One grain, three parts: why our wholemeal semolina is called Tutto corpo
Take a grain of durum wheat and cut it in half. Inside you'll find three different things: an outer shell, a small living heart and a large, white, floury store. The semolina you usually buy keeps only one of them. Our Tutto corpo keeps all three, and that's where the name comes from: in Italian it means "whole body".
The three parts of the grain
- The bran is the outer layer, made of several thin skins. It's the part richest in fibre, and it gives wholemeal semolina its amber colour and dark specks.
- The germ is the embryo, the part a new plant would grow from. It's tiny, but it holds fats, vitamins and much of the wheat's aroma.
- The endosperm is the store of starch and protein that feeds the germ. It's the largest part, and the one classic semolina is made from.
Semolina, re-milled, wholemeal: what's the difference
Durum wheat semolina is made by milling the endosperm: it's granular and golden yellow. Re-milled semolina (semola rimacinata) is the same semolina passed through the mill a second time, finer, ideal for bread and fresh pasta. Wholemeal semolina contains the whole grain, bran and germ included.
Not all wholemeal is the same, though. Many wholemeal products are made by separating the parts of the grain and then mixing the bran back into refined semolina. Tutto corpo isn't: the grain goes between the stones whole and comes out whole in the semolina.
Why stone milling
At our mill in Laterza, in Puglia, the wheat is ground between two slowly turning stones. This has two effects you can taste in the kitchen.
The first concerns the germ: instead of being removed, it is crushed and spread through the whole semolina, together with its aromas. The second concerns heat: slow milling warms the product very little, so the semolina keeps the full wheat flavour you notice as soon as you open the pack.
Tutto corpo in numbers
Tutto corpo is made from 100% Italian durum wheat and nothing else: no additives, no improvers. Per 100 g it contains 12.5 g of protein and 9.6 g of fibre, so it is high in fibre in every sense.
How to work with it
Wholemeal has a reputation for being tricky. In reality it just asks for a little extra care.
- A little more water. Bran and germ absorb water: compared with re-milled semolina, add a little more, a bit at a time, until the dough is smooth. For fresh pasta, start with about 50–55 g of lukewarm water per 100 g of semolina.
- A rest before kneading properly. Mix semolina and water and leave it covered for 30 minutes. The bran hydrates, the dough becomes more elastic and is easier to work.
- Long fermentations. In bread and focaccia Tutto corpo is at its best with long rises at moderate temperatures, which build aroma and give a softer crumb.
- Blended, if you're starting out. For pan pizza and focaccia, try 30% Tutto corpo and 70% white flour first, then increase.
- Storage. The germ contains natural fats: keep the pack tightly closed, in a cool, dry place, away from heat.
What to make with it
- Fresh pasta made with just water and semolina: wholemeal orecchiette, strascinati, cavatelli and troccoli, which hold their shape when cooked and stand up to rich sauces.
- Semolina bread with a long rise, a crisp crust and an amber crumb.
- Friselle and taralli, Puglia's twice-baked rusks and crunchy rings, to make at home for the autumn pantry.
- Focaccia and pan pizza, also blended with white flour.
- Rustic biscuits and shortcrust for breakfast, with a bolder flavour.
From seed to sack
Tutto corpo is part of our Filiera Punto Zero supply chain: every batch is traced from sowing to harvest, from storage to stone milling and packing in recyclable paper. You know where the wheat comes from and how it was processed.
Tutto corpo is available in our shop in 1 kg and 3 kg packs. For bakeries, pasta makers and restaurants there is the 25 kg sack in our Professional range.