Hello,
I bought bags of KA Italian style flour and Pizza flour. I have made two pizza crusts with each of these flours but I don't like the texture. It is too airy, styrofoam-y,crisp without enough substance. I was trying to create a NYC style crust. Normally, my crusts are too bread-y. But now that I am learning more, I think that the Italian style and pizza flour are too low in gluten for what I want.
So, I don't mind experimenting but could use some guidelines from experienced bakers. How can I use these flours so that I can get closer to the NYC style pizza dough? Or do I need to just find something else to do with the flour since it won't ever give me a NYC style crust, even with mixing in other flours?
AND if I shouldn't use them for pizza, what else are they good for? Keeping in mind that I really don't like the texture I get from them alone.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
What about making ciabatta and focaccia. There both Italian, so maybe the flour would work well in those breads.
--Pamela
Also, baguettes should be good with that flour.
For the type of pizza crust that you are looking for, try High Gluten flour like Sir Lancelot.
Because my family likes a softer dough in pizza, I mix about 25% KA 00 with all purpose flour for pizza. So far they like it, so it's a keeper.
I use several varities of KAF flour regularly. The KAF Italian Style flour makes dough more easily extensible so it's very useful for pizza, ciabatta, bread sticks and foccacia or any time you desire a light airy product.
I agree with Marty,combine the Italian style with all-purpose flour and you'll get a better result. For pizza crust, I use up to 1/3 of the Italian Style, along with 1/3 unbleached all-purpose and 1/3 KAF semolina flour. Allow your pizza dough to ferment fully, (time is an ingredient) and use olive oil and a bit of diastatic Malt powder for true N.Y. flavor.
I do not recommend you use the Italian Style flour in baguettes.