What Is 00 Flour — Pizza and Pasta Flour (2024)

Emma Christensen

Emma Christensen

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories

updated Sep 17, 2022

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What Is 00 Flour — Pizza and Pasta Flour (1)

My favorite pizza dough recipe calls for two speciality flours — bread flour, which is easy to find, and 00 flour, which I have to special order. Also called doppio zero flour, this finely ground Italian flour is essential to recipes like pizza dough and fresh pasta. Most home cooks don’t keep this speciality flour on hand, noting its slightly higher price and the inability to find it in stores. Here’s everything you need to know about 00 flour and why it is absolutely worth keeping it stocked in your pantry.

What Is 00 Flour?

Considered the gold standard for pasta and pizza dough, 00 flour is a finely ground Italian flour. Here in the U.S., we categorize flours by how much protein they contain, which directly affects the gluten formation in whatever we’re making. They do it a little differently in Italy and other parts of Europe by categorizing flours based on how finely the flour has been ground. Coarsely ground type “2” flour is at one end of the spectrum, with powder-fine “00” flour at the other.

What gets confusing for some of us non-Europeans is that we assume finely ground “00” flour is probably low-protein (like our finely ground cake and pastry flour). In fact, the protein content of “00” flour can range quite a bit depending on what kind of wheat it’s ground from. Most “00” flour that we see in the United States is ground from durum wheat and has a mid-range protein content of about 11 to 12%, similar to all-purpose white flour.

Why Use 00 Flour?

Besides the level of the grind, the other big difference between “00” flour and all-purpose flour is how the gluten in each flour behaves. The gluten from durum wheat flour tends to be strong but not very elastic, while the gluten in red wheat flour is both strong and elastic. This means that with durum wheat, we’ll get a nice bite on our breads and pasta, but not as much chew. That’s why when combined with bread flour in pizza dough, 00 flour results in a chewy, crispy crust — the perfect duo!

All this said, it’s generally fine to substitute all-purpose flour for “00” flour. You’ll notice a texture difference if you grew up in Europe or are very familiar with with products made from “00” flour, but all your recipes will still come out just fine.

What Is 00 Flour — Pizza and Pasta Flour (2024)

FAQs

What Is 00 Flour — Pizza and Pasta Flour? ›

What is 00 flour? 00 flour, also known as doppio zero ('double zero') is a super fine white flour from Italy, and considered the gold standard for making pasta and pizza bases.

Is 00 pizza flour the same as pasta flour? ›

In Italy, flour is graded by a number system from tipo 2 (brown flour with bran removed) to '000' (superfine white flour the texture of cornflour). The popular '00' flour is roughly in the middle of these grades, and is typically used for pizza bases and homemade pastas.

What does 00 flour do for pizza? ›

  1. Heat Tolerance: 00 flour is renowned for its ability to withstand high temperatures without burning as quickly as other flours. ...
  2. Texture and Digestibility: The fine milling results in a silky dough that can be stretched thinner without tearing, leading to a delicate yet crisp crust.

Can 00 King Arthur pizza flour be used for pasta? ›

'00' Pizza Flour: This Italian-style flour, milled from both hard and soft wheat, has strength to support durable dough while also still being able to roll out easily by hand or in a machine. Its finely milled texture results in soft, satiny noodles.

What is pasta flour? ›

Why is semola flour used for pasta? Semola is also known, rather aptly, as pasta wheat or macaroni wheat. Made using hard durum wheat, it's commonly grown in Northern Italy, which has the perfect warm climate for sturdier grains.

What can I substitute for 00 pizza flour? ›

That's why when combined with bread flour in pizza dough, 00 flour results in a chewy, crispy crust — the perfect duo! All this said, it's generally fine to substitute all-purpose flour for “00” flour.

What flour do Italians use for pizza? ›

All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour mixed with Semola Remacinata di Grano Duro for thick crust pan pizza. “00” Farina di Grano Tenero mixed with Bread Flour for long rise, thin crust pizza (pizzeria style)

Will pasta flour work for pizza dough? ›

It is generally fine to use type 00 in the same way that you use all-purpose flour. They share a similar protein content, but the difference is in their texture. All-purpose flour is made up of both soft and hard wheat, while type 00 flour is made with soft wheat.

What is the best 00 flour for pasta making? ›

300 g Tipo “00” Flour: this fine milled, soft wheat Italian flour creates light and tender pasta with just the right bite. Tipo 00 is the best flour for pasta making. Try Molino Grassi or Caputo pasta flour. Substitute with King Arthur all purpose flour for similar results.

Is King Arthur pizza flour worth it? ›

So there you have it! King Arthur 00 pizza flour is definitely worth it—it's an amazing product that will make your pizza taste better than ever.

What flour is best for pizza? ›

The best flour for making Deep-Dish Pizza Dough is all-purpose flour. In bakeries and pizzerias, Pizza Flour is often used because it is a high-protein flour that produces a light and airy crust. However, all-purpose flour will also work well for Deep-Dish Pizza Dough.

Is 00 flour healthy? ›

All that's left is starch (simple carbohydrates) and few proteins (gluten). The nutritional contribution to the body is very low, in fact, somehow 00 flour contributes to the increase in blood sugar. Flour 0: Slightly less refined than the previous one but which in any case has been deprived of most of its nutrients.

Is semolina the same as 00 flour? ›

There are two basic types of flour used to make almost all pasta doughs: type '00' flour and semolina flour. Type 00 flour is a finely ground soft wheat flour while semolina is a finely ground durum wheat flour.

Can I use Caputo pizza flour for pasta? ›

Caputo, milled in Naples, is famed as a pizza and pasta maker's flour, formulated for maximum extensibility and milled to a talcum-powder fineness.

Are pizza dough and pasta dough the same? ›

Pasta is generally made from semolina flour, whereas all-purpose flour is used to make pizza dough. This is because pasta dough requires a lower gluten content than pizza. In addition, pizza dough contains yeast because it must be leavened, whereas pasta dough does not.

Is semolina or 00 flour better for pasta? ›

The semolina flour adds a bit more structure to the dough, which is helpful for shapes like garganelli or farfalle where you want the pasta to “stand up.” You could replace the semolina flour with equal parts 00 flour for a more tender and soft dough, which could be good for something like tagliatelle.

What is the equivalent of type 0 flour? ›

It's fit for most baked goods, from cakes to most types of bread, though the results can be mixed in the hands of an untrained baker. In the American flour classification system, type 0 Italian flour would correspond the closest to all-purpose flour.

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