Recipes must include flour type

[rpmfla]

I've been making pizzas at home for a while now and one thing that has really become evident is that the type of flour you use can radically effect the outcome. This may sound simplistic, but there are many pizza dough recipes out there that just list the flour as "flour".

I can make the same recipe with KAAP, KABF, KASL, Caputo 00, or All Trumps (unbromated), and will get significantly different results.

For example, for the first time I made my usual recipe with All Trumps instead of KABF and the resultant dough mass was significantly wetter. I was surprised at how different it was. I had to adjust my recipe to suit the flour.

I just bought Caputo 00 pizza flour (for the first time) and combined it 50/50 with what I think is a newer product from KA called King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour. The result was a dough mass a bit drier and firmer than what I got with KABF or KASL.

I find it fascinating that each flour reacts with hydration in a different way. I know there is science behind it and I could research and predict the outcome, but I guess I like to be surprised when I try a new flour.

I do a refrigerated rise so we'll see how this latest combo works out this weekend.

[TXCraig1]

You are right.

Most folks here are pretty good about indicating what sort of flour they use in a particular recipe.

[rpmfla]

You are right.

Most folks here are pretty good about indicating what sort of flour they use in a particular recipe.

Yes, people here seem to be amazingly detail oriented (ahem...Peter...ahem). I was just talking about recipes in general.

[David Deas]

Most folks don't take their recipes, or making pizza in general, as seriously as is taken around here.

[rpmfla]

Here's a quote I found from Jeff Varasano's website which expresses what I am talking about with hydration and different flours.

"If you use Caputo or any 00 flour, you may find that it takes a lot more flour for the given amount of water. Probably a baker's % of 60% or so. One reason I like to feel the dough rather than strictly measure the percent hydration is that with feel you don't have to worry about the type of flour so much. A Caputo and a Bread will feel the same when they are done, even though one might have 60% water and the other 65%. It's the feel that I shoot for, not the number.  I vary wetness based on my heat - higher the oven temp, the wetter I want the dough."