[Sca-cooks] Pasta making and baking with semolina flour

[marilyn traber 011221]

> My experience (and others' may vary) is that durum semolina, because 
>  the grain is so hard, is difficult to grind really fine, so it can  
> behave a little oddly compared to other flours. Essentially, it 
> takes  a little while for water to be fully absorbed, and full 
> gluten  development doesn't really occur until the grain is 
> moistened properly.
> 
> In general, what this means is you want to make an all-semolina 
> dough  just a touch moister than those made with other flours; where 
> other  recipes advocate adding enough flour to make a smooth, non-
> sticky  dough, you want your semolina dough to be just a touch 
> sticky, and  you really want to knead the c®@p out of it, at which 
> point it will  begin to acquire a more standard doughy texture. When 
> making bread,  you should notice a dramatic difference in the 
> texture of the dough  between the first and second proofings.
> 
> For pasta, the same principal applies: it'll be just a little sticky,
>   knead it to death, wrap/cover and let it rest a few hours in the 
>  fridge, then knead it again and proceed as for any other pasta.
> 
> Adamantius

Thanks, A- the advice is timely, since I've been threatening to make some 
home made noodles. Margali, of course, immediately started suggesting ravioli 
and mung bean noodles and such, and refused to understand when I told her I'm 
starting with simple first, to get used to working with the stuff again.

We finally got some bread flour, and I have a lifetime supply of all purpose 
flour (Rob SWORE there was no bread flour to be found in CT -until he found 
some- so he got me 10 lbs of all purpose) and  still have a pretty good stash 
of the chappati flour you sent me. I obviously intend to make some whole 
wheat noodles, and will likely play with coloring/flavoring them. Of the two 
white flours, however, are there any significant diferences in handling, 
beyond what you've mentioned? I've only made noodles from all-purpose, and 
that was years ago, so playing with this stuff is going to be an Adventure ;-)

Phlip