5.0 out of 5 stars One of the two secret ingredients for the perfect pizza crust

D.H. · October 17, 2017

Wednesday night is pizza night around here, and I've spent years toying with pizza crusts. While we've achieved some pretty tasty pies, until now, I was never satisfied: I always longed for that perfect crust: the one that is crispy on the outside yet soft, chewy, on the inside.Recently, we experienced a major advancement in pizza-pie science when I came across a recipe by the Bread Monk (Fr. Dominic Garramone) promoting bread flour. Eureka! I thought as I watched the pizza dough rise like a loaf of bread then pulled the puffy pie out of a very hot oven. I was giddy with excitement as I lifted my first slice up to the sky in a gesture of gratitude and smug satisfaction, but as I sank my teeth into that beautiful slice, I immediately knew this was not the crust: it was almost perfect, but lacked the crisp outer shell I was dreaming of. Everyone said it was great, but I didn't care what they said: the heart wants what the heart wants.  So, after spending a few more sessions experimenting with oven temperatures, oven humidity, and kneading/rising times, I gave up. Whatever, I thought, I'll focus on something else for a while- maybe Indian food- and with that decision I unwittingly became the protagonist in my own Zen parable.So there I was, minding my own business, flipping through the pages of an Indian cookbook, not even thinking about pizza, when something caught my eye. I stared in breathless amazement at what was a recipe for vegan pizza."Oh, whatever; it's probably not even real pizza", I thought, "it's probably cumin tomatoes on a roti," but it was no such thing: Indian cuisine, it turns out, is a serious culinary endeavor- nothing halfway about it; it's opulent cuisine, fit for a sultan- if I'd known that going in, I would've realized that when an Indian chef prepares pizza, it will be "real" pizza, worthy of any cook's attention: in this case, a  "real" pizza recipe featuring bread flour and an ingredient I'd always thought of as pasta flour or something-to-keep-your-pizza-from-sticking-to-the-peel-as-you-shake-it-off-onto-the-stone flour: Semolina.Naturally, I slammed the book shut and headed for the kitchen and commenced to incorporate semolina flour in my pizza recipes, and Behold! The perfect pizza crust. So that's all there is to getting the perfect crust: Semolina flour and bread flour. Who knew? When the student is ready... Anyway, I needed a whole lot more semolina flour, and because we live more than four hours away from the nearest whole foods, Bolo it is, and I logged on and bought the brand I trust: Bob's Red Mill. This is a good deal, and I don't mind buying four because the little packages go fast (about 1/2 a bag per pizza session yielding 4 pizzas). This is an excellent product. Five Stars. Good Luck.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it

L. · April 30, 2014

I have ordered Bob's Semolina flour (4 packs) twice now and it's wonderful for authentic homemade pasta. I have not bought other brands of semolina (I trust Bob's products) so I can't compare texture or taste to other brands. Before buying this semolina, I made pasta with regular unbleached AP flour which was good but not great. Adding the semolina does make a difference in pasta and pizza adding wonderful flavor and texture. I use 1 cup organic unbleached AP flour, 1 cup Bob's semolina, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 3 eggs, 1 T. organic extra virgin olive oil and mix in my kitchenaid with dough hook-sometimes I need to add a bit of water (tablespoon at a time) and sometimes not. (combine the flours and salt, make a well in the center add the eggs & olive oil, mix on low using a spatula to gradually push the flour from the sides of the bowl to the center - much like if doing pasta by hand on a countertop. Once the dough comes together I let the kitchenaid do the work of kneading for 8-10 minutes. Don't skimp on the kneading time, I've found it really needs at least 8 minutes. Remove dough, knead a bit by hand if needed to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Kitchenaid pasta roller makes the rest a snap. The dough may feel a bit "grainy" but once rolled and cooked the pasta is velvety and delicious. Cooking the pasta will take 3 minutes or less. This recipe yields a lot of linguine noodles, (maybe over a lb.-rolled thru setting 6) plenty for a family of 4. I have been making a lot more pasta now since buying Bob's semolina so I will probably add this to my subscribed products. Great price for a pack of 4.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous in bread recipes, too!! Yay!!

K.S. · July 10, 2017

We happen to absolutely love semolina bread & have been trying to get it at Panera Bread; however, they rarely seemed to have any left when we try to get a loaf. I finally was told by a server there that they only make ONE LOAF per day to sell whole!! They also bake & slice 2 more loaves that they use to make their sandwiches. Since I found this to be utterly ridiculous & annoying & since I happen to already own a bread machine, I decided to experiment with my recipes & substitute some of this Semolina Pasta Flour for a portion of plain bread flour. Result was excellent!! Lovely pale yellow loaf with nice semolina flavor on my first try! I'll continue to tinker with different ratios of types of flour and now be able to enjoy beautiful semolina bread without relying on craziness from Panera! And I still can't get over a bakery that only wants to sell one loaf of bread per day!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good times

K.L.P. · May 30, 2024

Made pasta with my grandchildren and had a great time. Excellent quality of semolina.

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely recommended

R. · August 18, 2015

I have been making pasta at home for several years now and have been satisfied with the results. However, following the advice in Aliza Green's book "Making Artisan Pasta...", I decided to add semolina to the mix. The pasta recipe I use is twice as much all purpose flour as egg by weight, with a pinch of salt. I purchased Bob's Red Mill Semolina via Bolo Prime, since it wasn't available in local stores. My first try was replacing half the all purpose flour with semolina...that is equal weights of flour, semolina, and egg. The results were remarkable. The dough was much softer and easier to work, yet held together just fine though the pasta rollers. The cooked pasta was light, firm, and, to me, much tastier than my previous efforts. I will be using semolina flour in all my pasta from now on. Would definitely recommend this product.