Semolina
High-gluten flour creates authentic homemade pasta and gnocchi for your Italian cooking adventures.
What it is
Semolina is a coarse flour made by grinding durum wheat, a hard wheat variety with high protein content. It has a sandy, granular texture and golden color that comes from the wheat's natural pigments.
How to cook
Mix with eggs and oil to make fresh pasta dough, or use in bread recipes for added texture. For porridge or puddings, whisk into hot milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Flavor and texture
Has a mild, nutty wheat flavor with a distinctive coarse, gritty texture that's more granular than regular flour but finer than cornmeal.
Best uses
Perfect for making homemade pasta, pizza dough, gnocchi, and Italian bread. Also excellent in Middle Eastern sweets like halva, or as a dusting flour to prevent pasta from sticking.
Storage & freshness
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry.
| As purchased | 3-6 monthsquality depends on bin turnover rate |
| Sealed (pantry) | 1-2 yearsif kept airtight in cool, dry location |
| Refrigerated | 2-3 yearsin airtight container to prevent moisture absorption |
| Frozen | 3-5 yearsin airtight, freezer-safe container |
Durations are for best quality. Safe to consume longer if no spoilage signs present.
Cooking tip
When making pasta dough, let it rest for at least 30 minutes after kneading - this allows the semolina to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to roll.
Interesting note
Semolina's high gluten content and coarse texture give pasta its characteristic firm bite (al dente) that regular flour simply can't achieve.
Cooking at Baker City elevation
At Baker City elevation (~3,400 ft), semolina (for cream-of-wheat style cereal) needs 12–13 minutes of simmering instead of 10, with steady whisking — pull it when smooth and slightly looser than you want for the final texture.