[Sca-cooks] Question about flour

Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius adamantius1 at verizon.net
Fri Jan 5 05:37:10 PST 2007


On Jan 5, 2007, at 8:19 AM, Elaine Koogler wrote:

> Thanks to both Adamantius and Gianotta for their responses.  My  
> problem is
> that I haven't been able to find any kind of semolina flour in the  
> town
> where I live...I'm kind of out in the "boonies"...I could order it  
> online,
> but I doubt it would get here in time for me to make the cookies  
> for our
> event on Jan 13!  I was just wondering what the effect might be if  
> I used
> regular flour instead.  But from what you guys are saying, I probably
> shouldn't even try unless I have semolina flour.  Maybe I'll go  
> onlline and
> see if I can find the flour you menton, Gianotta!
>
> Kiri

If it's not a kneaded, developed-gluten-type dough, you _might_ try  
Cream of Wheat and get away with it. I know you can use it for  
gnocchi a la Romana, which is theoretically supposed to be made with  
semolina ;-).

Adamantius

>
> On 1/5/07, Christiane <christianetrue at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jan 4, 2007, at 11:01 PM, Elaine Koogler wrote:
>>
>>> Friends,
>>> I am going to be baking a Middle Eastern cookie called "Virgins
>>> Breasts".
>>> However, the recipe calls for semolina flour.  How different is
>>> from the
>>> unbleached plain flour I already have?  Is there a great diference
>>> between
>>> the regular unbleached flour I already have and the semolina?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Kiri
>>
>> Semolina flour is traditionally coarser in grind and higher in gluten
>> than regular bread or AP (or what the British call "plain") flour...
>>
>> Adamantius
>>
>>
>> Kiri,
>>
>> There's a traditional Italian cookie called "Minne de  
>> virgine" (Virgin's
>> breast). Usually made by Sicilian bakers for consumption on St.  
>> Agatha's Day
>> (she whose boobs were cut off in martyrdom). I am wondering if the  
>> Middle
>> Eastern cookie was inspired by the Sicilian, or vice versa. Today's
>> confection is quite baroque; iced white with marzipan and cherry  
>> nipples.
>>
>> The semolina flour we usually can get in the states is coarser in  
>> grind;
>> think Red Mill's flour for pasta (which also makes good rustic  
>> bread).
>> Semolina comes from durum, or hard, wheat. Our white flour is made  
>> from soft
>> wheat, and that is what we usually use in baking. However, in  
>> Italy and
>> other places you can get a finer-ground durum flour, which can be  
>> used for
>> cakes and pastries (today's baker prefers the soft wheat flour for  
>> cakes and
>> cookies, though). It will take more liquid and the final result  
>> will be
>> coarser crumbed. If you have an Indian grocery store near you,  
>> look for pane
>> puri, which is ground finer than the typical pasta semolina from  
>> Red Mill,
>> or maybe a gourmet specialty store will carry finer-ground durum  
>> wheat
>> flour.
>>
>> Hope this helps!
>>
>> Gianotta (who is resolutely not thinking of turnips right now)
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"S'ils n'ont pas de pain, vous fait-on dire, qu'ils  mangent de la  
brioche!" / "If there's no bread to be had, one has to say, let them  
eat cake!"
     -- attributed to an unnamed noblewoman by Jean-Jacques Rousseau,  
"Confessions", 1782

"Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
     -- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry  
Holt, 07/29/04




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