Have you ever wandered down the baking aisle in your local store and been overwhelmed by the variety of flours available?
There seem to be endless choices, from whole meal flour to pastry flour and even gluten-free options.
But have you heard of double-zero flour? This magical powder from Italy is a secret ingredient that could elevate your homemade thin-crust pizza and fresh pasta to the next level.
Baking is both an art and a science; getting the right ingredients is vital to the final product. With so many types of flour on the shelves, it’s no wonder people can feel intimidated.
But fear not—we will explore specialized flour, such as double zero flour, for your baking needs.
When baking bread, the type of flour used can make a big difference in the final product.
But what is double zero flour, and what sets it apart from other types of flour?
And why do some recipes specifically call for it? Do you think it’s necessary? These are all valid questions; we are here to help answer them.
Many people outside of Italy have yet to hear of it, and it can still be challenging to find in your local store.
But with this blog post, you’ll have all the information you need to understand this ingredient and incorporate it into your baking projects.
Would you like to know about 00 flour? Let’s explore it and learn how this quality flour can improve the taste of your homemade pizzas and pasta.
Table of Contents
What is 00 flour?
I want to start by asking what it is and why you should use it.
Double zero flour is the best quality flour in Italian markets for cooking, especially crispy crust pizzas and homemade pasta. The most essential quality is texture.
00 flour is also known as Doppio zero flour, the finely ground Italian flour.
The 00 designation refers to how finely the flour is milled, and Double Zero is the finest Italian flour available.
Experts compare Double zero to the same fineness as baby powder.
American flours are classified by their protein amount and gluten amount.
The fineness of the grind classifies European flours. There is no relation between the Italian classification and the American flour classification method – it only creates confusion!
Some brands of 00 flour will vary in protein; however, most 00 flour sold in the USA has a protein content similar to that of different types of flour, such as all-purpose flour, cake flour, or wheat flour.
00 Flour vs. Bread Flour: What is the Difference?
Are you curious about the difference between double zero flour and bread flour or baker flour vs. bread flour?
Of course, you do; that’s why you’re here! We will answer the question: What Is 00 Flour?
Flour is crucial in baking, influencing your final product’s texture, flavor, and structure.
Understanding the distinctions between 00 Flour vs. Bread Flour can significantly improve your baked goods.
Double zero flour, made from durum wheat, forms a strong yet not very elastic gluten. This is ideal for creating the traditional thin and crispy Neapolitan crust.
On the other hand, bread flour is typically made from red wheat, which generates solid and elastic gluten, perfect for a chewy, bread-like base.
There are three main differences:
- Grind Size: We know the fineness or coarseness of the flour as grind size. Millers finely mill double zero flour, which produces a soft, best flour, while they mill bread flour more coarsely, resulting in a coarser size.
- Protein Content: It can vary between flours, depending on the manufacturer’s production process and the type of flour used. Here is the protein content in different flour types;
- Soft wheat flours: 8-12%
- Hard wheat flours:12-15%
- All-purpose flour: 9-12%. Due to this protein, all-purpose flour is versatile for making bread and pizza dough. 00 flour protein percentage is generally lower due to the removal of bran and germ during production, ranging from 8-12%. However, the flour used for bread can have a protein content as high as 15%.
- Water Absorption: The protein and water-absorbing ability of the flour determines the type of pizza flour or bread dough recipes. 00 flour is less absorbent than flour used for bread, so you need to use less water when working with double zero flour than bread flour.
Here is how these differences affect the final product:
- Protein Content: Hard wheat gives bread flour higher protein, while soft wheat provides double zero flour with slightly lower protein content. The production process, including removing wheat germ and bran, contributes to the lower protein content in 00 flour.
- Grind Size: The grind size affects the coarseness or fineness of the flour. The finest grind size produces soft, fine flour in 00 flour, while a larger grind size yields coarser, more granular flour in bread flour.
- Water Absorption: Flour’s ability to absorb water is influenced by its protein and gluten content. Bread-making flour with a higher protein content can absorb more water than double-zero flour.
- Texture: The higher protein in bread-making flour creates a more glutenous flour, giving baked goods a chewy texture. In contrast, 00 flour, with low gluten, produces lighter and airier textured foods.
Italian Brands featuring 00 Flour
If you want to experience authentic Italian food, you will find 00 flour, which you can also call pizza flour, and the best selection of Italian food online here.
You are reading this article because you love food that originated in Italy. Do you know anyone who does not love quality Italian-style Pizza and Pasta?
Not to mention the fantastic Italian-style sauces and gravies that round out the flavor experience.
What does the Gluten have to do with double zero flour?
This is important because gluten determines how chewy the crust will be.
The right amount of gluten makes bread airy and chewy. The perfect combination of wheat proteins, glutenin, gliadin, and water creates gluten.
Bread flour is most often used when making thin-crust pizza dough. It is high in gluten, so a home-cooked pizza crust will be crispy on the outside.
The gluten ensures the crust is also springy. When you stretch it, it will spring back, which is a problem for some people.
Bread flour is a high-gluten flour with a high gluten of up to 13 or 14 percent.
00 flour is approximately 12 percent gluten (lower gluten), which is ideal and will provide a chewy crust, NOT the bread flour results.
The Water Content in 00 Flour is Important!
Since the gluten content in 00 flour differs from that in a pizza dough recipe, you can NOT make a straight swap of 00 flour and bread flour.
You will need to experiment with less water. Measure out the water you would use when creating your pizza dough with the bread flour, and plan to use LESS water with 00 flour.
If you add too much water, the 00 flour dough will be runny and impossible to work with.
Pizza dough made with 00 flour must be baked at High Temperature!
The good news is that if you have an oven that can bake at 800 degrees Fahrenheit or 426 degrees Celsius, your Pizza will be perfectly baked, just like brick-oven pizzerias, where pizza chefs do it.
Without the ability to cook at 426 Degrees Celsius, your crust will not achieve the distinctive and desired color – a delicious brown.
Achieving an appetizing color is not achievable in your standard home oven.
00 flour has a low sugar content, which is not susceptible to burning, while some flours have a higher sugar content, which leads to the crust burning.
Is 00 flour an excellent substitute for other baking applications?
Unfortunately, 00 flour does not create a good loaf of bread. Your loaf will turn out flat and will not look or taste like the fresh-baked bread you expect.
It could be a better pastry flour substitution.
If you’re tempted to grab the 00 flour, if you’re doing anything but pizza or pasta… don’t.
Think of 00 flour as your go-to baking flour for pizza crust and pasta.
Do you now understand about 00 flour and how it differs from bread or pastry flour?
