How to Use 00 Flour & Why It’s The Best Choice for Making Pizza
I’m a pizza lover; in other words – I’m as enthusiastic about pizza as it gets. Because of this, lots of people ask me about the magic behind my Neapolitan style pizzas. Truthfully, a crucial component of any pizza is the texture of the crust. Master the pizza crust, and you’re already halfway there!
What is 00 Flour?
I’m going to let you in on a secret: the best pizza crusts depend on great flour. What’s the best flour for pizza crusts, you ask? To that, my answer will always be 00 flour, also known as doppio flour. This is an ingredient found in many Italian recipes, mainly dough and pasta, and is essential when wanting to achieve an authentic Italian pizza. The “00” represents the fineness of the flour is, and in this case, 00 is the most refined flour.
When you’re making pizza dough, make sure you use this flour instead of English flour. Its lower gluten content helps make the dough more elastic and therefore makes it easy to knead, producing a crust that’s wonderfully thin and crispy! A great thing about using Italian 00 flour is that it will result in a beautiful pizza crust, regardless of whether you use a pizza oven or regular home kitchen oven for baking the pizza.
Below, I’ve included a recipe to help you produce a deliciously classic Neapolitan style pizza. Feel free to check it out and try it for yourself!
Pizza Crust Recipe
For an authentic Italian pizza crust, follow this recipe. If you like it, share it with family and friends – they’re sure to be impressed!
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients Needed:
– 500 grams of 00 Flour
– 1 ½ tsp of sea salt
– ½ tsp active dry yeast
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 250 ml water
– Pinch of sugar
Instructions
Mix Up the Dough
First, start with mixing together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the water and olive oil. To mix the dough, you may use a table mixer, food processor, or do it by hand. Follow the instructions below for the method you prefer.
Food Processor: Mix all dry ingredients together and gradually add water and oil. If the dough looks dry, add some water. Only add a little bit of water at a time to prevent the dough from becoming runny. Pulse the mixture a few more times to be thorough and then roll the dough into ball form.
Table Mixer: Combine all ingredients in a bowl until a soft dough forms. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then knead it for 5 minutes.
By Hand: Mix all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Let rest for 10 minutes. Knead it for 7 to 8 minutes or until it becomes smooth.
Let Dough Rise
After kneading the dough, put it into a bowl that’s lightly oiled. Cover and let rise for 1.5 to 2 hours. At that time, the dough’s size should double. Punch the dough to de-gas it, divide it into 3 balls of equal size and place them in separate zip lock bags. Be sure that each bag has been coated with olive oil or non-stick spray (preferably vegetable spray).
Refrigerate Overnight
Store the dough overnight in your refrigerator. The following day, you can freeze it for future use or make your 00 flour pizza. Before you use the dough, make sure you allow it to warm up to room temperature – this is important!
Conclusion
Voila – that’s it! Now, you understand why it’s important to use 00 flour and the process that goes into making your very own pizza dough. Moving forward, be sure to use this kind of flour, as it’s vital to creating an authentic Neapolitan style pizza!
