What is Semolina?

To untrained ears, semolina may sound like an Italian dish – and the word is Italian, but you won't find it on the menu paired with marinara and cheese. It has etymological roots in the Italian word semolino, which evolved from the Latin word for flour, simila. Though it may sound exotic, semolina is the coarse, pale yellow flour used to create pasta and other meals around the world.

What is Semolina Made of?

Semolina flour is ground from durum wheat, also known as pasta wheat, that has been sifted to leave only the endosperm. Durum wheat represents about 3 to 5 percent of United States wheat production¹ and only a slightly higher percentage worldwide, but it's still the second-most-produced in the world. It is much harder than common wheat, and its high protein content gives food made from its flour a doughy, glutinous texture.

How to Use Semolina Flour

If you've ever enjoyed Italian pastas – macaroni, spaghetti, gnocchi, and ravioli, to name a few – then you've eaten semolina, but semolina has a wider culinary reach than you might think. Regional cuisines worldwide use it in both savory and sweet dishes. Here are some ways semolina flour is incorporated in cuisine around the world:

Europe and North America: Aside from its prevalence in pasta, semolina also is found in a sweet pudding² popular in several European countries, including Germany, Austria, and England. Semolina is also a common breakfast porridge in Eastern Europe and a key ingredient in Greek-style roasted potatoes³. In Italy, semolina consumption isn't limited to pasta. Locals use the flour in pizza dough and Sicilian bread.

North Africa: Perhaps one of the most recognizable semolina dishes aside from pasta is North Africa's couscous. Couscous consists of small balls of steamed semolina and is served generally under a broth or stew of vegetables and meat. Berber pancakes⁴, or Baghrir, are another North African favorite, often eaten by Muslims to break the daily fast during Ramadan.

Middle East: Variations of couscous are eaten throughout the Middle East. In Israel and the Levant, it is eaten sometimes in savory dishes, and in sweet dishes in Egypt, where locals prepare a couscous dish that includes cinnamon, raisins, and cream.

West Africa: Fufu, a West African staple food eaten with meats, vegetables, and stews, is often made using semolina⁵. It is cooked like porridge, but to a thick, gooey consistency.

India: Semolina is called Sooji and Rava in northern and southern India, respectively. It is used mainly in savory dishes such as rava appe⁶ or sooji upma⁷.

Semolina Flour & Nutrition

Because semolina is ground flour that consists only of the endosperm, it lacks the nutrients present in the bran and germ. Most semolina you will purchase, though, is enriched, meaning nutrients have been added back into the flour. Bob's Red Mill semolina flour⁸ contains 1 gram of fat, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, and 6 grams of protein. Calcium, iron, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid also are present.

Enriched semolina offers multiple health benefits⁹. The high amount of protein and fiber in semolina can contribute to weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness. The vitamins in enriched semolina can increase energy levels, while iron, magnesium, and fiber are good for heart health and controlling blood sugar. Fiber can also promote healthy digestion and good bacteria in the gut.

Is Semolina Flour Gluten Free?

Durum wheat contains a high amount of protein that forms gluten when mixed with water and gives strength and structure to doughs. Many North American supermarkets offer semolina flour on the baking aisle, but dietary restrictions may lead you to find a substitute for it. Although substitutes¹⁰ won't quite match semolina's glutinous texture, there are alternatives for people with gluten sensitivity or intolerance, the top reasons for not eating semolina. Here are some options for semolina flour substitutes:

Quinoa: Quinoa is a South American plant that is not a true grain, and therefore contains no gluten. Cooked quinoa seeds can be served in a manner similar to couscous, which is made from semolina flour. Quinoa can also be ground into a flour that is similar in texture to semolina for pastas and other baked foods.

Amaranth flour: Amaranth is a plant that is related to quinoa and has similar characteristics. It can also be used to simulate couscous or be ground into a flour that is similar in texture to semolina flour.

Corn semolina: Corn flour, or corn semolina, can be substituted for semolina flour in many dishes because of its similar grind, but the added corn flavor may be a drawback for some people. West Africa's fufu is often made with corn flour, rather than semolina.

Garbanzo flour: Garbanzo flour, also known as besan is made from ground chick peas and commonly consumed on the Indian subcontinent in various dishes. As a substitute for semolina, it can be used to make gluten-free bread or noodles; it's ideal not only for people with gluten sensitivity, but for health-conscious consumers looking to cut down on carbs.

Rice flour: Rice flour, or rice semolina, will add a distinct rice flavor when substituted for semolina. Its light texture is ideal for baking delicate items but might not be the best substitute for baking thick breads or imitating wheat pasta.

Semolina Flour & Bread

Although durum wheat is the hardest of wheats, semolina bakes into a very soft bread. If you're looking to substitute it for all-purpose flour, make sure you're OK with a doughy consistency. You may consider a semolina, whole wheat, and all-purpose flour mix¹¹ for a stronger bread that also offers the benefits of semolina.

Resources

Wheat production in the United States. Wikipedia. Accessed July 2021.
Semolina Pudding (Griessbrei). The Kitchen Maus. Accessed July 2021.
Crispiest Greek Lemon Potatoes Recipe. My Greek Dish. Accessed July 2021.
Baghrir (North African Berber Pancakes). Los Angeles Time. Accessed July 2021.
How to Make Semolina Fufu (Video). YouTube. Accessed July 2021.
Instant Rava Appe Recipe. Tarladalal.com. Accessed July 2021.
Sooji Upma (Indian Semolina Breakfast Dish) Recipe. Serious Eats. Accessed July 2021.
Semolina Pasta Flour. Bob's Red Mill. Accessed July 2021.
What Is Semolina Flour? Everything You Need to Know. Healthline. Accessed July 2021.
7 Genius Substitutes for Semolina Flour You are Yet to Try. Tastessence. Accessed July 2021.
Semolina bread with all-purpose and wheat flour. Anybody Can Bake. Accessed July 2021.