Guide
00 flour vs strong white flour for pizza
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In short
For a hot pizza oven at 400°C to 450°C, Italian 00 pizza flour gives the soft, tender, lightly crisp crust of Neapolitan pizza. Strong white bread flour works well too, especially in a home oven, and gives a chewier crust that browns more easily. Many cooks use a mix, or start with strong white and move to 00 for a pizza oven.
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UK supermarkets sell two flours that people use for pizza: Italian-style 00 and British strong white bread flour. Recipes often insist on one or the other. The truth is both make good pizza, but they behave differently, and the right choice depends on your oven. This guide explains what the labels mean and how to choose.
What 00 actually means
In Italy, flour is graded by how finely it is milled and how much of the grain is extracted. 00 is the finest grade, a very soft, powdery white flour. The 00 label says nothing about protein on its own: there are 00 flours for cakes and for pasta as well as for pizza.
For pizza, look for a 00 labelled as pizza flour or for pizza napoletana, which is milled from wheat with enough protein for a stretchy dough. Check the protein on the nutrition panel; pizza 00 flours are typically around 11 % to 13 %.
What strong white flour is
Strong white bread flour is a UK term for flour milled from hard wheat with higher protein, usually around 12 % to 14 %. It forms a lot of gluten, which gives bread its chew and rise. It is widely available and usually cheaper than imported pizza flour.
Plain flour, by contrast, is lower in protein and makes a weaker, more tearing dough. It is not ideal for pizza on its own.
Side by side
General differences; individual brands vary, so read the protein figure on the bag.
| Point | 00 pizza flour | Strong white flour |
|---|---|---|
| Grind | Very fine | Standard |
| Typical protein | About 11 % to 13 % | About 12 % to 14 % |
| Dough feel | Silky, extensible | Stronger, more elastic |
| In a 450°C oven | Soft, tender, light char | Chewier, can be bready |
| In a 250°C home oven | Can stay pale | Browns well, crisp |
| Water absorption | A little lower | A little higher |
In a pizza oven
Pizza 00 flour is designed for very high heat. Most contain little or no added malt, so they do not brown too fast in a 60 to 90 second bake. The fine grind and balanced gluten give a crust that is crisp outside and soft inside, with the classic puffy, spotted rim.
Strong white flour in a pizza oven gives a chewier, breadier crust. It can char faster on the rim. If you only have strong white, it still makes very good pizza; use slightly more water, around 63 % to 65 %, and give it a long cold ferment to relax the gluten. See pizza dough hydration explained.
In a home oven
In a kitchen oven at 250°C, the bake takes 6 to 10 minutes. 00 pizza flours can stay pale because they are built to brown at much higher temperatures. Strong white flour, or a mix, often browns better and gives a crisper base at home. A little oil and a pinch of sugar in the dough help with colour.
Using a stone or steel helps either flour; see are pizza stones worth it and how to use a pizza stone at home.
Mixing flours
Many home cooks blend the two. A 50:50 mix of 00 and strong white gives a dough that is easier to stretch than pure strong white and browns better than pure 00 at moderate heat. Some add 10 % to 20 % semolina or a little wholemeal for flavour.
If your dough springs back, there may be too much strong flour; if it tears, too little. See pizza dough shrinking back and pizza dough tearing or too sticky. Use our dough calculator to keep quantities consistent.
One 250 g dough ball
- Flour
- 151.5 g · 100 %
- Water
- 93.9 g · 62 %
- Salt
- 4.2 g · 2.8 %
- Yeast
- 0.3 g · 0.2 %
Which to buy
If you have a pizza oven that reaches 400°C or more, buy a 00 flour labelled for pizza and follow our Neapolitan dough method. If you bake in a kitchen oven or an electric pizza oven around 300°C to 400°C, strong white or a 00 mix works well.
Still choosing an oven? Compare best outdoor pizza ovens and best electric pizza ovens for indoors.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use plain flour for pizza? It works in a pinch but makes a weaker dough that tears. Mix with strong white if you can.
Is 00 flour the same as cake flour? The 00 grade refers to grind, not protein. Some 00 flours are for cakes; choose one labelled for pizza.
Do I need different water amounts? Strong white usually absorbs slightly more water than 00. Adjust by 2 % to 3 %.
Which flour gives the crispiest base? Base crispness is mostly about stone heat. In a home oven, strong white browns more easily.
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