Durum Flour
What it is
Durum wheat milled fine rather than coarse; essentially finely-reground semolina (Italian semola rimacinata di grano duro). Pale yellow, powdery but dense.
How it's made
Semolina is passed through the mill again to a fine grind, retaining durum's protein and color but losing the gritty texture.
Flavor profile
Same nutty-sweet durum character, smoother on the tongue than semolina.
Culinary uses
Fresh hand-made pasta where you want durum's firmness in a smooth, workable dough (orecchiette, cavatelli, many Southern Italian shapes), and durum breads. Its strong gluten gives chew and a golden crumb.
Regional variations
Southern Italy (Puglia, Sicily) is durum country; semola rimacinata is the everyday flour there for both pasta and bread, whereas Northern Italy leans on soft-wheat 00.
Cultural & historical context
The durum/soft-wheat divide maps roughly onto Italy's north–south culinary split: butter, egg pasta and 00 in the north; olive oil, durum, and water-and-semolina pasta in the south.
Reference notes
Tags: `wheat`, `durum`, `contains-gluten`, `fine-grind`, `high-protein`. Related ingredients: [Semolina], [00 Flour]. Related cuisines: Southern Italian. Suggested links: → Semolina, → Orecchiette.