Semolina Focaccia

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focaccia di semola

I love a no-knead bread and this semolina focaccia is so simple to make but comes out looking incredibly impressive and of course, delicious! It’s filled with big air bubbles that soak up the olive oil and flaky sea salt. It has a light crunch on the outside with a moist fluffiness in the middle. A long, overnight rise allows for maximum gluten development and also allows you to prep the dough at night and have a perfect focaccia dough ready to bake the next day!

I often experiment with focaccia recipes and like to incorporate different flours, like whole wheat or farro. Focaccia thickness and texture can vary depending what region in Italy you are in. But today, we are in the region of my kitchen, where the only rule is to cook what makes you happy!

You may recognize semolina as the pale yellow flour used to make pasta or couscous. You might also see it in its coarsely ground form, not to be confused with cornmeal. Semolina is made from durum wheat and is a high-protein flour. Because of this and its gluten content, it produces a very elastic, stretchy dough. This also helps to hold together the shape of the pasta when it cooks.

Some breads in Italy are made with 100% semolina flour. The Pane di Altamura from the province of Bari in the Apulia region is made with 100% semola. By law, it must be produced using locally produced varieties of durum wheat semolina, a certain specification of water, a consistent production method, and must also have a final crust that is at least 3 mm thick.

For my semolina focaccia, I will be mixing semolina flour and Type 0 flour. Using half and half will ensure a glutenous, fluffy bread with the pale yellow color and a touch of sweetness and nuttiness from the semolina.

Ingredients

Flour – type 0
Semolina flour – re-milled durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata di grano duro)
Water
Dry brewer’s yeast
Sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Durum wheat semolina vs. Re-milled durum wheat semolina

“Semolina” is essentially our English word for the Italian word semola – both referring to the same product, ground durum wheat. What’s important to pay attention to is the grind of the durum wheat, which then determines what it is best used for.

Durum wheat semolina, semola di grano duro, is a less refined product than re-milled semolina, with a more intense yellow color and coarser grain. It is ideal for the production of homemade pasta which retains great flavor and aromas and is more easily digestible than products made with re-milled semolina which is more compact.

Re-milled durum wheat semolina, semola rimacinata di grano duro, is obtained with an extra step during milling. It is thinner in grain, with a lighter color than semolina, making it ideal for pizzas, focaccia and other leavened products. This most closely resembles the “semolina flour” found in American grocery stores.

For this semolina focaccia recipe, I am using re-milled durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata di grano duro), but for the sake of brevity, going forward I will simply say “semolina” when referring to this product in reference to my recipe.

Step by Step

To make this focaccia, weigh the semolina and Type 0 flour into a large mixing bowl. Also add the instant dry yeast and sugar and give that a quick stir.

Then pour in the lukewarm water. I use a fork to mix but you can also use a spoon. I feel like the tines of the fork help to get everything incorporated. This is a high-hydration dough and semolina flour soaks up a lot of water, generally requiring more than other flours.

Drizzle over the olive oil and add the salt. At this point I find it easier to get in there with my hands and squish and fold the mixture together in the bowl. It may seem messy, but it will all come together.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at ambient temperature.

After 1 hour, start making folds in the dough. Wet your fingers to prevent them from sticking to the dough and make a digging motion, scooping the dough from the outside and folding it in towards the center. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat all the way around.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour and repeat this process. Cover and put in the fridge for an overnight chill, 12-14 hours.

Because it is a high hydration dough, it won’t grow up over the top of the bowl, but it will have risen slightly and be bubbly. The most important part is the gluten network – the stringy part that forms behind the scenes that create all those beautiful air pockets.

Remove from fridge and let sit for about 2 hours, to allow to reach room temperature.

Next, pour the dough into an oiled 35x25cm pan. drizzle oil over the top, and gently press with your fingertips to spread out the dough starting in the middle and working outwards. It doesn’t need to hit every corner, the dough will continue to relax and spread out.

Pan size can vary – it can be rectangle or square, or a few centimeters bigger or smaller in either direction. This really lets you control the height of your focaccia. If you like a thinner focaccia, which will be crispier and chewier, use a bigger pan. If you like a tall, fluffy focaccia, use a smaller one. But I wouldn’t change these dimensions more than 5cm in either direction; otherwise, it might not bake properly.

Cover and let the dough rise in the pan for another 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drizzle the focaccia with olive oil and use your fingers to gently spread the oil over the entire surface. Make deep dimples in the dough with just your fingertips. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake the focaccia in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips and FAQs

Substitutions

Bread flour can be substituted in an equal amount for the Type 0 flour.

Try topping your Semolina Focaccia with …

Ripe cherry tomatoes
Fresh rosemary leaves
Black or green olives
Thinly sliced red onions

What does high-hydration dough mean?

Dough hydration simply means the ratio of water to flour, by weight. So, if you are using 1kg of flour and 800ml of water, this dough has an 80% hydration. This will result in a bread with a thin and crisp crust and with a moist and open crumb. Working with wet doughs often feels like something is wrong with the dough but resist the urge to add more flour as this will change the hydration of the dough.

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