October 7, 2016 - 9:54am
Let's talk about semolina flour!
This flour gives me so much anxiety! American semolina vs Italian semolina vs Indian semolina, has anyone been able to find a good source for differentiating all these types/terms.
Are any of these interchangeable? Where do you actually by remilled semolina flour in the US?
What is the difference between American Semolina flour and durum wheat flour? Is one finer than the other? What is the difference between Indian durum wheat flour (you find in asian grocery stores) and american?
Is American durum flour the same thing as Italian Semolina rimacinata?
Also Moretti Semola Semolina di Grano Duro that is just American Semolina Flour it is not fine or remilled!
Anyway so many many questions!
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questions. Durum is more finely ground than semolina, which is coarser. I know nada about Indian or Italian Semolina.
hester
Semolina is the grit produced when ground. In order to get the flour fine enough for bread the semolina is re-milled. This is called durum wheat flour aka semola rimacinata aka fancy durum.
I have heard that the fine powder produced as a by product of milling semolina is another way to produce durum wheat flour. However I've also heard that the grit produced as a by product of making durum wheat flour is the semolina.
But as Hester says it's all in the grind. Semolina is for puddings and porridge. If more finely ground (there are even different grinds for semolina) then good for pasta. Durum Flour is good for pasta and breads.
If you find it difficult to get hold of durum flour then try to find the finest semolina possible. It will work but not as good as the flour. If you can only find semolina then drop the hydration.
Italian durum wheat and durum wheat grown in other countries will be the same thing essentially apart from the regional differences in quality. Authentic Italian breads must be made from local durum wheat which is supposed to be top quality due to the region and weather.
Indian Atta Durum I think is different. It is a type of durum like there are different types of wheat.
whole wheat where the bran and germ are sifted out and some of the bran is added back in to make it 'whole' - which it isn't in both cases since all of the germ is missing and part of the bran too.
Semolina is the perfect grind for pasta and most durum is used for pasta the world over. I re-mill semolina in the Nutrimill to make it perfectly fine for bread. I sioft out the bran in the Durum atta and re-mill it too and it is near perfect for bread that way too - I can't get out all of the bran since my sieve isn't fine enough - it comes out like a 78% high extraction flour .
Well this is build one of two done. I have two durum wheat flours on the go at the moment. This one is a very fine semolina. Almost a perfect flour but not quite. The other is top quality flour. They're so similar that it's only side by side can you see the difference. I bought the semolato, in the picture, as my local Italian shop had run out of the one I wanted. They have since restocked and I bought some. Thought it'd be better to use as much of the semolato in the Levain as that breaks down more then what's left of that will be topped up with the higher grade flour in the main dough. But there's not much in it. One is flour the other is extra fine semolina.
The Durum flour I have is this...
Semolato is extra fine semolina
Semola Rimacinata is remilled semolina
well semola rimacinata De Cecco, is a good flour. In Italy semola rimacinata is for bread because its particle size is smaller ( absorbs more water ) but also the semolina is used for bread. Altamura, Matera and other only made with semola rimacinata.
I can imagine only the very fine semolina is good for bread like the one I'm using for the Levain build. It does say for pasta and bread. Any coarser and it's just not the same. The Rimacinata is so much finer as a good quality flour. The dough is so silky and smooth.
The semolato is half the price of the Rimacinata.
You are using Semolato for your bread? Which are you using for the levain? Semolina di grano duro is too grainy for 100% percent semolina bread.
This is an extra fine semolina which can be used for pasta and bread (per pasta e pane). It's almost as fine as Rimacinata but not quite. I have half a packet of semolato which I used for bread when the shop ran out of Rimacinata. The next best thing. So while I do have Rimacinata I want to use this one up first. Thought it best to use it for the Levain as that gets broken down. I'll use up the rest in the dough and top up with Rimacinata. Certain types of Italian breads are only made with Rimacinata but extra fine semolina can produce some nice results and we have now been told is also used to make some breads. What I will do is bring the hydration down to 65% taking into account it is ever so slightly coarser. Handled well and it should still produce a lovely dough.
Di Grano Duro I think just means from durum wheat. Semolato is fine semolina.
My local grocery store sell di grano duro but not rimacinata.
When I was a complete novice I tried using regular US semolina flour in place of rimacinata to make this recipe and it was a disaster of massive proportions! http://www.mydailysourdoughbread.com/100-pane-di-semola-rimacinata-back-sicily/
How would I have to modify this recipe to make it with American durum wheat flour or semolina?
Flour 100%
Water 65%
Salt 2%
Levain 20% @ 65% hydration
Durum Flour 500g
Water 325g
Salt 10g
Levain 100g @ 65% hydration
Levain build night before: 20g starter + 55g water + 90g durum flour
I'm assuming your starter is 100% hydration and this will convert it to 65% hydration.
You're only going to use 100g of mature Levain.
Morning of...
If you can only find semolina then go for the finest and perhaps drop to 60% hydration. You can always add more if it needs it.
A classical Italian durum wheat bread would be proofed and shaped differently but see how you get on with this.
Make sure your Levain is nice and mature.
Becareful as durum wheat proofs quite quickly.
My only input is that the grind can make a big difference. I remember making pasta a long time ago and didn't (at the time) know about the different grinds. It was too course and for a while I didn't understand why it would be called for in homemade pasta. Then I got a finer grind and it make a huge difference. I like DeCecco, but that could be influenced by having known someone from that family.