What is durum wheat? (And how the heck do I bake with it?)

This story first appeared on Food52, an online community that gives you everything you need for a happier kitchen and home – that means tested recipes, a shop full of beautiful products, a cooking hotline, and everything in between! But first, let's clarify common source of confusion: If durum is typically used in pasta, what's the difference between durum flour for bread and semolina, the coarse durum wheat? Still, when sourcing durum flour for bread, be sure it's labeled explicitly "finely milled durum flour," "extra fancy durum wheat," or "semolina rimacinata". Increase the hydration Bread dough with finely-milled durum wheat can typically take on more water than the equivalent quantity of traditional whole wheat flour. Embrace the rustic crust A hallmark of using durum flour in bread is the crust's rustic charm, brought about by seemingly random fissures here and there on the loaf's exterior.