Semolina flour is the go-to flour for making delicious and authentic pasta and pizza. However, don’t worry if you don’t happen to have this product by your side, we got your back with these popular alternatives for Semolina flour.
Substitutes for Semolina flour are
- All-purpose flour
- Rice flour
- Amaranth flour
- Corn Semolina
- Garbanzo flour
- Kamut flour
- Quinoa flour
- Corn Flour
- Buckwheat flour
We prepared the best alternatives for semolina that make an amazing pizza, so keep on reading this article to find out even more.
Alternatives To Semolina Flour
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour is a ground powder-like substance made from a soft-wheat variety and can be used as an affordable alternative to semolina flour. This flour is available in most of the local supermarkets, and you probably already have it at home.
All-purpose flour can either be bleached or unbleached. The difference is between the gluten content which is more dominant in the unbleached flour.
The unbleached version is best for making pancakes, waffles, cookies, and muffins, whereas, bleached flour makes excellent and airy puff pastries, yeast bread, and of course, pizza dough.
While using this flour as a semolina flour replacement for making pizza or pasta, make sure that the pasta is cooked in lots of water and served hot.
All-purpose flour is softer than semolina flour, and the pasta made out of it can easily become mushy and can fall apart when it’s served cold. That goes for the pizza dough as well, make sure you serve your pizza hot, otherwise, the dough and the crust will probably deflate and become soft and mushy.
Rice Flour
Rice flour is made out of ground raw rice and is mainly used to make rice noodles and rice pancakes. This flour is the best substitute for gluten-free baking and pasta making. Rice flour is also a great thickening agent in sauces and gravies.
While this is not the most popular substitute for making pizza dough, it is possible to make a decent gluten-free pizza crust with it. Make sure you sprinkle some extra flour on top of your dough before popping it in the pizza oven.
Pasta and other things that are made from rice flour have a subtle rice flavor so don’t be shocked if your pizza comes out like that as well. Rice flour is very delicate and soft, so I would say that is suitable for making your pastries fluffy and light as air.
An alternative for rice flour is brown rice flour.
Amaranth Flour
Amaranth flour is made from grinding the seeds of the amaranth plant. This is a protein-rich, gluten-free flour that contains high levels of calcium and magnesium.
It has a nutty flavor and is used for making pizza crusts, pasta as well as other baked goods. Amaranth flour is used in lots of diets and healthy lifestyles as it increases the nutritional value of the food with lots of dietary fiber and high-quality(good) protein.
It can even be used to make gluten-free recipes. Amaranth flour can also be used as a thickener for roux, white sauces, soups, and stews.
Corn Semolina
Corn Semolina is derived from the ground endosperm of corn. This gluten-free flour makes a good substitute for recipes that call for regular semolina flour, but there are some differences in the taste. Many of the dishes you’ll make with corn Semolina would most likely have a slight taste of corn.
Garbanzo Flour
Garbanzo flour, also known as gram flour, is most often used in Indian cuisine. This flour is made from ground chickpeas, and it has a sweet and nutty flavor to baked products.
This gluten-free flour is also known as ‘besan’. It is well-suited for those with gluten sensitivity or allergies as it is fully gluten-free.
Garbanzo flour is a great product to use for making your favorite pizza dough recipes as it adds a unique nutty flavor to the dough.
Kamut Flour
Kamut flour is an ancient type of wheat that originates from ancient Egypt. It is far more nutritious than regular white flour. The gluten present in Kamut flour is easier to digest than most flour, especially bread flour or pizza flour.
Also known as Oriental wheat, Kamut flour is one of the ancient types of wheat that carry lots of nutrients, proteins, and fiber.
While Kamut flour has a significantly less amount of gluten in it, it is still considered to be a glutenous flour that is not recommended for people with gluten allergies, gluten sensitivity, or if overall you’re just having a gluten-free diet.
Quinoa Flour
Another ancient flour is Quinoa flour. It originated from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa seeds are in close relation with amaranth, they can be ground and used as a substitute for semolina flour in pasta and many baked goods.
This alternative is gluten-free and contains the highest protein content in all grains. I warmly recommend trying to make a recipe for pizza dough with quinoa flour as it’s really something special and different. The crust is very crunchy but soft at the same time.
How To Make Quinoa Flour
If you don’t have quinoa flour on your shelf, don’t go running to the store just yet. Check if you have some leftover quinoa seeds first and make it yourself. At the end of the day, things are better when they’re homemade.
You’ll need
- A food processor
- Quinoa seeds
Instructions
This part is easy, ain’t it? Just grab your food processor and put your quinoa in it. Grind the quinoa seeds until you see them becoming a fine powdery substance. If you’re making quinoa flour typically for pizza, you can add a teaspoon of sugar to the mixture. Store your flour in an air-tight container in a dark place or the fridge.
Corn Flour
Corn starch, or sometimes referred corn flour is the starch derived from corn kernels. This is a white/yellow powdery substance that is used in the culinary world for baking, cooking, and thickening sauces, soups, and gravies.
This flour is made from corn, so naturally, it might alter the flavor in your recipes and give it a slight taste of corn, which I actually don’t mind, but if you do, think about it before using this product.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat is not a type of wheat so it makes an excellent and healthy gluten-free and grain-free option for those who suffer from severe gluten allergies or other sensitivities. Buckwheat flour is a bit denser than most flours and couldn’t be incorporated in every recipe, but on a good note, it’s full of nutrients and amino acids, which are really good for you.
I recommend using this product for simple cooking and baking like simple gluten-free pizza dough, pancakes, crepes, biscuits, muffins, or banana bread. The flour has a sweet and nutty taste, similar to the Kamut flour.
In Conclusion
Semolina is a high-gluten flour made from durum wheat. It has a coarse texture, yellowish color, and is high in gluten and protein.
The high gluten content makes this flour is especially good and superior for making pizza dough, pasta dough, bread, and baked goods.
Semolina is a popular flour in Italy as it’s the country that is well known for making pizzas and delicious pasta. It is available around the world and can be bought in health food stores or a well-stocked supermarket.
The most common use for semolina flour is making homemade, fresh pasta and pizza dough. This flour is superior to others for making dough because of the high gluten content, which makes more elastic dough. This flour holds its shape during the baking/cooking process and doesn’t fall apart.
Semolina is more nutritious than most flours in the market. It has a high amount of fiber and protein. In just one cup of semolina flour, you get 22 grams of protein.
On a slightly more concerning note, Semolina does contain way more calories than regular all-purpose flour, so be careful not to consume in big doses, especially if you’re on a diet.
There are a couple of versions for Semolina that are actually not even the real deal. I’m talking about corn Semolina flour rice Semolina flour.
They’re called a type of Semolina flour because they are coarse-grained flours and very similar in texture. I strongly recommend using the right version of Semolina, especially when making pasta and pizza, as it’s the mighty flour that makes your dough stay in its place.