Caputo question

[Amazing]

I just got my hands on some Caputo Farina di grano tenero Tipo "00".
Unfortunately, they do not carry the Caputo Pizza flour here. Is there anything I can do to transform this flour and make it useful in a regular electric range oven that only goes up to 500 degrees? I will be cooking on a preheated 1/2 inch thick pizza stone.

[Pete-zza]

Amazing,

You could try replacing part of the 00 flour (I assume it is Caputo Extra Blu) in your dough formulation with bread flour. I would use 15% bread flour. In addition, you will perhaps also want to take several measures, as have been discussed on the forum many times before, to improve your results when using a standard home oven.

Peter

[Amazing]

Thanks Peter, I'll give it a try. I must say I'm not too hopeful about the results I'll get in trying to duplicate a true Naples style pizza in a home oven that can't reach the temps that are required.

Bob

[Pete-zza]

Bob,

You won't duplicate a "true Naples style" pizza in your home oven. About the best you can do based on my experience is to use the rated absorption of the 00 flour/blend (around 57-58%), some oil in the dough, and a thicker than normal dough skin. You will also have to accept a lighter finished crust color in most cases. I found that I was able to dispense with the oil in the dough and to use a somewhat higher hydration when I used a natural starter or preferment in lieu of commercial yeast.

Peter

[Amazing]

Peter,

Though I haven't posted here very often, I do read through many of the forums. Your knowledge of the art and science that goes into making pizza has always astounded me.
Thanks again for your help!

Bob

[Pete-zza]

Bob,

Thank you for the kind words. I am still learning myself.

The idea to supplement 00 flour (in my case it was the Bel Aria 00 flour) with bread flour originally came form pizzanapoletana (Marco), as noted at Reply 44 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,986.msg9367/topicseen.html#msg9367. If you want to increase the total protein content further to get it to the Caputo Pizzeria protein content, you would have to use something more like 70/30 Extra Blu/bread flour. You can fine tune the protein content of the blend pretty much any way you want by using November's Mixed Mass Percentage Calculator at http://tools.foodsim.com/.

Peter