- Antipasti
- Bella Italia
- Dessert
- Drinks
- Favorite Italian recipes
- Main courses
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Side dishes and salad
- Tips & Knowledge
Pizza flour from Italy – a comparison
We frequently receive questions about the Italian pizza flours from Caputo in our store. The following brief portraits are intended to help you understand the differences - and more importantly the use of the individual flours - at a glance.
Type 405 flour – the biggest pile of flour in the supermarket. We sometimes notice in the corner of our eye that other flours exist, but we don’t bother with them. Why should we? 405. Always works. Or does it?
Basically, if you want to make a dough, you can use any flour. Yes, any flour! You will always end up with some kind of cake, bread, pizza, etc. However, the quality of the baked goods can vary enormously…
But which flour is the right one? Especially for perfect pizza? That’s not so easy to find out. There is baker’s Latin: a cryptic language of type designations, W-values, P-values and so on. When it comes to Italian flour, it’s different again because the Italians classify their flours differently to us. They speak a different baker’s Latin, so to speak.
The good news? You don’t have to learn baker’s Latin. Just take a look at the list here and quickly find out which Italian flour is best for your purpose.
Caputo Cuoco -Pizza flour Tipo 00
Use: All-rounder, from pizza to pastries
Special feature: Ideal for longer walking times.
- Protein content: 13-14%
- W value (baking thickness): 300-320
- P/L value (elasticity): 0.50-0.60
- High protein content and strong hydration capacity
Caputo Classica – Pizza flour Tipo 00
Use: Quick pizza dough, white bread, tart or sponge dough
Special feature: Ideal for short rising times
- from soft wheat
- rapid hydration and stretchable gluten ensure optimum proofing of the dough in just a few hours
- Protein content 11-12% (relatively low protein content)
- W value (baking thickness) 200-230
- P/L value (elasticity) 0.50-0.60
Caputo Pizzeria – Pizza flour Tipo 00
Use: For genuine Neapolitan pizza
Special feature: This flour has been specially developed for the needs of pizzaioli in Naples, i.e. for a dense, soft, stretchy dough
- from the best quality soft wheat grains
- Protein content: 12-12.5%
- W-value (baking thickness): 260-280
- P/L value (elasticity): 0.50-0.60
Caputo Nuvola – Pizza flour Tipo 0
Use: For pizza with an extremely high, fluffy crust
Special feature: The strong baking flour makes doughs with fluffy volume – thanks to the natural fermentation capacity of specially selected wheat grains
- from soft wheat
- Protein content: 12-13%
- W value (baking thickness): 270-290
- P/L value (elasticity): 0.50-0.60
Caputo Manitoba flour
Use: for confectionery pastries (e.g. panettone) or added to other Caputo flours to increase the protein content
Special feature: made from the “Manitoba” wheat variety, which is particularly rich in protein, for elastic doughs
- Protein content: 14-14.5%
- W value (baking thickness): 360-380
- P/L value (elasticity): 0.45-0.55
- Ideal for longer walking times
Caputo Pasta fresca e Gnocchi – for pasta dough
Uses: For fresh pasta and gnocchi
Properties: Can hold a lot of moisture, for white, shiny dough with a long shelf life
- Protein content: 12-12.5%
- W-value (baking thickness): 260-280
- P/L value (elasticity): 0.70-0.80
Want to share your thoughts? We're excited to hear what you think of the article. Tell us about your ideas, tips or questions! Leave a comment and share your knowledge with the community. Your opinion counts.
Write a comment