1/2 Cup Semolina in Grams

1/2 cup of semolina weighs 81.5 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). A full cup weighs 163 g, so the half cup is exactly half of that. Coarse, golden flour from durum wheat. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.

Why weighing semolina beats measuring it in cups

Half a cup of semolina weighs 81.5 g, the heaviest of the half-cup flours on this page, because semolina is coarse, golden flour from durum wheat and the dense granules pack tightly into the cup. A half cup of semolina weighs 21.5 g more than a half cup of wheat flour, which is a large difference in a small recipe, and it is why swapping semolina for wheat flour cup for cup without adjusting the weight leaves the recipe with far too much flour. Semolina is the flour of pasta, and half a cup is the amount in a small batch of fresh pasta, a pizza base dusted for crispness, or a pudding for two.

Semolina is high in protein and gives pasta its firm, golden bite, and it absorbs water slowly, so a pasta dough made with semolina needs time to rest and hydrate. A dough mixed and rolled immediately will be stiff and crumbly, while the same dough rested for 30 minutes will be smooth and pliable. Semolina is also used to dust pizza bases and baking trays, because its coarse granules stop the dough sticking and add a pleasant crunch. Weighing the semolina keeps the dough right, because the weight difference between semolina and wheat flour is so large.

Semolina cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/8 cup 20.4 g 2
1/4 cup 40.8 g 4
1/3 cup 54.3 g 5.3
1/2 cup 81.5 g 8
2/3 cup 108.7 g 10.7
3/4 cup 122.2 g 12
1 cup 163 g 16
1 1/2 cups 244.5 g 24
2 cups 326 g 32
3 cups 489 g 48

The table is built around the half cup, which is the measure this page is about, with the full-cup weight of 163 g as the anchor. Every row is the full-cup weight multiplied by the fraction, so the numbers stay consistent as you scale up or down. One tablespoon of semolina weighs about 10.2 g, which is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup.

Worked examples

Fresh pasta for two

Fresh pasta for two people uses about 1/2 cup of semolina, which is 81.5 g, mixed with an egg and a pinch of salt to make a firm dough. Weigh 81.5 g rather than measuring by cups, because semolina is dense and a scooped half cup can be 10 g heavy. Knead the dough for ten minutes until smooth, rest it for 30 minutes, then roll it thin and cut it into the shape you want.

A pizza base dusted with semolina

A pizza base for one uses about 1/2 cup of semolina, which is 81.5 g, mixed with white bread flour, water, yeast and salt, plus a spoonful for dusting the tray. Weigh the flour so the dough is soft and pliable: semolina absorbs water slowly, so let the dough rest before shaping it. Dust the tray with semolina so the base does not stick and bakes crisp.

Semolina pudding for two

A semolina pudding for two people uses about 1/2 cup of semolina, which is 81.5 g, whisked into 400 ml of hot milk with sugar and vanilla, then simmered until thick. Weigh 81.5 g so the pudding is creamy rather than stiff or runny: the ratio of semolina to milk decides the texture, and a 10 g error changes it noticeably. Serve warm with jam or fruit.

How the weight was measured

Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop the cup through the bag or jar, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. The difference between a spooned cup and a scooped cup can be 15 to 25 percent, which is enough to change a bake from tender to tough, so the method matters as much as the number.

The source for the figure on this page is King Arthur Baking, and the confidence in the value is high. King Arthur Baking publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows that chart rather than any single cookbook. Where the chart gives a range or a note, we say so plainly instead of hiding the uncertainty. All the figures here are approximate conversions: natural ingredients vary by brand, variety, moisture and how finely they are chopped or ground, so when a recipe really matters, verify the weight with a kitchen scale.

Practical guidance

Store semolina in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year, because it is a dry flour that keeps well. Always spoon the semolina into the cup and level it, never scoop, because the dense granules pack tightly and a scooped cup can be heavy. Let pasta dough made with semolina rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling, so the flour hydrates and the dough becomes smooth and pliable. Use semolina to dust pizza bases and baking trays, because its coarse granules stop the dough sticking and add crunch. If you do not have a scale, spoon the semolina loosely into the half cup and level it, remembering that the 81.5 g figure is approximate.

Common mistakes with half-cup measures

The most common mistake is treating a half cup as a casual measure. Half a cup of flour is 60 g, and a scooped half cup can easily weigh 70 g or more, which is a 15 percent error in a recipe that may only contain two or three cups of flour in total. Small measures carry the largest relative errors, so weighing matters more, not less, at this size. The second mistake is using a liquid measuring jug for dry flour: the meniscus line is designed for liquids, and flour measured in a jug is almost always over- or under-filled. Use a dry cup, or a scale. The third is assuming every flour weighs the same per half cup: the flours on this page range from about 42 g to about 82 g per half cup, so swapping flours cup for cup without adjusting the weight changes the recipe. Finally, do not pack flour into the half cup to make it look full: spoon and level, every time.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1/2 cup of semolina?

1/2 cup of semolina weighs 81.5 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking, which lists 163 g per cup. The figure is approximate, because the coarse granules settle differently, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

Why is semolina heavier than wheat flour?

Because semolina is coarse, golden flour from durum wheat and the dense granules pack tightly into the cup. A cup of semolina is 163 g and a cup of wheat flour is 120 g, so the same volume holds much more weight.

Can I use semolina instead of wheat flour?

Partly. Semolina is heavier per cup at 81.5 g per half cup compared with 60 g for wheat flour, and it absorbs water slowly, so weigh it rather than measuring by volume, and let the dough rest so the flour hydrates.

Why is my pasta dough stiff?

Because semolina absorbs water slowly and the dough did not rest long enough. Knead the dough until smooth, rest it for at least 30 minutes, and it will become pliable. Weighing the semolina also helps, because a scooped measure adds too much flour.

How many cups is 100 g of semolina?

100 g of semolina is about 0.61 cups, or just over 1/2 cup. At 163 g per cup, divide 100 by 163 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Related conversions

If you need a different amount, the table above scales in both directions, and the converter tool will do the maths for any quantity. When a recipe really matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale rather than trusting the cup alone, because the figures on this page are approximate and natural ingredients vary by brand, variety and moisture.