For a pizza to be good, you have to make a good dough and to make a good dough, you need good flour, CQFD. But then which flour to choose for a successful pizza dough? Did you know that each flour has different characteristics? Which ones are best suited for making pizza dough? A brief overview of the pizza flours that you will be able to find on the market. Learn to recognize the important properties for good pizza flour.

What types of flour to make pizza dough?

There are French flours and Italian flours on the market. Their names are different:

• French flours are classified according to mineral content (T45, T55, T65, etc.). The higher the index, the more the flour will be rich in minerals .
• Italian pizza flours are graded by the part of the wheat that was used (00, 0, 1, etc.). Here, the larger the number, the closer it is to whole wheat . Knowing that whole wheat flour is richer in minerals.

We therefore manage to find equivalences between French flours and Italian flours. Despite everything, the baking value of an Italian flour will always be higher than that of a French flour. It will therefore better withstand the growing time.

The different types of flour on the market

Here are the different families of Italian and French flours that you can use to make your pizzas.

Flour 00 for pizza

Flour 00 is an Italian flour which corresponds to the French T45. It is white so refined. It is low in minerals and supports the growth time well . For flour 00 only the heart of the wheat is used. It is recommended for all your pizza doughs.

Flour 0

Flour 0 is less refined than 00, but just as suitable for making your pizza dough. However, it is a little richer in minerals. It is a flour that is similar to French T55 flour . As in the 00 the gluten level is high, which is a good thing when it comes to pizza dough.

Flours 00 and 0 are the ideal flours for making beautiful, light and puffy pizza doughs. They are perfect for making Neapolitan pizzas.

Wholemeal flour

Purists will tell you that you can’t make good light and airy pizza dough with wholemeal flour . But if you absolutely want to make a healthier pizza with a lower blood sugar level , it is possible to make a dough with wholemeal flour. His work will be more delicate. The growing time must be adapted. It is possible to mix wholemeal flour with another flour to make the dough lighter.

Flour T45 or T55

T45 and T55 flours are French flours that are very suitable for making pizza dough. These are refined, white and fluid flours. The only drawback that can be found with them is that they are less resistant to rising time than type 00 or 0 flours.

Buckwheat flour

Pizza dough made completely with buckwheat flour is not ideal. It is not in terms of taste, but especially in terms of texture that it can disappoint you. His work is also more difficult. If you have no choice, because you are allergic to gluten , I suggest you try making a gluten-free pizza dough with a mixture of rice flour and cornstarch instead.

Comparative table of pizza flours

Here is a comparison table of a selection of mainly Italian pizza flours. You will also find some information to better help you understand the data presented. For more complete details, you can consult our guide at the end of the article.

Regarding the rising time, here are some indications to help you. This of course has something to do with the baking strength (W) we are talking about below:

• A quick rising time is 2-4 hours.
• A short leavening time is 4-6 hours.
• An average rising time is 8-10 hours.
• A long leavening time is 24 hours.

Regarding the firmness and elasticity (P/L) ratio, values ​​equal to or less than 0.5 correspond to extensible flours, whereas above they will be harder to work with. As we can see, this selection is made of ideal flours to achieve a sufficiently soft and elastic dough.

What are the best pizza flour brands?

Here is our selection of the brands and types of pizza flour that can be found in their range. Each has its own particularities, it’s up to you to choose the one that seems to correspond to your tastes and your desires.

Caputo flour pizza

Caputo flours are high quality Italian flours. They come from the Neapolitan Mill of the Caputo family since 1924. Basically, these are flours intended for professionals, but amateurs also use it a lot. They are ideal for making Neapolitan pizzas , as they are rich in gluten which makes them a strong flour, easy to work with and which swells well. Thanks to their traditional know-how that has been passed down for 3 generations, Caputo flours have an authentic flavor. Note that Caputo flours do not use any additives .

Classical

Classica flour is type 00 flour. It is perfect for making Neapolitan pizzas. A soft, light and airy dough is obtained in a short time.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 11.5%
• In force : 200-230 W
• Its elasticity: P/L 0.50 to 0.60
• Lifting time: short

Manitoba Gold

Manitoba Oro flour is a type 0 flour. If you like hearty pizza dough, this is the flour for you. Its push time is greater than on the Classica. The paste you will obtain will be shiny and homogeneous.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 14.5%
• In force : 370-380 W
• Its elasticity: P/L 0.50 to 0.60
• Lifting time: long

Cuoco

Caputo cuoco flour is a type 00 flour. It is widely used by professionals. Very rich in gluten, your dough will be elastic and resistant to rising. It requires a long leavening time to obtain a light dough .

His characteristics :

• Protein: 13%
• In force : 300-320 W
• Its elasticity: P/L 0.50 to 0.60
• Lifting time: long

Caputo Pizzeria

Caputo Pizzeria type 00 flour has been specially developed to make authentic Neapolitan pizzas. The high level of gluten associated with the starch gives a dough with good hydration and excellent rise. It remains very easy to work with despite a prolonged lifting time.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 12.5%
• In force : 260-270
• Its elasticity: P/L 0.50 to 0.60
• Lifting time: long

Molino Spadoni flours

It was in Italy at the Coccolia mill, a building built in 1445 by the Molino Spadoni family, that the story of this company began. From 1923, the brand did not hesitate to equip itself with modern means to meet the demand of the professional market. In a second step, they adapt and expand their offer in order to offer products also intended for amateurs. The Molino Spadoni brand designs high quality flours.

Type Manitoba PZ8

Tipo Manitoba PZ8 ​​type 0 flour is one of the flours most used by Italian pizza makers. In France, it is also considered a professional flour, but you can easily get it on the Internet. It has the particularity of supporting long lifting, which can last more than 24 hours. You will get a crispy and fluffy batter .

His characteristics :

• Protein: 15.5%
• In force : 350-380 W
• Its elasticity: 0.50 to 0.65
• Lifting time: long

PZ2

Molino Spadoni’s PZ2 is an ideal type 00 flour if you like puffy and soft doughs. It is a professional quality flour suitable for home use. Its push time is quite fast. It will take between 4 and 6 hours for the dough to rise.

His characteristics :

• Proteins:
• In force : 195-215 W
• Its elasticity: 0.45 to 0.60
• Lifting time: fast

PZ1

PZ1 has substantially the same properties as PZ2 flour. It’s the pushing time that will be different. With the PZ1, your dough will rise in 2 to 4 hours. You should know that the brand classifies its flours according to the rising time. The PZ1 has the shortest push time while the PZ8 has the longest push time.

His characteristics :

• Proteins:
• In force : 160-180 W
• Its elasticity: 0.40 to 0.60
• Lifting time: fast

Flours The 5 Seasons

The 5 Stagioni is like the 2 other brands that we have just seen, a brand of Italian flour acclaimed by professional pizza makers . It has been designed to make Neapolitan pizzas according to tradition. The “verace pizza napoletana” association has added Le 5 Stagioni to its list of recommendations.

Pizza

Pizza Napoletana flour has been specially designed to make Neapolitan pizzas a success. Type 00, it is light and very easy to work with. It is ideal even for the most novice.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 13%
• In force : 300-320 W
• Its elasticity: NC
• Lifting time: medium

Superior

Superiore is a type 00 soft wheat flour. It has much the same properties as Pizza Napoletana flour, but with a higher strength. It is therefore more resistant to thrust.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 13%
• In force : 320-350 W
• Its elasticity: NC
• Lifting time: medium

Classical

Classica type 00 flour is a versatile flour. You can make light and airy Neapolitan pizzas, but also bread or pastries.

His characteristics :

• Protein: 10%
• In force : 200-230 W
• Its elasticity: NC
• Lifting time: fast

Francine pizza flour

Francine is a French brand that has existed since 1965, when 8 millers joined forces to create the company. Francine evolves and adapts over time to consumer demands. They then create flours for specific uses as is the case for Francine pizza flour. It is a soft wheat flour T45 (type 00), it contains 10% protein. The dough rises quickly in about 1 hour. It is easy to work with and can be used for focaccia or calzones. But let’s face it, even if you can find it in the supermarket, we advise you to buy the Mon Fournil flour instead, which you will find right after. Personally, I have never managed to work my pizza dough well with the Francine. Each time the latter is a hole when I spread the dough. Sorry for Francine, but this is the flour that I recommend the least.

Mon Fournil pizza flour

The company Mon Fournil is quite recent since its history begins in 2005. It is a brand specializing in bread flour. My bakery is developing several flour recipes so that baking is no longer reserved for professionals. The brand is expanding its offer to all types of flour and also offers culinary aids. Pizza flour is type 00 (which normally corresponds to T45). It is rich in gluten which gives it good elasticity. It supports a push of up to 48 hours by putting it in the refrigerator. This is the flour that I buy most often because it is easily found in supermarkets. Plus it’s easy to work with!

Ideal for a successful pizza dough

There are several parameters to consider when choosing your flour to make pizza dough the way you like it. Here is the essential to know to master at least this universe.

The importance of gluten

A good pizza flour should be high in gluten . This will allow a good elasticity of the dough, so it will be easy to spread. Gluten will bring strength to your dough, which means that it will better resist the rising, the different kneadings, and the weight of the ingredients. The ideal is that the high gluten content is naturally present in the flour and is not due to an addition.

elasticity

Elasticity refers to the ease of spreading the dough after kneading. You need to have a good balance between firmness and elasticity. Firmness is the ability of dough to stretch well without breaking. On some flours, the balance index is indicated. Ideally, it should be around 0.5 to obtain an easy-to-work dough.

The baking power

The strength of the flour will determine several things. First of all the rising time , the stronger the flour, the longer the rising time. Knowing that the leavening time has an influence on digestibility and flavor , we can also say that a strong flour will have more taste and will be more digestible.

lifting time

The rising time can be influenced by the yeast used for your pizza dough and the level of humidity in the air. Despite this, here are the force/lifting time correspondences for information only. This information is not general because depending on the brand of flour, the recommendations may be different.

Depending on the type of pizza you want to make, the proving time may vary if you want to strictly follow a traditional recipe like Neapolitan pizza.

Why do some people add semolina flour?

In the traditional Italian recipe, there is no semolina. However, it is commonly seen that it is advisable to add semolina to its dough. What about?

Adding semolina will result in a crispier, browner batter with enhanced flavor . It is recommended if you want to test, to use very fine semolina and to put 10% of the weight of flour necessary for the recipe. Some pros claim that baking pizza at higher temperatures is enough to achieve a similar result.

Another use for semolina is to put it on the counter to spread the dough . This prevents it from sticking to the surface.

You can choose Caputo Rimacinata semolina which has been specially designed for the use of pizza dough.

Questions about pizza flour

How many pizzas with 500 g of flour?

Everything will depend on the thickness and diameter of the pizza you choose. You can make 3 or 4 pizzas of 28 cm in diameter with 500 g of flour.

How many pizzas with 1 kg of flour?

For thin pizzas 28 cm in diameter, you will be able to make 6 to 8 pizzas with 1 kg of flour.

Which flour for Neapolitan pizza?

To make a Neapolitan pizza as tradition dictates, you will need type 00 or 0 flour according to Italian references. For French flours, take T45 or T55 flour . But whatever flour you choose, the ideal is that it be rich in gluten for a good rise and elasticity.

Should you choose a flour according to the cooking, the type of oven?

No, the type of oven is not important in the choice of flour. It is rather the style of pizza you want to make ( Neapolitan or Roman pizza dough , calzone, etc.) that will determine the ideal flour for your preparation.