Pasta Dough — Water (Semolina to Water, ~55% Hydration)

100 g

Semolina rimacinata (fine-ground durum semolina) — Rimacinata (twice-milled) is finer than coarse semolina and hydrates more evenly. Coarse semolina is usable but results in a grainier texture and slightly longer kneading time.

55 g

Water — Warm (40–50 °C) for supple hand-shaping doughs; cold or room temperature for extruded or dried pasta. Adjust ±5 g based on ambient humidity and semolina brand.

2–3 g

Fine sea salt — Some recipes include salt in the dough to reinforce gluten and season; others salt only the cooking water. Salt makes the dough slightly stiffer.

Combine semolina and salt (if using) in a bowl or on a clean surface. Add water gradually — either all at once or in thirds — mixing with a fork or your fingers until a shaggy mass forms. Knead vigorously by hand for at least 10 minutes, longer than egg dough, until the surface is perfectly smooth. Semolina dough is initially rough and resistant; the gluten network in durum wheat takes longer to fully hydrate and align. Wrap tightly and rest at least 30 minutes at room temperature — 1 hour is better. Shape as desired: roll into logs and cut (orecchiette — press and drag with a knife); wrap around a dowel (busiate, lorighittas); or pass through a pasta extruder with a bronze die for rigatoni, spaghetti alla chitarra.

• Knead longer than you think necessary — semolina gluten is stronger but slower to develop than soft-wheat gluten, and under-kneaded dough will crack during rolling or drying.
• The dough should feel like stiff modelling clay when done; if it crumbles at the edges when pressed, add water a few drops at a time.
• Rest wrapped tightly — even 30 minutes of air exposure dries the surface of a stiff semolina dough and causes cracking on rolling.
• For drying (making pasta secca at home), roll thicker than you would for fresh pasta — target 2–3 mm and dry slowly at room temperature or 50 °C in an oven with the door cracked, over 12–18 hours.
• Bronze die extrusion produces the rough, porous surface that grips oil-based sauces; a Teflon die gives a smoother result that works better with cream-based sauces.
• Coarse semolina can substitute in a pinch but will produce visible granularity in the final texture — always sift if using coarse.

• Higher hydration (60%+) for hand-shaping

  Cavatelli and some orecchiette makers use 58–62% hydration for easier hand-shaping in humid conditions. The dough is more forgiving but must be used immediately and not dried — it won't hold shape at room temperature.

• Whole-grain semolina dough

  Replace 20–30% of rimacinata with whole-grain (integrated) durum semolina — coarser, nuttier flavour; requires an extra 3–5 g water to achieve the same workability.

• Squid-ink pasta

  Add 4–6 g squid ink per 100 g semolina dissolved in the water before mixing — the ink adds marine flavour and a deep black colour; slightly increase water by 3 g to compensate for the viscosity of the ink.

• Mixed semolina and '00'

  A 50:50 blend of semolina and '00' flour (total hydration ~50%) gives a hybrid dough: easier to roll than pure semolina, with more structure than a pure '00' water dough. Common in Emilia-Romagna for garganelli.

• Pasta Dough — Egg (Flour to Egg Yolk)

  Egg replaces water as the hydration source and adds fat and protein — the northern Italian counterpart with a softer, richer texture.

• Pizza Dough (Flour to Water)

  Also a high-protein wheat and water combination; pizza dough uses yeast and higher hydration (60–70%) for an open, airy crumb rather than a dense, firm structure.

• Bread Dough Hydration

  The hydration concept (baker's percentage) translates directly: 55% hydration is a firm bread dough hydration, which explains the stiffness of semolina pasta dough.

1. 1.Pasta by Hand — Jenn Louis
2. 2.The Silver Spoon — Phaidon Press
3. 3.On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen — Harold McGee
4. 4.Mastering Pasta — Marc Vetri

Confidence: high