The kind of flour you use while making bread may make a significant difference in the finished result. Bread flour and 00 flour are both typical forms of baking flour. They do, however, contain some significant variances.
Contents
- What is 00 Flour?
- What is Bread Flour?
- 00 Flour Vs. Bread Flour: What’s the difference?
- Conclusion
- FAQs
- Can I substitute 00 flour for bread flour?
- What flour is closest to 00 flour?
- What is a substitute for OO flour?
- Can you use 00 flour instead of bread flour for pizza dough?
- Is bread flour good for Neapolitan pizza?
- Is bread flour good for pizza crust?
- Why is 00 flour better for pizza?
- What flour is best for pizza dough?
- Does 00 flour make a difference?
What is 00 Flour?
00 flour is a highly milled kind of Italian wheat flour. The 00 in the name refers to the finest grind size possible. This double zero (00) grind size is most often seen in whole wheat, pizza, pastry, and semolina flour.
As a result, 00 flour has a high protein level that ranges between 8% and 12%. It also yields dough with a very fine texture. This finely milled flour is often used to make pasta, pastry, pizza bases, and fine-grained bread.
What is Bread Flour?
Bread flour is manufactured from hard spring wheat and has around 15% protein, which is greater than in other flours. This flour is available in white and whole wheat versions.
It has a rougher texture than other flours, which contributes to a crustier loaf of bread. Bread flour is generally better suited for yeasted recipes that need a longer rise time. Sourdough bread, bagels, handmade bread, and other baked goods fall under this category.
It’s perfect for dough that needs to be wetter, like pizza dough. It may also be used to make bread in a bread machine.
00 Flour Vs. Bread Flour: What’s the difference?
When comparing 00 flour to bread flour, there are a few important distinctions. Let’s take a deeper look at the differences between these two common flour varieties.
Protein Content: Hard wheat flour has a greater protein content than soft wheat flour. 00 flour, on the other hand, is derived from soft wheat with a reduced protein level. When wheat germ and bran are removed during the manufacturing process, the protein level of 00 flour is lower.
Grind Size: The flour’s grind size influences how coarse or fine the final product will be. The finest grind size for flour is used for 00 flour. As a consequence, the flour is soft and fine. Bread flour, on the other hand, is created with a higher grind size, resulting in a somewhat coarser, granular flour.
Water Absorption: Various recipes call for different varieties of flour depending on their ability to absorb water. Moreover, as the protein level increases, so does the gluten content, giving the flour a better absorption rate. This indicates that bread flour is more absorbent than 00 flour.
Texture: The greater protein level makes bread flour more glutenous, giving bread flour-based meals a chewy feel. Since 00 flour has less gluten, it results in lighter, airier-textured recipes.
Conclusion
Often, your recipe will specify which sort of flour is most suited for the dish you’re preparing. But, while comparing 00 flour vs. bread flour, keep the desired texture of your finished product in mind.
FAQs
Can I substitute 00 flour for bread flour?
Since 00 flour has a high gluten level, it is often used to make bread. Just use 00 flour for all-purpose or bread flour in any recipe. While making bread, you may need to add more water or less yeast to get the desired results.
What flour is closest to 00 flour?
Bread flour has the highest protein level of all flours and may provide a solid, elastic chew, but it lacks the light, crispy softness of 00 flour dough.
What is a substitute for OO flour?
If you can’t locate 00 flour but still want to create handmade pizza crust or another recipe that asks for it, you may use all-purpose flour. In the recipe, use the same quantity of all-purpose flour as 00 flour.
Can you use 00 flour instead of bread flour for pizza dough?
Can I make cakes, spaghetti, and bread using 00 flour? It is typically OK to use type 00 in the same manner as all-purpose flour. They have a comparable protein composition, but the texture is different.
Is bread flour good for Neapolitan pizza?
Will it make a true Neapolitan pizza with a crisp, light, and delicate crust? No. Yet, the pizza it does generate is excellent on its own. To generate doughs of same viscosity, bread flour needs somewhat more water than most other flours.
Is bread flour good for pizza crust?
When you desire a chewier product, bread flour is often utilized. It also works well for thin-crust pizzas to generate a crispy crust on the exterior and a chewy crust on the inside.
Why is 00 flour better for pizza?
Caputo 00 flour is good for pizza dough for two reasons: it is finely ground, and it has less gluten than other flours.
What flour is best for pizza dough?
Use 00 Flour to make a crisp and chewy pizza crust.
00 flour is a finely ground Italian flour with around 12% protein or gluten. It is the typical flour used in the preparation of Neapolitan-style pizza. Since its gluten level is comparable to bread flour, it provides a chewy pizza crust.
Does 00 flour make a difference?
For Italian cookery, notably thin-crust pizzas and handmade pasta, 00 flour is the gold standard. It all comes down to texture. According to Serious Eats, the 00 number denotes how finely the wheat is ground, and this is the finest flour available.