The production process begins with four to five different types of wheat grain. This grain is ground by machine, using steel rollers, and then the fragments pass through a sieve. These fragments are then forced through tighter rollers and finer sieves to produce softer flour-the process is done repeatedly until the grain (or tender) has been sifted into four to five different types of flour. Afterwards, all that remains in the machine is the bran, which is useful as animal feed.
The coarsest flour passed through only the loosest rollers and is called Type 2: the finest flour passed through all of the rollers, including the tightest, and is called Type 00. Once Type 00 flour is unloaded, the rest of the flour can be either unloaded as well-or reprocessed. The flour can be run through the equipment as many times as the miller wants: the entire batch can be made into Type 00 flour if necessary.
In any case, flourmills normally produce four types of flour: Type 2, coarse flour; Type 1, fine flour; Type 0, very fine flour; and Type 00, the finest flour of all. Here’s how it translates to American terms:
Italian USType 00 Pastry Flour
Type 0 All-Purpose Flour
Type 1 High-Gluten Flour
Type 2 First Clear Flour
Farina integrale di grano tenero White Whole Wheat
As pizza makers, we’re aiming for Type 00 flour.
Flour is made up of starch, fiber, fat, and protein. We’re particularly interested in the protein, which comes in two forms: glutinin and gliadin. These proteins determine the three properties of flour: strength (W), elasticity (L), and resistance (P).
To measure these three characteristics, we use a machine called a Chopin alveograph. The flour is mixed with water and a bit of salt, and the resulting dough is allowed to stand for 15 minutes at 25 degrees. Afterwards it is spread thinly on the testing bed, where the machine stretches it to its breaking point. The resulting data show the strength and flexibility of the flour and determine the uses for which it is best suited.
Strength is important because it dictates how much water the flour absorbs. If the flour has a high value of W, it is dense with gluten and will absorb a great deal of water, making it slower to rise. If it has a low value of W, it will make weak dough, which rises quickly and is inconsistent and resistant when leavened. If the flour has a high value of L, it will be more elastic and resistant.
Good flour for pizza has medium strength and a value of W between 180 and 260. The exact value depends on the length of the rising time and on the room temperature: when the room temperature is more than 19 ° c,10%-20% of type 0 flour with a value of W 350+, is added to type 00 flour to produce an optimal result, the dough is more workable and resistant, and is excellent for pizza.
The strength, elasticity, and resistance of flour are not indicated on the packaging: the law does not allow it. However, it’s easy to contact manufacturers over the Internet and request the information, and if you’re serious about pizza, you should do so.
If clothes make the man, then flour makes the pizza. That is, good expensive flour is like an Armani suit: both are excellent choices.
Again, dough is the foundation of pizza. The toppings may differ, but good pizza always starts with good dough. Dough is so important, in fact, that the work that goes into it is 70% of the entire pizza-making process. That’s a lot of effort, and it should only go into the best flour.
It’s tempting to buy cheaply and save money. Of the many restaurant owners I’ve worked with, I’ve certainly known a few who got their flour for less than 20 cents a kilo. I won’t mention their names, of course, because it would embarrass them: low-quality flour always results in low-quality pizza.
Working with the good stuff is rewarding in so many ways. With high-quality flour, you’re already halfway to high-quality pizza. You’ll know the difference, and so will your customers. The flour may cost more than 30 cents a kilo, but if it’s worth the price, then it’s worth the expense. If an Armani suit can be the difference between looking average and looking like Brad Pitt, then an extra 10 cents a kilo can be the difference between a pizzeria that does okay and a pizzeria that’s booming.
Buying flour is not like buying cars: there are no luxury brands of flour. Choosing an economy car instead of a sports car is often a good choice, but choosing cheap flour instead of expensive flour (or even average-priced flour) is never a good choice. There is bad flour and there is good flour, and only one kind produces the Ferrari of pizzas.