Flour reference · refined wheat

Italian Type 00 Flour

1.010× absorption · 11.00–12.50% protein · hydration 58–68%

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Protein
11.00–12.50%
Absorption
1.010×
Hydration range
58–68%
Category
refined-wheat

About Italian Type 00 Flour

Italian Type 00 is the finest-ground wheat flour category in the Italian classification system. Low ash content (0.45% max), very fine particle size, protein typically 11-12.5% for pizza and 13-14% for bread variants. Caputo's Pizzeria 00 (11-12%) is the global reference for Neapolitan pizza dough. Caputo Pizza Napoletana Cuoco (13-13.5%) is the bread-focused variant. Absorption is marginally higher than bread flour (1%) due to fine grind. Optimal for pizza (60-65% hydration), focaccia (75-80%), and sandwich loaves (65-68%).

Technique

Minimal autolyse (15-20 min) — fine grind hydrates quickly. For Neapolitan pizza: 60-62% hydration, 24-48h cold bulk, short proof, extreme heat bake. For bread: treat like AP or bread flour depending on protein spec.

Hydration guide for Italian Type 00 Flour

Baker's-percentage workable range: 58% — 68%. Absorption is 1.010× bread-flour baseline, so recipes written for bread flour need 1% more water when substituting Italian Type 00 Flour.

Full hydration guide for Italian Type 00 Flour →

Used in pizza dough styles

Italian Type 00 Flour is the canonical flour for the following pizza styles (per their authoritative source citations):

Related references on this site

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

  • Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)

    Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.

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  • Dutch oven / combo cooker

    Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.

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  • Banneton proofing basket

    Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.

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  • Bread lame + bench scraper

    A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.

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  • High-protein bread flour

    The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.

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  • Danish dough whisk

    Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.

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🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

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