kimberlee Ho
How wonderful! Glad you could find a good recipe to add to your bread making repertoire 😊.
Bob
Kim, would it be OK to add some honey to your recipe? Thanks.
Kimberlee Ho
Hi Bob, I haven't tried this recipe with honey, so I can't tell you for sure how it would turn out.
Wk
If I leave the poolish in the oven overnight… but want to make the bread late the following day- do I refrigerate the poolish until ready for it? Do I need to let it warm to room temp before mixing into the dough? Thanks
Kimberlee Ho
I would refrigerate it after leaving it out overnight, as this will slow the fermentation process considerably and prevent it from rising then falling. I would recommend removing it form the fridge about 30 minutes prior to mixing the dough - cold ingredients tend not to mix well with other ingredients.
WK
Just to let you know….I wound up leaving it in the refrigerator for 1.5 days because something came up. Bread turned out amazing anyway and was a big hit!!!
Kimberlee Ho
That's great to know, thanks so much for sharing!
Leia
This is our new favourite bread recipe. It was my first time using semolina and it produced exactly the Italian crusty bread we were craving. The flavour is delicious and the fine soft dense crumb and crusty sesame crust is amazing. I made one loaf, sort of narrow and baguette-ish and 4 small mini ones to use for meatball subs we made. I tore up some of the crumb from the loaf to use in the panade for the meatballs and it was perfect. I’m so happy with this bread recipe, thank you so much for sharing it.
Kimberlee Ho
This makes me so happy, Leia! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Nancy
I have made this recipe twice and both times have had the same problem. While the taste is wonderful, the proportions of flour to water seem off. Or am I doing something wrong? The dough is so soft that it will not hold its shape and I ended up with loaves that were about 2 inches tall when baked. The dough rose in the bowl for the first rise but when shaped into loaves, they just spread out, rather than rising up. The second time I made the recipe, I increased the flour by about a cup but it was still too soft and spread rather than rising. That is why I only gave it 3stars, even though the flavor is good. Should I just keep adding flour until the dough will hold its shape?
Kimberlee Ho
Hmmm... it's hard to say what the issue is without seeing how you made it. I've made this recipe many times and it comes out well every time, so I'm not sure what the issue is. I hope you can figure it out!
Jon
Sounds to me like you may be over-proofing your dough. This can happen easily if your temperatures are higher than the recipe was written for. The higher temperatures make the yeast more active and the dough rise quicker so it would require less of a proofing time.
Ruth Tannahill
I messed up from the word go. I measured out a full cup of water instead of the 3/4 cup, and that launched an avalanche of attempted corrections that ended in grossly overworked dough. If it rises, I'm going to bake it anyway because even tough, dry bread makes good croutons, panzanella, and stuffing, but I should have tossed it immediately and started again. I'm not going to rate the recipe because what ever went on in that mixer bowl, it wasn't this recipe, but I am looking forward to making it properly next time.
Kimberlee Ho
I hope it works out better for you next time!!
Jennifer
Why the empty tray underneath??? No water???
Kimberlee Ho
The water gets poured into the tray or baking dish just after you slide the bread dough onto the baking stone to bake and just before you close the oven door to bake the bread. This is stated in the recipe. I hope that helps!
Pietro Paolo Bendotti
Hi quick question I've noticed on the video the bottom of the bread wasn't browned, what can you do to achieve this ? I would like the bottom to match the top color
Kimberlee Ho
You can try baking the bread directly on the pizza stone without the parchment paper.
Vicki Lowe
I made the 2 loaves but put sesame seeds on one and your cheese and herb topping on the other. Both, outstanding! I used fed sourdough starter instead of making the Poolish and it’s perfect. I will keep this in my starter discard recipe box. Also, it is so helpful that you show the ingredients under each step. Saves all that scrolling back and forth. Thank you for this wonderful, well constructed recipe!!
Kimberlee Ho
So great to hear what you did with the recipe, Vicki! I will have to try using sourdough starter in place of the poolish next time. And thank you so much for the great feedback on the recipe itself - that means a lot!
Adam K
I have tried many Italian bread recipes, but this is the best one by far. Similar to the Brooklyn style Italian breads I grew up on. Using a residential convection oven, would you suggest to run non-convection instead? I love this recipe and just ordered a Pizza stone to hopefully improve it a little more next time!
Thanks Kimberlee!
Kimberlee Ho
So glad to hear this, Adam! If convection works well for you, I'd stick with that. I typically do not use convection for my bread recipes, but every oven is different.
william a garcia
Recipe looks great but can it be baked in a Dutch oven. If so, how long with the cover on and then how long with the cover off. Should I still bake it at 475 degrees.
Kimberlee Ho
Hi William, I haven't tried this recipe in a Dutch oven, so I don't know for sure. I would try baking it in a preheated Dutch oven at 475º with the lid on for 30 minutes, then 10 minutes with the lid off. You may have to adjust based on how hot your oven runs. Let me know how it turns out!
Rob Lopshire
This will be my first time making semolina bread. The market delivered semolina instead of the polenta I orginally ordered so I searched around and your recipe was the one that seemed like it would be fun to try.
I’m a house husband who cooks all day, I make bread only a coulpe times a year as it feels daunting to me 🙂
Wish me luck
Kimberlee Ho
Good luck!!!
Jackie
Can we freeze a whole baked loaf? Thank you
Kimberlee Ho
Yes! I would suggest you wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil then place it in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost it at room temperature and reheat it in the oven at 350ºF for 15 minutes.
Jackie
Hi can we freeze a loaf?
Kimberlee Ho
Yes! I would suggest you wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil then place it in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost it at room temperature and reheat it in the oven at 350ºF for 15 minutes.
Josh M
I made the poolish. 1 cup=120 grams of bread flour, I use a thermometer to make sure I have the proper temperature, exactly 3/4 cup of water and it is runny. Not thick like cake batter or anywhere near forming a shaggy dough. Did I miss something?
Kimberlee Ho
Oh geez, I'm not sure what happened here! I've made this bread so many times and I haven't had this happen. I hope you can try it again with better luck next time!
Diane Becker
Can't wait to try this recipe!
Kimberlee Ho
Great! I can't wait for you to try it either 😃 .
Katherine
I've made this multiple times. It's my go to bread recipe. I've also made this in a bread pan to facilitate using it for sandwiches. It made the absolutely best gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. I turn the heat down a bit when I pan bake it and check it for temp after about 20 minutes. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Kimberlee Ho
Such a great idea to make this in a bread pan for sandwich bread! Thanks for sharing 😊 .