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00 flour pizza

pizza again

we’ve made our own pizza several times before, each time a little differently. the first time, i was trying out my baking stones, and this past summer, we tried making pizza on the grill. each time, i was amazed at how easy the process went and how delicious the end result was. this time around, i had a secret weapon to make the pizza even better – 00 flour.

pizza again

the flour came from Kalustyan’s, a specialty foods store we visited in new york city. the place is basically a warehouse of spices, jams, mixes, olives and anything else you might have a hard time finding at your local supermarket. seriously, check out their website, and prepare to salivate.

pizza again

in italy, flour is classified by how finely it is ground, from most coarse (2) to most fine (00). the classifications go deeper (there are even myriad types of 00 flour to choose from in italy), but the general rule is that 00 is best for pizza and pasta. i wanted to try it out and see how it compared to ordinary all-purpose flour.

pizza again

everything i read about 00 flour before getting started assured me that it would extremely easy to use, which proved to be very true. the dough came together extremely quickly and cleanly, even as i mixed it with my bare hands. after a few rises, it was easy to shape into rough discs. handling the dough as little as possible results in a chewy, crispy crust, while overworking it gives you a dough that’s too dense and tough. luckily, these kept their shape without too much trouble.

pizza again

one of the biggest challenges of making pizza at home is getting the oven hot enough (most home ovens don’t reach 800 F). when the girl and i moved into our new place last summer, i was skeptical that the electric oven we would now be using would stand up to the gas oven we had become accustomed to previously. to the contrary, the electric oven has heated more quickly and evenly, and in the case of baking pizza, finally gave us the just blackened melty mozzarella cheese we wanted.

pizza again

here’s one with a pesto base, caramelized onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. these pictures are making me hungry again.

pizza again

this pizza (one of the favorites of the night) was topped with a bean salad, mexican cheese and cilantro. overall, the difference in taste between the 00 flour crust and the all-purpose flour crust (both recipes below) was pretty minimal. regardless, it still may be a fun idea to try again, either with a different 00 flour brand, or incorporating it into pasta rather than pizza.

pizza again

pizza
dough recipe from The Fresh Loaf.

00 pizza dough (makes 3 pizzas)
500 gr 00 flour
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
375 gr water (weighed, not measured)
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. whisk the dry ingredients together to get them evenly incorporated and add the water and olive oil. mix until combined and knead for just a minute or two.

2. let rest loosely covered in a large bowl at room temperature for 20 minutes. knead, and let rest for another 20 minutes. repeat this process two more times. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight.

3. the following day, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. if you want to use the dough immediately, let it rest a room temperature for 2 hours before attempting to shape and bake. the dough can also be kept in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several weeks.

olive oil pizza dough (from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. makes 4 pizzas)
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a large bowl. mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon or in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

2. cover the bowl and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours. the dough can be used immediately, though it is easier to use when chilled in the refrigerator (dough can be stored for 2 weeks).

making the pizza
1. on the day you want to make the pizza, two hours before baking, remove your dough from the refrigerator and divide it into equal pieces. flatten into rough discs, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.

2. twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550 F, with your baking stone(s) on the bottom shelf. dust a working surface with flour and flatten the dough with a rolling pin or stretch it with your hands. dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and lay the shaped dough down. cover with toppings.

3. slide the pizza from the peel to the baking stone and bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted completely. let cool a few minutes before slicing and enjoying.

34 replies on “00 flour pizza”

wow, so cool! I love Kalustyan’s but had never heard of 00 flour. I’m really excited to try it now – thanks!

I used to make homemade pizza when my children were small. Now they are grown and I don’t cook anymore. My husband has taken over that job. He is not that adventurous in cooking.

Wow! I had no idea about 00 flour! What a great information. I will have to look for it. I love making my own pizza as well. I still haven’t tried grilling pizza dough. Sounds so amazing though. I will have to try it. Thanks for this recipe.

What a beautiful, beautiful pizza and crust. There is an Italian market here in Austin that I’ve been planning to visit just to buy 00 flour. It’s nice to know that there isn’t a huge difference. I still am curious, though, but now I know I don’t have to hurry to get the flour :).

i’ve been researching homemade pizza to find the best recipes for a family reunion this summer. a lot of people swear by cast iron to make the best crust in the oven. have you ever tried this method?

i haven’t tried it before, but i do have a dutch oven, so i think i may give it shot next time. the dutch oven has always worked well for regular bread for me.

what type of dutch oven do you use –never made bread before . never used dough relaxer either—just tring not to waste time and money making my homemade pizza for thirty family members who have no problem telling me when something is not good (smile)

This is something I’m definitely going to try. I want s badly to be able to make good dough. I have, in my 15 years of cooking, been able to make a successful pizza from scratch. Thanks for the recipe!

yeah, the girl got a dslr, and she’s kind enough to let me borrow it (and snap a few pics herself), so i figured it was time to make them a bit bigger.

Wow! I will have to look for this flour. I am sure we have it here in town. We have a large Italian poplulation.

I have found the 00 flour but have trouble converting the grams to cups and ounces? any suggestions

thanks for the link to Kalustyan’s–it’s incredible how many things they sell!
As for pizza, have you had potato and onion pizza flavored with rosemary? I first heard of it and tried it in Italy. I remember thinking the carb-on-carb concept was too decadent, and wouldn’t work. I was wrong. It’s awesome! Now I need to get me some of that 00-flour 🙂

We are really into making pizza lately, too. This weekend we did a bbq chicken, caramelized onion, and pineapple pizza- yum! You can buy OO flour at Balducci’s in the Washington Area (McLean, Alexandria). I haven’t used it in pizza dough- I usually use bread flour– but it would be worth a try.

I’ve tried my hand at pizza twice…two different recipes and I didn’t like either. Although, the second wasn’t as bad as the cornmeal crust pizza. Looking at your pizza here makes me want to try making one again.

Hi I’m Simona! I’m from Italy….the land of PIZZA :-). I’ve just visited this blog and I read this receipe… I found it interesting and I will try it!
Bye!!
simona

i have just learned about the 00 Flour and found it very difficult to find. King Arthur Brand makes an Italian flour that is suppose to be very similar (never have using the original it is hard for me to compare) The taste is awesome, but found the dough a little soft, rips easy, have to be very gentle when stretching. Today I am mixing bread flour with the KA to see if works better….

Re: a hot oven for baking pizza, have you tried the cast iron fry pan technique? The Washington Post had an article about it in yesterday’s food section, but it was written up in the “serious eats” blog a few year’s ago, and it’s the technique I’ve been using since I read it there . . . except that instead of using my cast iron skillet, I use my cast iron griddle and don’t have to turn it upside down. Turn on the broiler, and heat it up the cast iron griddle (or fry pan) on the stove top while I’m forming and topping the pizza, put the griddle (or fry pan upside down) under the broiler (with nothing on it yet) for about 5 minutes, then slide the pizza onto the griddle or pan bottom, slide under broiler — pizza is ready in about 3 minutes! BTW, I use your white sauce recipe and LOVE it!

Hi Pete, if you are ever looking for 00 flour in DC, check out Vace in Cleveland Park. I got a bag there last month, but have been too lazy to make pizza yet. They also have semolina flour, which is great for pasta.

The pictures look fantastic 🙂
I was just wondering what the topping is for the 1st large picture, are they basil leaves with mozarella? Is there anything else on there at all?

Hey Pete I have to tell you it is so nice to have your website to refer back too and tis the coolest I’ve seen..I ran across your web over a year ago and book marked it and even passed it along to this guy in Montana @ a Tastes of Home show that I went to while visiting with my daughter and her family..I ask that guy sitting next to me if he liked to cook too and he said yes, I am a baker. Well of course that triggered me(granma) telling him bout “Pete Bakes”..He seemed genuinely interested and jotted down your addy I gave him..By the way my 14 yr old grandson is a baker too he was so excited to get to go to the Taste of Homes show too..He sure loves to cook and has since he was a lil guy..I’ve baked most of your recipes and they are excellent..Now am going to try your bagel recipe..Thank you so much for sharing your baking talent..Happy baking!!! Bke(granma) from Tx.

Thanks, Pete. I’ve been looking forward to making pizza at home for a while. However, I couldn’t find the “00” flour anywhere. I was in NY this weekend and picked up a couple of bags at Kalustyan’s. Thanks for directing me letting me know where I could buy it. Looking forward to making pizza this weekend. Tell Emily the travel guy from Abt says hi.

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