This simple pizza dough uses semolina flour, typically used for pasta, for a wonderfully crispy and chewy crust!

Semolina Pizza Dough Crust - On Floured board

The funny thing about pizza is that the first matter of concern always seems to be about the combination of toppings, when frankly, a pizza is only as good as its crust.

I have tried quite a few pizza crust recipes and methods, and have compared pizzas that only rise for a few hours versus ones that have been aged in the fridge for a few days. And this is our holy grail, and absolute favorite pizza crust.

(Side note: I’ve also tested quite a few unconventional flour-free pizza crusts, and my favorite low carb one is this Fathead Pizza).

The secret ingredient here is semolina flour:

Semolina Flour in Bob\'s Red Mill bag

Semolina flour is typically used to make pasta, as it has a very high percentage of gluten-developing proteins, which is what gives the dough its stretch and elasticity. We want lots of gluten development for our pizza crust too, so the semolina does wonders in helping our pizza crust get a crispy bottom yet chewy texture.

A close up of a slice of pizza made with basil and cheese

To get started, combine hot water, a little bit of sugar, and yeast in a measuring cup:

Adding dry yeast to liquid in pyrex cup

Let it sit for 10 minutes until it’s bubbly, like this:

Active yeast shown on top of water in pyrex cup

Add the liquid to the bowl of a stand mixer, and add olive oil and salt.

Then add the semolina and bread flour, and mix until smooth.

Let that sit for 2 hours until it has doubled in size:

Photo Collage Showing Semolina Flour and Wet Ingredients Combined for Pizza Dough

After its rise, it should look all stretchy and webby, like this:

Semolina Flour Pizza Dough - In Mixing Bowl with Stretchy Webs Showing Rise

Now it’s ready to be shaped into a ball and rolled out into a circle, or rectangle. You know, however you like your pizza shaped:

Semolina Pizza Crust Shaped Onto Pizza Pan

You can either parbake your pizza crust, or put the toppings on and bake. Enjoy!

Semolina Pizza Dough on Board with Hand Pressing

Semolina Pizza Crust

Servings: 2 14-inch thin crust pizzas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
 This simple pizza dough uses semolina flour, typically used for pasta, for a wonderfully crispy and chewy crust!
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups 115 degree water
  • 2.25 tsp quick rise yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups semolina flour (10 oz by weight)
  • 1.5 cups bread flour (7.5 oz by weight)

Instructions 

  • In a measuring cup or bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Give it a stir and let it sit for 10 minutes, until the liquid gets bubbly.
  • Place the measuring cup liquid mixture, olive oil, salt, semolina flour, and bread flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the dough hook to stir it together, until it’s roughly combined. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium low speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. The dough will be a little bit sticky, and that’s fine. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours, until the dough doubles in size.
  • Remove the dough to a floured board and shape it into a ball. It can now be rolled out and baked as desired. I like to split the dough into two halves since I like a thinner crust. I bake my pizzas in a 500 degree oven with toppings and sauce for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 976kcal, Carbohydrates: 184g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 594mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 2g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Fifteen Spatulas