Semolina Bread Recipe

4.78 from 22 votes

Apr 29, 2022

(updated Mar 15, 2025)

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.

Two semolina loaves with a couple slices of bread sitting in front of them with sesame seeds sprinkled around it all.

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The secret to this homemade bread

Homemade bread recipes are so satisfying to make. The secret to this one is the semolina flour. It gives the loaf a wonderfully soft texture with lots of flavor. Semolina flour has a bit coarser of a texture than all-purpose flour and a more earthy aroma and flavor which carries through to the baked bread.

You may be tempted to substitute the semolina flour and/or bread flour in this recipe for all-purpose flour. I would not recommend replacing the semolina flour because of its unique flavor and texture. However, you may replace the bread flour if needed. The texture of the baked loaf may not be as chewy as with bread flour, but the bread will still be delicious.

The sesame seeds give this bread a nutty flavor that is reminiscent of the loaves served at Italian restaurants. Feel free to leave off the sesame seeds if you prefer.

Two baked loaves of semolina bread sitting on a cutting board.

The magic behind a crisp crust

The very best way to get a crisp crust is to bake this bread on a preheated baking stone. If you do not have a baking stone, use instead an overturned baking sheet.

The trick to getting lofty loaves is to place an empty baking dish (use aluminum, not glass!) on the oven rack beneath the baking stone while the oven preheats. When you slide the bread dough onto the baking stone, immediately fill the baking dish with a cup of water and close the oven door. The water will create steam helping to get a great rise on these loaves.

Note: do not use a glass baking dish. Adding cold or room temperature water to a hot glass dish is a recipe for disaster. The glass will likely shatter creating a huge mess.

Two small loaves of semolina bread on a cutting board.

How to make the world’s best 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! No bread machine, dutch oven, or proofing basket required. So even if you are not an experienced bread baker, you can make this delicious homemade bread!

As an experienced home baker with dozens of bread recipes on my site, I can say this bread is well worth the time and patience.

Note, this recipe yields two loaves of bread.

Semolina batter sitting in a blue bowl. — **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. The dough will have lots of little bubbles and should jiggle.

Semolina dough sitting in a glass bowl ready to rise. — Make the bread dough. Place in an oiled bowl and allow to rise about one hour.

Dough proofing in a glass bowl. — This is what the bread dough should look like after it's risen. When gently pressed with your finger, the top of the dough should not immediately bounce back. This is an indication it's fully proofed.

Pro tip

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

Two unbaked loaves of semolina dough sitting on a cutting board to rise.. — Pre-shape the dough and allow to rest. Then, shape the dough into two 14-inch loaves like these. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Two unbaked loaves of semolina bread rising on a cutting board. — This is what the bread loaves should look like after 30 minutes.

Hand using a silicone pastry brush over two pieces of semolina dough before baking. — Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash.

Two pieces of dough shaped into loaves with a hand cutting decorative lines into them. — Score each loaf with 3 slashes using a sharp knife, blade, or bread lame.

Two unbaked semolina loaves with decorative cuts on them with sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. — Sprinkle with sesame seeds then slide onto the preheated pizza stone in the oven. Pour 1 cup of water into the baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes.

Semonlina bread on a cutting board, slices and pieces.

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How to store this homemade 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 its crustiness or crispiness the next day. It'll still taste great and will make for wonderful toast or even french toast.

Store the cooled bread at room temperature in a brown paper bag or bread bag for up to one week. Transfer to the fridge and store in the fridge for longer storage. The bread may dry out slightly in the fridge.

To freeze a loaf, wrap loaf in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

To freeze sliced bread, place slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze at least one hour then transfer frozen slices to a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. The slices may dry out a little when frozen this way. Thaw at room temperature.

Here’s the best way to reheat bread in the oven to make it crisp as if it was just made.

Top view of semolina loaf, slices of the bread sitting around the loaf and sesame seeds spilling off a spoonful.

FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

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