Semolina Pizza Dough

Friday night dinner had to be an easy affair ... time for pizza ... again! This pizza has a semolina dough. That's a change from my usual whole wheat and wheat germ dough ... it's much lighter and has a grainier texture because of the semolina. There is a cornmeal flake on the bottom of the crust and a beautiful white color. It's puffy and lighter than my other whole wheat dough. 

I love pizza for its quick ease. I love that there are any number of combinations of vegetables, herbs, cheeses, meats, and yes, even fruits making for a kazillion new pizza experiences. So many Friday nights - so many pizzas!

This pizza is topped with feta and parmesan cheese, purple onions and black olives, garlic -infused olive oil, and a combination of fresh and dried herbs.

That fluffy plump dough was just so easy to work with ... I don't 'toss' my pizza dough, but work it out on the pan with my knuckles so that there are little hollows to collect the olive oil or sauce of whatever liquid component the pizza de jour has. I love a thick crust pizza so I usually use half again the amount of dough that would make an 18-inch thin crust. I also love playing with the colors of the toppings on pizzas.

For this pizza, the color scheme  was purples and greens ... even the black olives had a purple-ish thing going on. I also had just a bit of pancetta that needed using, so it got a fast flash sear in a fry pan and strips were plopped atop the cheese just before baking ... a nice little salty crispy flavour punch.

The very last thing I love on a cheesey pizza is a lot of ground black pepper ... I am a fiend for black pepper. Then, voila ! Ready for the oven and the before you know it, it was hot and ready for the slicer! A crisp cold white wine and slices of  Semolina Pizza with Herbs and Feta ...

This pizza dough would also make a respectable foccacia ... the semolina flour makes such a great addition to the flour dough ... some really good olive oil, fresh herbs, and just a smattering of cheese would be lovely. Just sayin' ...

Semolina Pizza Dough

Makes two 12-inch pies or one thick crust 18-inch pie

Ingredients:

3 ½ c. all-purpose flour

½ c. semolina flour

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 ¾ tsp. active dry yeast

1 ½ c. warm water (109° F)

3 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for oiling the pizza pan

Cornmeal for dusting the pizza pan

Making the Dough: 

1. Whisk together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and set aside.
2. Combine the yeast with the warm water and add a tiny pinch of sugar. Set aside for ten minutes to allow the mixture to ‘proof’.
3. Add the yeast mixture and the olive oil all at once and mix the flour into the liquid well in quick circular motions to combine to a sticky dough.
4. use your fist to flip the dough ball around to gather the last of the flour from the edges of the bowl and punch things into a rough ball.
5. Cover the bowl and set in a warm spot for half an hour.
6. Use some olive oil to grease the pizza pan (s) and your hands. Sprinkle the pans with some cornmeal.
7. Flip the dough onto the pan and use your knuckles to spread the dough ball toward the pan’s edges. Let the dimples in the dough remain so they collect your sauce topping.
8. top with your favorite toppings and bake the pizza for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated (425° F) oven.
9. Let the pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.