Mark D wrote:

> To respond to the other poster who replied to me, Yes, I understand that
> Semolina Flour is used largely for making Pastas, Gnocchi, etc., but
> have you ever used it for bread? (Or Pizza Dough)
>
> Sicilian styles of bread use this type of flour, and yes, you are right,
> it will make a dense bread that you have to have good teeth to eat, but
> makes for a very unbelieveably tasty bread.
>
> Try it sometime. You might be very surprised of the quality of this
> bread made from this flour.


I haven't baked with Semolina flour myself, but my local Portuguese
bakery makes a semolina bread that I buy regularly and use for my
everyday bread for sandwiches and french toast. It isn't tough on the
teeth at all, just has some texture that most white breads lack. I'm
sure I've seen semolina flour now and then in the supermarket but
couldn't tell you for sure where to find it. Surely even in that mecca
of horrible restaurants there's a pizza joint that makes its own pizza
dough. Have you tried hunting them down and buying the flour straight
from them? You could mail order it too, but the shipping charges would
be outrageous. Flour is heavy. (Please, no wise-ass remarks about iron
and feathers; you know what I mean.)


A funny aside about pizza joints: Y'all know I've been working in a new
classy wine and cheese shop. Around the corner in the same complex of
buildings is a Domino's Pizza. And guess what? The guys there are
great! In addition to their ordinary mass-produced slop, they're
working with us to develop a chevre, sun-dried tomato and prosciutto
pizza that tastes great. I have no idea how this will work
customer-wise, but I'm tickled that the project has gotten this far.


--Lia