July 14, 2009 - 7:52am
'00' flour
I am using this type of flour for the first time for pizza, has anyone ever used this grade of flour and if so is there a difference vs. bread flour?
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I am using this type of flour for the first time for pizza, has anyone ever used this grade of flour and if so is there a difference vs. bread flour?
'00' refers basically to a very finely milled white flour. Typically milled from soft wheat, it is used in anything from pasta to pizza to panettone.
Could you tell us a little more about the particular 00 flour you have there? All 00 flours are not equal - some have more protein (some have very little) and hence some are more suitable for bread and pizza than others.
If you're using 'Caputo', perhaps the most well known brand of 00 flour (at least in pizza circles) , then the 'caputo rosso' ('caputo pizzaiolo'?) or available in larger bags (presumably for commercial/professional s): 'caputo pizzeria' (which confusingly comes in a blue bag) flours are best for making bread and pizza. Especially if you are using an extended ferment.
Hope that helps.
FP
Hello....I've been making pizza with Caputo "00" flour for a couple of months now. Here is my formula.
500 gr. of flour
1 tsp. instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
whisk these dry ingredients together to get them evenly incorporated
add
375 gr. water....weigh this, not measured
1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
This is about %75 hydration.
I mix this until everything is incorporated evenly.
Then I slam, stretch, and fold 10 times.
Rest for 20 minutes....stretch and fold
Rest, stretch and fold two more times at 20 minute intervals.
Refrigerate over night....divide into three 10 oz. dough pieces....refrigerate until ready for one or two days.....take out dough ball two hours before ready to use......
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=2594.0
You can glean some info from that page re: Caputo specifications - but it's still a bit of a mystery as to exact protein levels etc.
FP
There seems to be some confusion on that forum as to where to purchase the Caputo flour. I'm not enrolled. If you are, perhaps you could link them to this:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Caputo+flour&x=0&y=0
or this:
http://www.fornobravo.com/store/search.php?mode=search&simple_search=Y&posted_data[by_title]=Y&posted_data[by_shortdescr]=N&posted_data[by_fulldescr]=...
Note: For some strange reason, the link above doesn't allow you to access the page by clicking on the link information string. You'll have to cut and paste the link information into the URL box to make the connection.
I think in the US it might be cheaper (if you can call it that!) to order from Forno Bravo.
$55 for a bag of Caputo Pizzeria compared to the amazon price of $75.90 for example.
Cheers,
FP
Rainwater, me, is using the "Antimo Caputo" bag of "00" flour....it's a red bag. It's the flour that they suggest to use for pizza and bread on their (Caputo's) web site.....I don't know anything about protein levels or anything like this. Although I like the pizza crust with this flour very much.....very good flavor and scent...I actually prefer the pizza crust that I make with the King Arthur unbleached bread flour.....The King Arthur performs better after two days in the refrigerator than the Italian flour. I like the texture and crumb with the King Arthur better....although....the Italian flour makes better bread!
Pennsylvania Macaroni Company in Pittsburgh sells a 55# bag of Caputo 00 for $38.95, plus shipping.
http://www.pennmac.com/items/3201/
hmmm well I STILL don't know what 00 is. Canadian here. We do not have designation for 00. We do not have King Arthur flour. I can't find Italian flour.
We only have 1. All purpose 2. Bread flour ...it is marked as bread machine flour, 3. Cake flour (expensive) 4. Whole Wheat flour 4. Some specialty flours such as rice, gluten, barley and Indian bean flours.
I do not have a bread machine. I do not have a mixer with hooks. I just hand knead on counter. It's bad enough converting everything to metric lol now it's the flour!!! yikes.
And poor lol so I am not paying $40 for a bag of flour!! And no spell checker on site. lol
you can get to 00 flour. The classical italian 00 flour is very finely milled from soft wheat with a percentage of ashes not higher than 0.55%. Generally it's very weak and good only for cakes and biscuits, although there are few occasional exceptions.
Lately italian millers have begun to produce high-gluten 00 flours from american and canadian hard wheat, but it's a very recent trend.
I use caputo typo '00' flour weekly to make pizzas. One thing you have to know about this flour is that it is specifically gauged in Antimo Caputo's lab for its extensibility, which means that it stretches out and doesn't contract. This makes it easy to make a thin pizza dough, but it's not very springy.
I like my pizza crust slightly chewy, and so I cut this flour with all-purpose flour in a 50/50 ratio. With a 6-hour rise, it yields excellent results.
In Seattle, you can buy caputo flour by the pound or bag at Pacific Food Importers down on 6th Avenue S (behind Safeco Field).
Yes there is a difference, it is fine so fine and you can get by with 59% hydration. Very strong flour.
This is a lovely flour. It makes shaping the crust so easy. Without this flour I have a difficult time achieving a thin crust. I mix it with all purpose flour. I use 2/3 all purpose and 1/3 00 flour. If I use all 00 flour I find that it's too sticky to work with.
cut back on your water and you'll be able to use hundred percent Caputo. It's not a thirsty flour-60% is what my local pizzeria mixes.
Of all places, I found Caputos '00' flour at Walmart Supercenter in Middletown, DE. Less than $4 for a 2 1/2 lb bag.
Jan. 2017