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.
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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 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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 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
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FAQs
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.
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.
Semolina flour does contain many nutrients and minerals that are healthy for you, especially when compared to plain white flour.
Semolina flour brings a slightly nutty, earthy flavor to baked goods.
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
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
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 jiggle
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.
- 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 lame
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!!
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!