We have had a few queries of late by people asking about what the difference is between Italian TIPO 00 Flour and Australian Bread and Pizza Flours’. So before we fire up the woodfired oven and get stuck into making pizza dough over Christmas, we thought now would be as a good a time as any to try and explain the differences as we know them.
The Australians and the Italians use different terms to describe their flours, which can lead to confusion. Here in Australia we’re used to seeing gluten content expressed as a % on flour packs, the Italians however, don’t communicate gluten levels, they use Tipo 0 and Tipo 00 to describe how finely the flour is milled. Importantly the gluten levels in Tipo 00 flour can range from 6% – 12.5%. All to do with the difference in wheat grown in Europe vs Australia.
There is a common misunderstanding here in Australia that Tipo 00 is a pizza flour or at least suitable for making pizza dough. The Italians make several Tipo 00 flours; for pastry, 5% – 7% gluten, for pasta and noodles, 9% – 9.5% and pizzas 11.5% – 12.5%. Most Tipo 00 flours here in Australia are for pasta and noodles, and do not have high enough gluten (or protein) levels for making great pizza dough.
So you may ask, why does pizza dough need high protein flour?
Well, great pizza dough comes from using a flour with a protein level of 12%. The high gluten level in the flour gives the dough a good elasticity and robustness. Gluten is the key to great pizza dough, it forms strands which bind together like a web during the mixing and kneading process. Air bubbles are trapped in this web and expand during cooking allowing the pizza dough to rise. During baking the stretched gluten becomes rigid as the moisture evaporates from the heat of the oven, and sets the pizza dough structure.
The lower the protein level the lower the gluten level therefore the dough will not likely holds its shape as well or rise as well.
Interestingly Tipo 00 also has a lower ash count i.e. contains less bran and germ and is a much whiter flour in comparison to a bread and pizza flour. The bran that is contained in the bread and pizza flour contributes to crust colour.
So if you are using Tipo 00 flour and are disappointed with the results, or are curious to see the difference email thebase@anchorfoods.com.au and we would be happy to send you a packet of high protein Bread and Pizza Plain Flour to try. Be quick, we only have 50 packets to give away.
