Spolverizza Le 5 Stagioni: the dusting semolina that does not burn
Spolverizza is the durum wheat dusting semolina by Le 5 Stagioni, finely re-milled to 200-300 microns and designed for the bench, the work surface and the pizza peel. It keeps the hydrated dough from sticking while the pizzaiolo opens the dough ball, lets the disc slide cleanly onto the peel, and withstands the radiant heat of the oven floor far better than type 00 flour. The result: smooth opening, fast release into the oven, and no acrid smoke or bitter burnt note under the crust. Sold in a 10 kg sack.
What dusting semolina is
Re-milled durum wheat semolina (Triticum durum) is the milling industry's standard for dusting. Its fine grain (200-300 microns) and amber colour, due to the natural carotenoids of durum wheat, give it a tenacious gluten and a low tendency to absorb the external moisture of the dough ball. Unlike type 00 flour, it does not carbonise instantly on a hot oven floor, which makes it the professional choice for dusting the bench and the peel.
The miller: Agugiaro & Figna
Le 5 Stagioni is the professional pizza brand of Agugiaro & Figna Molini, a group born in 2003 from the union of two historic Italian milling families: Molino Agugiaro, founded in 1831, and Molino Figna, founded in 1874. The Le 5 Stagioni line was launched in the 1980s as the first range of flours designed exclusively for pizza, effectively creating a new market category, and today it counts more than thirty types of flours and blends.
Professional uses
- Opening the dough balls: dust the bench so the leavened dough ball does not stick or tear while you press from the centre outward to form the cornicione.
- Transfer onto the peel: dust under the dressed disc so it slides smoothly off the aluminium or wooden peel and releases cleanly onto the oven floor.
- High-hydration doughs: indispensable with modern doughs at 70 to 85 percent hydration, where the dough is very sticky and the alveolar structure must not be deflated.
- Pizza alla pala and pan pizza: helps the dough spread evenly into oiled metal trays and large Roman peels.
- Oven protection: tolerates the radiant heat of the floor, reducing smoke, ash on the deck and bitter notes compared with type 00 flour.
Canonical techniques
Dusting semolina supports the strictly hand-shaping of Neapolitan STG pizza (no rolling pins), the Roman pizza alla pala with its 75 to 85 percent hydration, and the Milanese pan pizza, where the dough must glide and settle evenly into metal trays before baking.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Using type 00 flour for dusting: it burns at far lower temperatures than semolina, carbonising on the oven floor and giving acrid smoke and a bitter base.
- Too much dusting under the disc: excess semolina insulates the base, leading to uneven cooking and rapid charring on the deck. Pat the disc to shake off the excess before launching.
- Coarse semolina above 500 microns: couscous-grade grain leaves a sandy feel under the baked pizza and spoils the texture of the cornicione.
Authoritative voices
Master baker Gabriele Bonci champions durum wheat: "Semolina is the future of baking. It absorbs more water, lasts longer, has more flavour." The AVPN disciplinary for the Neapolitan STG pizza reserves type 00 flour for the dough itself and confines durum wheat semolina to the technical operations of opening and dusting on the bench.
Storage and shelf life
Store in a cool, dry, ventilated place away from direct heat and light, with relative humidity below 60 percent and a temperature between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius. The sealed sack keeps its properties for 12 months from production; once opened, use within 3 months.
Logistics and delivery by LAPA
LAPA supplies flours and dry raw materials across Switzerland from its central warehouse in Embrach (Zurich), a climate-controlled hub kept below 60 percent humidity. Being an ambient dry product, dusting semolina ships easily as single cartons or full pallets, ideal for professional stock. In the regions of Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Dubendorf, St. Gallen, Frauenfeld, Lucerne, Bern, Basel and the canton of Aargau (Aarau, Wettingen, Baden) delivery is made directly by the LAPA fleet. For areas not covered by the fleet, including Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio, Chiasso), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Sion, Martigny) and the canton of Graubunden (Chur, Davos, St. Moritz), shipping is guaranteed within 24 to 48 hours via our food-grade partner couriers: Swiss Post, Planzer, Galliker and Camion Transport AG.
Who it is for
Spolverizza Le 5 Stagioni is made for pizzerias (Neapolitan STG, Roman, contemporary), restaurants, gastronomies and hotels, as well as private customers, who need a professional dusting flour that protects the oven and the flavour of the pizza.
