The “little ears” of Puglia: water and re-milled durum semolina, no egg, each piece dragged with a knife and turned over the fingertip. Durum’s strong, inelastic dough holds the shape.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here as the showcase for one flour in the Flour section and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
- 300 g semola rimacinata (re-milled durum semolina)
- 160 ml water, room temperature
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- Extra semolina for dusting
Directions
- Mix. Make a well in the semolina, add the salt, and work in the water a little at a time with a spoon.
- Knead about 10 minutes to a smooth, elastic dough that does not stick. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Ropes. Roll pieces into finger-thick ropes and cut them into 1 cm lengths.
- Shape. Drag each piece across the board with a round-tipped knife so it curls, then turn it inside out over a fingertip to make a cup.
- Dry uncovered on a semolina-dusted tray for at least an hour, overnight if possible, then toss with more semolina.
- Cook in salted boiling water about 8 minutes, until tender but firm.
Notes
Source Adapted from “Homemade Orecchiette,” Recipes from Italy (author not named on the page).
A correction to the source’s numbers The source gives the water as “160 ml (¾ cup).” ¾ US cup is about 177 ml. It also calls 300 g “1⅔ cups,” which is light for remilled semola. Weigh both and use the metric figures.
Why this flour Durum semolina’s gluten is strong but not springy, so a disc can be dragged thin and turned inside out and it stays there; a soft-wheat dough would spring back. Remilled (rimacinata) semolina is fine enough for a smooth dough.
Serving The collection’s Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage (Bastianich) and (Batali) are the classic dish.
The Flour section of the Food site covers the history, the science, milling, label systems and every flour used here.