Choosing the Right Flour for Your Pizza Style
Not all flour is created equal. When it comes to pizza, it's the quiet hero that can make or break your dough. You could have the freshest toppings, the best sauce, and a blazing hot oven, but if your flour isn't right for your style of pizza, you're already playing catch up.
Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense. Whether you’re chasing the perfect Neapolitan pizza or experimenting with crunchier crusts or wholegrain twists, choosing the right flour is where it all starts.
What Makes Flour So Important?
Flour isn’t just filler. It’s structure, texture, flavour and fermentation all rolled into one. It holds the water, develops gluten, and gives your dough its backbone. It affects chewiness, rise, how well your base cooks at high heat, and even how your dough tastes the next day.
The secret sits in the protein content.
Protein determines the strength of the gluten network in your dough. More protein means more chew. Less protein means a softer, more delicate crumb. The kind of pizza you’re aiming for decides what sort of flour you should reach for.
Tipo 00: The Gold Standard for Neapolitan Pizza
If you’ve been to one of our masterclasses or followed our process online, you’ll already know. We love Caputo Tipo 00 flour. It’s the real deal from Naples and has been perfected over generations with one purpose in mind: pizza.
Tipo 00, or "double zero", doesn’t mean low protein. It refers to how finely the flour is milled. In Italy, flour is graded from 2 (coarse) to 00 (super fine). Tipo 00 feels like silk between your fingers. That fine texture helps create the soft, pliable dough that’s essential for true Neapolitan pizza.
But here’s the twist. There’s more than one kind of Caputo Tipo 00. Luke uses a mix of different Caputo flours, adjusting the balance depending on the season, the humidity, and the style of dough we’re working on.
Some Caputo blends are designed for longer fermentation, like the Caputo Pizzeria or Chef’s Flour. Others are ideal for quicker bakes or home ovens. It's the combination, not just the flour itself, that Luke has refined over years of hands-on pizza-making.
High Gluten Flours: Chewy, Strong, and Great for NY-Style
If you love a New York-style slice that’s foldable, chewy and has a bit more bite, high-gluten flours are your friend. These flours usually sit around 13 to 14 percent protein, compared to Tipo 00's typical 11 to 12.5 percent.
That extra strength gives you more structure, which means bigger bubbles, stretchier dough and a firmer base that holds up to heavier toppings. It’s great for larger pizzas and commercial-style ovens. Just keep in mind, higher protein also means your dough needs longer fermentation to let that gluten relax and fully develop.
Wholegrain and Blended Flours: Earthy, Nutty, and Hearty
Adding wholegrain or spelt flour into your mix gives your pizza an extra layer of flavour. Think nutty, rustic and rich. These flours are a bit trickier though. Wholegrain flours absorb more water and tend to be heavier, which can weigh down your dough if you don’t balance it with a strong white flour base.
Our tip is to blend 10 to 20 percent wholegrain with Tipo 00 or a strong bread flour. That way you get the beautiful colour and flavour without compromising on structure or rise.
All Purpose Flour: Can It Work?
Short answer, yes. But with limits.
All purpose flour can work if you’re making a quick home pizza or focaccia-style dough. It usually has less protein, around 10 to 11 percent, which means less chew and less strength. That said, it’s fine for softer styles or beginner bakes.
Just don’t expect it to hold up like Tipo 00 in extreme heat. It’s not built for that kind of pressure.
A Bit of History from Naples
Flour in Naples has always been sacred, Neapolitan pizzaioli were perfecting their craft using local wheat and stone ground techniques. They weren’t focused on protein percentages. They judged by feel. Dough was fermented slowly, shaped by hand, and baked in fire. The flour was simply the starting point for something bigger.
Today, top Neapolitan flour producers like Caputo carry on that legacy. Their mills balance tradition with precision, and every bag tells a story of generations behind the craft.
Where to Buy Great Pizza Flour in Australia
You don’t need to book a flight to Naples to get proper flour.
Here are a few great Aussie suppliers:
Lario International – A great range of Caputo flours and Italian imports
Five Star Chef – Stocks Caputo and other premium pizza gear
Basic Ingredients – Based in Brisbane and ships Australia-wide
Amazon AU or Chef’s Hat – Handy for smaller bags and fast delivery
Look out for Caputo Pizzeria, Chef’s Flour, or Nuvola depending on your needs.
How to Store Your Flour
To keep your flour fresh and ready to use:
Store it in a cool, dry place
Use airtight containers once opened
Label the date so you know how long you’ve had it
Avoid refrigerating or freezing unless your kitchen is very humid, as it can affect moisture levels
Final Crumb
The truth is, great dough starts well before the kneading. It starts with understanding your flour. Whether you’re going full Neapolitan with Tipo 00, blending high-gluten for structure, or getting creative with wholegrains, your choice of flour shapes every step that follows.
Luke has spent years testing, mixing and adjusting flours to get it just right. In our masterclasses, you’ll feel the difference yourself.
Because the best pizza doesn’t begin in the oven. It begins with the dough.