What flour do you use in pizza and where do you get it?

[admin]

I've been using plain white, but I read about Type 00 and all sorts of stuff that I can't actually get.

So, I'd like to use something that I can get if it's more appropriate than plain white.

[Padraic]

Little Italy is where we get ours: http://littleitalyltd.com/collections/flour/products/62

It's just down the road from me here. Well worth a look, some decent ham and salami for toppings too if that's what you like.

The only other place of seen the OO flour is in Fallon and Byrne but they aren't price competitive!

Let me know when the pizzas are on and I'll make my way out leixlip!

[Chris]

Tesco do 00 flour it's labelled "pizza and pasta flour". It does make a difference. Otherwise use strong white flour. This is the recipe i use. its better fresh but can be frozen. The trick is to rest the dough twice.
- 650g Italian 00 flour (strong white flour)
- 7g sachet of yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 25ml olive oil
- 50ml warm milk
- 325ml warm water
1 teaspoon white sugar (optional)

[Garry]

I just use plain white flour. I add some oat bran to lower the GI a bit!

This will make enough dough for 4 very thin bases. Or 3 normal bases.

300g white flour
75g oat bran
7g dried yeast (beer yeast works fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp castor sugar (or dextrose )
3 tbl spoons olive oil
200ml warm water

Mix it all up and knead for 10 to 15 min. Put in a large clean bowl and cover with cling film. Leave somewhere warm for an hour and it should double in size. Now divide up into 4 pieces. Roll out the base and freeze what you don't need.

[RichC]

I have Roma tip 00 that I bought in tesco maynooth

[Dara]

Whatever your mix I reckon half '00' and half plain/strong flour if you are making it in an electric oven.  I've found all '00' makes it a bit too bready/dense. Half and half makes it nice and light.  Apparently this is to do with the temps on an electric, 250degC whereas somewhere around 350-400 in a woodburning pizza oven which apparently the '00' needs. Have also found that it works better if kneaded then frozen, thawed and rolled.

Don't use water to clean the pizza stone either - saw your thread on them so presume you bought one.  Just brush the burnt shite of them after use. The water permeates into the stone then cracks it later when heated. I bought two stones and both are in bits at this stage. They are thin ones, around 15mm thick.

Dara

[Andrew]

Yeah, Tipo 00 (also use for pasta). Got it from the Italian place behind Powerscourt TownHouse (turn let as you go out the back)

[ColmR]

Odlums strong white flour does the job. High protein. Cooking pizza is all about the oven IMO.

[Bubbles]

I've never used the 00 flour - I use half strong white flour and half plain flour for my bases, as per the River Cottage Bread handbook. (I'd highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in bread making..)

A crispy base is everything - for this I use a pre-heated perforated pizza pan and whack the oven up full to Gas 7. It gives good results, but obviously not as good as a commercial or wood-fired oven.

For me the toppings are everything. The trick is to get something really fresh onto it before the pizza is served. Fresh rocket leaves are my favourite. Take  the pizza out and garnish with lots of proscuitto, rocket, shaved parmesan, black pepper and really expensive olive oil. Though my latest thing is a Tuscan salami called finochiona. It's spiked with fennel seeds. I love it along with a fennel-spiked tomato sauce, fresh red chilli, parmesan, rocket, garlic, and olive oil infused with lemon zest. It's the business.

Oh... and anyone who turns their nose up at a bit of good old "ham & pineapple" doesn't know what they're missing. Inauthentic it may be, but salty ham with sweet pineapple. Marriage parfait, as they say in Belgium. 

[johnrm]

I'm not sure what's in 00, but it's the gluten in Strong White that makes it great for pizza.
I've heard 00 mentioned before so I'm guessing it had a high gluten content also.

[Eoin]

00 is the size of silk screen that the flour is passed through.
If you've ever been to Amsterdam you might have heard of zerozero, same reason.

[christhebrewer]

Extra strong baker's flour. I had a 16kg bag from Odlums a while ago but it has gone up a lot in price. I've nearly finished my current 16kg bag which is Shackelton's, from a supplier in Cork. Great flour in my small experience. About €18 a bag.
I've also made pasta with it but 00 is better. So for me it's extra strong for bread and 00 for pasta.
Will I look into a group buy for flour? We might get a good price and it's hard to get in 16kg bags.

[Eoin]

I can get Strong flour from the local Netpol Polski shop for 99 cent for 1kg typ 550 strong flour. So this stuff is cheaper again than the 16kg sack...... If the price of a group buy were to drop it substantially below that I'd be interested in a bag.

[christhebrewer]

I will try the local Polski shops. That makes loads of sense. I wonder would the do a deal on a big lot?

[christhebrewer]

No idea. I had Odlums first and then Shackeltons. Both extra strong. I was very happy with both. Do we grow enough wheat in this country to make flour? What brand is the flour from the Polish shop?