The next time you make homemade pizza, try using a semolina flour dough for a crust with a chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor. Semolina is the heart of the durum wheat kernel, a hard variety of wheat. Semolina is often used in pasta making and gives pasta the familiar yellow hue. Semolina flour will also add a bit of color to your pizza crust. Pizza night is fun for the whole family when you set out a variety of toppings and let everyone make their own customized pizza.
Mix the all-purpose and semolina flours together lightly with your hands on a clean, dry work surface. Push the flour into a mountain shape, then form a well in the center of the flour pile.
Add the yeast, sugar, olive oil and water to a small bowl. Stir the mixture, the let it sit at room temperature for five minutes to activate the yeast.
Pour the yeast mixture into the flour well. Use a fork to bring the flour in gradually from the sides to incorporate it into the liquid. Continue to mix in larger amounts of flour until the dough starts to form.
Knead the dough by placing it on a floured surface and pressing the heels of your hands into the dough then pushing away. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat pressing and turning the dough for around five minutes, or until it is smooth. Form the dough into a ball.
Rub olive oil all over the inner surface of a large bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover it with a clean, damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for around one hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Press your fist down into the center of the dough. Pull the outer edges of the dough into the center, then turn the dough over.
Let the dough sit for five minutes, then divide it into three balls. Form each ball into a circle, around 1/4-inch thick, either by hand or with a rolling pin.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and top each pizza crust with toppings.
Bake the pizzas, one at a time, directly on the oven rack for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Tip
Semolina flour may be labeled durum wheat, durum flour or durum semolina flour. It can be found in health-food stores and Italian markets.
