How to replace semi-whole wheat flour
Aug 21, 2025
You may be familiar with this. You decide to bake, open your pantry, and discover that you're out of semi-whole wheat flour . What now? Fortunately, there are easy substitutes that will help you make the recipe without losing any of the flavor or quality.
Semi-coarse flour is most often used in Czech baking for yeast-raised cakes, sponge cakes, or poured dough. Its grain is between fine and coarse, so the result is fluffy but not crumbly. If you don't have this flour at home, a simple kitchen alchemy will help you.
What can I replace semi-whole wheat flour with?
A mixture of plain and coarse flour
The most common and easiest solution. Mix one part plain flour and one part wholemeal flour. The result will be very similar to semi-coarse flour.
Plain flour only
If you don't have a coarse one, just use a smooth one. The dough will be softer, but you won't notice the difference in taste. It's especially good for cakes and sponge cakes.
Only wholemeal flour
It works better for dumplings or buns. The dough will be a little thicker, but still good.
Special flours for baking
Italian semolina or a whole-wheat option will add a new dimension to the dough. It's not an exact replacement, but the result can be surprisingly tasty.
If the recipe calls for semi-coarse flour, stick to the combination of smooth + coarse . –– For cakes and muffins, choose smoother, for yeast dough, coarser. –– Experiment – baking is not just about chemistry, but also about creativity.
👉 Want to try baking with other flours? Check out our collection of premium Italian flours that will take any recipe to the next level.
