00 Flour

[zalicious]

My local Italian deli sells 00 flour. They sell it for $3.97 per pound. Is it worth trying at that price?

[Bill/SFNM]

Not all "00" flours are suitable for pizza. What exactly does the label on the bag say and what kind of pizza would you be trying to make?

[zalicious]

It's not in a bag; they sell it portioned out in plastic deli containers. As for what kind of pizza would I make with it? I haven't a clue,  :-[I've only been making pizza for a few months now. What kind of pizza is it best suited for?

[Bill/SFNM]

I would guess it is flour milled specifically for making fresh pasta. If it were "00" flour milled specifically for making pizzas, then that is usually used in high-hydration doughs baked in very hot ovens.

Especially as a beginner, you might want to stick with some of the more common flours used with great success by many members of this forum. 

[zalicious]

Thanks for the info . Since I don't have a high temp oven, I won't be looking at it longingly.

[tberrett]

I had a question about "00" flour as well. I am using Caputo Farina Tipo "00" flour. When I made a NY crust pizza the dough seemed too chewey. Should I try mixing half bread flour and half "00"? The recipe I used called for four cups of the "00".

[scott r]

Yes, that would help, unless of course you have a high temperature oven.  In that case your "too chewy" problem could be caused by a number of other things.  Caputo was made to be used in ovens that can provide a 45-90 second bake.  Baking with caputo in a normal home oven is definitely using it out of its design requirements.

[tberrett]

Thanks for the info, I think my oven only goes up to 550.

[calvin6969]

I use my grill and a rack and stone to cook, haven't purchased a good thermometer to measure all the oven and stone temps, but the internal guage with the stone is at 750+

I purchased some 00 the other day and made my first batch -- cooked it 3-4 minutes which was probably too long because it had dark black spotting instead of a desired light/dark grey spotting.  It was still really good, but slightly chewy and crunchy instead of light and crispy with a hint of chewy.  Well that's my description from the great pizzas I ate in Naples

The 00 I have is Antico Molino Caputo, Farina, di grano tenero, Tipo "00"

Is 100% Caputo okay, or should I modify with a 90/10 ratio of Caputo and a bread or all purpose flour, respectively

Attached are pics of my pie with 100% Caputo 00

[scott r]

There is no reason to bother with a 90/10 mixture.   Maybe if you are adding 15% or so of a really high gluten flour like KASL you will notice a difference.  I really don't think 10% bread or all purpose is going to do much for you.  Right now the most important thing for you is to figure out a way to get even top and bottom browning.  When you do you will probably be happy with your Caputo as is.

[Tonio]

Thanks for the info, I think my oven only goes up to 550.

It won't hurt to try, if you want. Price is kinda high no?   I had good results considering it cost me $2.39 for a kilogram.  Doubt it will stand as a authentic Neopolitan, but to me was worth the effort. Mighty tasty, though I could tweek the recipe some for a better crust.
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6547.0.html

T

[retrodog]

I use my grill and a rack and stone to cook, haven't purchased a good thermometer to measure all the oven and stone temps, but the internal guage with the stone is at 750+

I purchased some 00 the other day and made my first batch -- cooked it 3-4 minutes which was probably too long because it had dark black spotting instead of a desired light/dark grey spotting.  It was still really good, but slightly chewy and crunchy instead of light and crispy with a hint of chewy.  Well that's my description from the great pizzas I ate in Naples

The 00 I have is Antico Molino Caputo, Farina, di grano tenero, Tipo "00"

Is 100% Caputo okay, or should I modify with a 90/10 ratio of Caputo and a bread or all purpose flour, respectively

Attached are pics of my pie with 100% Caputo 00

I think your results are typical for grill cooking. At least they are common with mine and many of my friends. The problem is that you get all your heat from below and nothing is radiating it back down on the top of the pizza. The grill tops don't usually insulate well enough nor reflect it back down. This is probably why that 2stone thing is a good idea, where it traps the heat above the pie and radiates it back down. But I don't have one so I can't say for certain.

You might also try spreading some olive oil on the edge of the crust, as that will help it brown better.

[mooseman]

Hi, Im new here and to pizza making.  Ive been using bread flour but now want to buy a tipo "00" flour.  I dont have a high temp oven, mine is just about 500.  I can buy either caputo tipo 00 or bel aria farina tipo 00.  What will be the best for me and should I mix the tipo 00 flour that I buy with bread or all purpose flour, and at what ratio for the mix.  Thanks

[Pizza_Not_War]

Hi, Im new here and to pizza making.  Ive been using bread flour but now want to buy a tipo "00" flour.  I dont have a high temp oven, mine is just about 500.  I can buy either caputo tipo 00 or bel aria farina tipo 00.  What will be the best for me and should I mix the tipo 00 flour that I buy with bread or all purpose flour, and at what ratio for the mix.  Thanks

From my personal experience and many others on pizzamaking.com you will find out that Caputo 00 pizza flour does not do well in a 500 degree oven. I usually use it mixed with bread flour in a 2/3 Caputo - 1/3 BF mix and a sourdough starter. When I have tried to bake that in my 550 degree oven for pizza it is not very good and lacks color. At 700 + degrees on the 2stone grill it is awesome.

I did bake a french skinny baguette with a leftover dough-ball (280g) today for 15 minutes @ 550 on a stone and it was excellent.

I would give it a shot, just search for some of the posts that detail adding other ingredients like oil or sugar to help with the browning and softness issues you might have with a long bake time.

Good luck

PNW

[iamnotanumber]

I tried Caputo 00 for the first time recently. I liked the results but I have concerns about the supply I bought the flour from. The store keeps it in a 5 gallon bucket. The customer removes the bucket lid and scoops out flour. I noticed that the flour I purchased had a slightly bitter aftertaste that I usually associate with rancidity. It wasn't pronounced enough to be noticeable in the final product.
However, I would like to know from you guys that use Caputo. Have you tasted your raw flour? Does it have this extra flavor? Should I buy more from this source?

[Pizza_Not_War]

Have never tried eating raw flour, but I would not be buying flour from a self serve bucket. It is a premium priced product and you should be getting flour that has not been exposed to the atmosphere, extra moisture and whatever else might be added to it by any five year old with curious fingers.

Why not buy a full bag and store it. Mine seems to be going faster than I  thought it would.


PNW

I bought mine here: http://chefswarehouse.com/Catalog/DisplayDetail.aspx?prd_id=GF234

[iamnotanumber]

Hey War,
Thanks for the advice. I always taste ingredients. If I didn't like the finished product so much I could eat a whole batch of raw dough after the first rise.
I think I won't buy flour from that place again. It is convenient but I have always been trepidatious of flour from self serve bins anyway. 

[adcouple]

I have standard oven that goes to 550 and use large baking stone on bottom rack. I use Caputo Rosa 00 pizza flour and King Arthur Bread flour and roll out with Molina 00 farina flour. Pizzas are incredible.

I use the following proportions: 12 oz. Caputo, 10 oz. bread flour, 2 tsp. salt and 1-1/5 tsp. active dry yeast, 1/4 cup good olive oil, 1-7/8 cups cold water added slowly. After mixing and resting dough for 20 minutes, I add 1 Tablespoon water and mix until it's incorporated. It makes a smooth, wet dough that's easy to stretch without holes. I get great puffy, crisp but not crackery crust that's browned but not burned.