This semolina bread will be the best loaf of sandwich bread that you will ever bake. The bread is so beautiful and rises perfectly. If you are looking for bread that slices perfectly for sandwiches, then this semolina bread will be perfect.
I am so happy about this month-long baking marathon as by the end of this I will have the best recipes for loaves of bread. In the past, I had tried out the buttermilk bread for the first time and have made it a few times since then.
I was very sure, that was the perfect loaf of bread I would ever be baking until I baked this Semolina bread. Semolina flour is something that I have never worked with before for baking. A couple of months ago, there was a semolina bread that was suggested for one of the baking groups I am in, but I never got around to baking it.
When looking for bread loaves to bake for this month, I came across this beautiful loaf of Semolina bread and I could not take my eyes off it. Still, I was not convinced that semolina flour could yield such a soft loaf of bread, so I just bookmarked the recipe and moved along.
When looking through the list of recipes I had baked for the marathon, I realized I still needed some bread loaves to bake. That is when I went over my bookmarked list and came back to this recipe for semolina bread. The procedure to bake this bread could not have been any easier.
All the ingredients just went into a bowl and were mixed and kneaded to make the dough. I used the fine semolina flour from Bob’s red mill. Other than the flour, this bread had some yeast, sugar, and salt along with water and olive oil.
Very basic ingredients for the recipe, and it yielded the perfect loaf of bread. The bread had a very soft crust (I cover my bread after it comes out of the oven) and perfectly even crumbs. This is one of the breads where I sliced the loaf perfectly.
My boys just ate the bread with some butter smeared the evening I baked the bread. The next afternoon, the remainder of the bread became grilled cheese for lunch.
This sandwich bread loaf lasted for about 12 hours in my house. Now that I found one more recipe for the best bread to add to my collection, I need to shop around for the big bag of semolina flour.
These days, I have been raising the dough in my Instant Pot. The proofing time is literally cut in half and it is so convenient and quick. I use the yogurt setting in my IP.
Preparation time – 15 minutes plus about 3 hours of inactive time
Cooking time – 35 – 45 minutes to bake
Difficulty level – easy
Recipe adapted from – The Fresh Loaf
Ingredients to make Semolina Bread
- Semolina flour (Fine) – 3 ¼ cups
- Warm water – 1 ½ cups
- Instant yeast – 1 tsp
- Granulated sugar – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1 ½ tsp
- Olive oil – ¼ cup
Procedure to make Semolina Bread
Making the dough
- I made the bread using the stand mixer. In the bowl of the mixer, add the tepid water along with yeast, sugar, flour, olive oil, and salt. Using a spatula mix everything until it comes together. The mixture will be very moist.
- Now start kneading the dough using the dough hook until it is very shiny and smooth (about 8-9 minutes). The end dough will be very soft to touch and wonderful to work with. If kneading by hand, mix everything with a spatula and then transfer to the work surface that is lightly dusted with semolina flour and start kneading. Knead for about 10-12 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature until doubles the volume. It took me about 1 ½ hours.
- These days I use my Instant Pot to proof the dough and it took me just 30 minutes to do the first proofing. I set it on yogurt mode and set it to low heat and timed it for 30 minutes. Make sure you use a glass lid to cover the IP and not the actual lid as it could get stuck under pressure.
Shaping the dough
- Grease a standard loaf pan with oil spray and keep it ready.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted work surface. Using your hands spread the dough to form a rectangle keeping the width of the rectangle as close to the loaf pan size.
- Beginning from the far end start rolling the dough into a tight roll. Pinch the seams very well and place the loaf seam side down into the prepared loaf pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof again until it rises just above the rim of the pan. (It took me about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
Baking the bread –
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Once the dough has its second rise, place it in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the pan and cool it entirely on a rack before slicing. If you want a softer crust cover the loaf loosely with foil when cooling.
- The semolina sandwich bread would stay fresh for about 3 days outside (not tested as mine disappeared within 12 hours).
More Bread Recipes
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Recipe
Semolina Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups Semolina flour Fine – 3 ¼ cups
- 1 ½ cups Warm water
- 1 teaspoon Instant yeast
- 1 tbso Granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Olive oil
Instructions
Making the dough -
- I made the bread using the stand mixer. In the bowl of the mixer, add the tepid water along with yeast, sugar, flour, olive oil and salt. Using a spatula mix everything until it comes together. The mixture will be very moist.
- Now start kneading the dough using the dough hook until it is very shiny and smooth (about 8-9 minutes). The end dough will be very soft to touch and so very wonderful to work with. If kneading by hand, mix everything with a spatula and then transfer to the work surface that is lightly dusted with semolina flour and start kneading. Knead for about 10-12 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
- These days I use my Instant Pot to proof the dough and it took me just 30 minutes to do the first proofing. I set it on yogurt mode and set it to low heat and timed it for 30 minutes. Make sure you use a glass lid to cover the IP and not the actual lid as it could get stuck under pressure.
- Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature until double the volume. It took me about 1 ½ hours.
Shaping the dough –
- Grease a standard loaf pan with oil spray and keep it ready.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted work surface. Using your hands spread the dough to form a rectangle keeping the width of the rectangle as close to the loaf pan size.
- Beginning from the far end start rolling the dough into a tight roll. Pinch the seams very well and place the loaf seam side down into the prepared loaf pan.
- Cover with the plastic wrap and let the dough proof again until it rises just above the rim of the pan. (It took me about 1 hour 15 minutes).
Baking the bread –
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Once the dough had its second rise, place it in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the pan and cool it entirely on a rack before slicing.If you want softer crust cover the loaf loosely with foil when cooling.
- The semolina bread would stay fresh for about 3 days outside (not tested as mine disappeared within 12 hours).
Barbara says
I’m ready to try this recipe!!! What size loaf pan do you use?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I have used a standard 9x5 size loaf pan.
Diane says
My son went to Italy and was able to eat their bread because of the semolina flour
The bread we have here is rough on the stomach, but this is wonderful so thank you for this easy recipe
I make about 3 loaves a week now
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I am so glad that he is able to enjoy the bread.
Susan H. says
Can this bread recipe's dough be made in a bread maker and then baked in an oven? Thank you
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Yes. You can make the dough in the bread maker and then baked in the oven.
Chris says
Hi, in the stores I could find only fine semolina, can it be used to make this lovely loaf of bread
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Yes. You can use it.
Rosina says
Hey my semolina flour is the Italian one called "Caputo rimacinata" it is fine and it is the color of the wheat- golden- not white. Can I use it for your semolina bread?
Joann says
This bread is absolutely fantastic! Followed the directions to the letter! It only took 35 minutes in my electric oven! When it cooled I sliced it on my electric slicer to get even slices for sandwiches! This is definitely a keeper!
Note:
I made this for my daughter who in Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerant!
She can eat pasta and breads made with only Semolina flour! It’s a winner in her book! Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Joann, it makes me so happy to read your comment and I am so glad that your daughter approves of it. This is definitely a great bread and the recipe works perfect every time I make it. Thank you so much for taking time to write.
Wade says
I loved this recipe. So easy to make and delicious! It does make for a very soft loaf. On my second bake of this recipe, I substituted 1 and 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour for semolina flour. This did provide some more structure for the bread, while still maintaining most of the tender crumb and semolina taste. Try it for yourself and see.
Also, if you're having trouble finding fine grain semolina flour in your area, check and see if you have a flour mill nearby. Here in St. Louis, I had a local mill fine grind some semolina to my preference. This flour works much better than the coarse ground semolina I had found in the store. The only downside was I had to buy a 50 lb bag of it. It was reasonably priced per pound, however.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot for your detailed comment! This would definitely help many readers.
David says
Can use bread flour as semolina flour
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
David, you can use bread flour. It will just not be semolina bread and it will be similar to regular white bread.
Shwetha says
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Tried this and it came out well.
Thanks,
Shwetha
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Shwetha, that is so awesome! Glad the recipe worked well. Thanks for letting me know.
Shilpa says
Hi....this is a very nice and easy recipe. I tried it and loaf turned out really soft and spongy from inside. However outside was little hard. I applied milk before baking and butter immediately after baking and kept it under damp cloth for cooling. Still it was quite hard than usual bread. What could have gone wrong? Please help.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Hi Shilpa, it is usually not a hard crust. You have done the right thing about brushing butter and covering the loaf. I usually use an aluminum foil to tent the loaf when cooling. Maybe use a foil to cover the bread or a dry cloth instead of damp one next time.
Lynda says
Perfect every time. So delicious 😋
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot!
Niti says
Hello Sandhya ,
Your bread looks amazing! Which Suji did u use ? The sooji that I get from Indian grocery store makes a very white bread .
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Niti, I use semolina flour from Bob's red mill to make this bread. Works great. You can find it in any regular grocery store.
Allie says
Can I use active Dry yeast instead of instant? (That’s what I have in my cubby 🙂)
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Absolutely Allie, make sure to proof them in liquid before using.
vidya iyer says
Hi Sandhya
want to try this super bread.. I am not sure if we get semolina flour can i just grind the semolina to a fine powder? How should the consistency of the flour be for this bread?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Vidya, if you are in US, you can find semolina flour easily in any grocery store. I buy the Bob's red mill brand. If in India, use chiroti rava or the finest rava you can find to make it. Let me know when you make it 🙂
vidya says
Hi sandhya.. i stay in dubai but I will get chiroti rawa and i will grind it to a powder.. will let you know
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Vidya, chiroti rava should work in the recipe. Do let me know 🙂
Mila says
Perfect
Epcibha says
Hi Sandhya many thanks for the recipe ..I have a kilo of chiroti rava nd planning to try the recipe..I'm running out of olive oil instead can I use 1/4 cup of unsalted butter?
Shilpa says
Hi
Wanted to check since I don’t have Semolina Flour handy could I just use the mixer to grind the fine semolina I have at hand for this bread ?
It looks so lovely I want to bake it right now 😋
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Shilpa, thanks a lot! Unfortunately the regular semolina does not grind too well. If you have access to the finer variety (also called the chiroti rava), use that instead.
Fran says
Well I am about to cook this. It's currently mixing in the bread machine. I use UK measurements so lord knows what it will turn out like Haha!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
How did the bread turn out?
Theresa says
Can I make this recipe using fresh yeast. If so do I need to add more flour. Thx
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Theresa, I am sorry I am of no help with this. I have not used fresh yeast before.
Jyoti Kishnani says
Tried this recpie today and it came out perfect
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot Jyoti for your feedback!
Priya srinivasan says
That is a beautiful loaf of bread sandhya! Love how pillowy the loaf is and the texture is amazing!
Ben M says
It is hard to go wrong with a wholesome, full, beautiful loaf of bread and this fits the bill. Great for a dinner side or for making your lunch sammiches. Thanks for sharing.
Pavani says
That is such a perfectly baked Semolina bread Sandhya. Love the beautiful brown crust and the crumb. Great share!!
Danielle says
This bread has the perfect shape! It looks fabulous and makes it really easy to cut it into pieces. Great recipe to try!
Bharati Sudhir says
Inspiring! Motivated to try my hand at bread making :-).. Thank you Sandhya Ramakrishnan !
Rajeswari says
Hi Sandhya
What is tepid water?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Luke warm water is tepid water. This is to proof the yeast.
PK says
Hi, lovely looking bread! Thanks for sharing.
Do we need to apply anything on the crust of the bread (after 2nd proof) before baking?
Thanks
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot! There is no need to apply anything on the crust. If you prefer, you can brush with egg wash but not really needed.
Poonam says
Excellent recipe Sandhya. I made it and bread came out so good and tastes awesome!! Thanks for sharing the detailed recipe.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Poonam, Thanks a lot for trying out the recipe and letting me know. So happy that it worked great for you. It is one of my favorite bread and works fool proof each time 🙂
Uma Vinay kumar says
Hello
Iam uma and am based in bsngalore. I have a bread machine - just checking if this recipe will work in that. I have kenwood breadmaker.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Hi Uma, Thanks for dropping by. I am sure the recipe would work in the bread machine. I have not tried it using the bread machine, but I don't see why it won't work.
Anamika jain says
How to make bread without yeast
Would be happy if u share
Without yeast baking recipes
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Anamika, to make the traditional bread, we need to use yeast. There are many quick breads and loaf breads that you can bake but they would not be the traditional breads.
Epcibha says
Wow that's so lovely recipe..ur bread is a treat for the eyes nd even treat for our tummy's for recipe hunters like me.. can we knead it with our hands..will it be perfect like this?.will try nd let u know the results..😍
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot! You can absolutely knead using your hands. I have done it many times and it comes out great. Do let me know when you try it.
Epcibha Oliver says
Sorry for a late response..it was so yummy nd it was soft too.. going to make today again .. planning to add more sugar to make it sweet ..wish me luck 😊
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I am so glad that the recipe worked well for you. Be a little careful when adding sugar and do not add too much of it, as it could change the texture of the bread.
Pooja says
Loaf tin size..?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Standard 9 x 5 loaf pan Pooja.
Vandana says
Hi Sandhya .tried your semolina bread yesterday followed your recipe to the T. So the problem with my bread was on second prove the dough rose literally poured out of the tin and I brushed with oil and immediately put in the hot oven ..but after 10 mts it sank in the middle .its usual with my breads..so can you help me on that
Sylvie says
Hi ! This bread is very original and looks so good ! I will try your recipe very soon. Thank you for sharing !
Maya says
Hi Sandhya,
I definitely want to make this bread today !!! One question, can coarse semolina be blitzed to make the flour ? I can't get semolina flour here . Thanks
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Maya, thanks a lot for trying out the recipe. You could buy the finest semolina that you can find or you can grind the coarse one that you have to make it as fine as possible to make the bread. Do let me know how the bread turned out.
Jolina says
Omigosh that is a perfect loaf of bread! I'm just starting to experiment with bread making so it's great that I stumbled upon your post! I will refer back to it for sure. I haven't used semolina before so thanks for the detailed instructions!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Hi Jolina, thanks a lot for your feed back. This was the first ever time I used semolina flour for bread and I was very happy with it. I make it very often now a days.
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival says
I am so glad you shared this! I just saw a huge bag of semolina at a restaurant supply house (my friend let me borrow his membership card). I've never used it and put it on my mental list to look up recipes! You saved me the trouble! Thanks!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Beth, I am so happy that you found a use for the bag of semolina. Trust me, I have many unused ingredients in the pantry and I am clueless about how to use them. Hope the recipe works and you can use the whole bag making several loaves of bread 🙂
CC says
That is a gorgeous looking loaf, and how impressive that it's made with semolina!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks and I was amazed as well at how well the semolina flour rises.
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
I need a stand mixer so that I can make these gorgeous homemade breads! YUMMMM
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Stand mixers do help! Thanks 🙂
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
Love homemade bread!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Me too!
Suneetha gr says
Hi, gorgeous looking bread!! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
My pleasure Suneetha! Thanks 🙂
Ddhi says
Which stand mixer u r using ?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I have kitchen aid stand mixer.