Italian Type 00 Flour
1.010× absorption · 11.00–12.50% protein · hydration 58–68%
For sourdough, Italian Type 00 Flour works best at 58–68% hydration. With 11.00–12.50% protein, it absorbs about 1% more water than standard bread flour.
- Protein
- 11.00–12.50%
- Absorption
- 1.010×
- Hydration range
- 58–68%
- Category
- refined-wheat
What is Italian Type 00 Flour?
Italian Type 00 is the finest-ground wheat flour category in the Italian classification system. Low ash content (0.45% max), very fine particle size, protein typically 11-12.5% for pizza and 13-14% for bread variants. Caputo's Pizzeria 00 (11-12%) is the global reference for Neapolitan pizza dough. Caputo Pizza Napoletana Cuoco (13-13.5%) is the bread-focused variant. Absorption is marginally higher than bread flour (1%) due to fine grind. Optimal for pizza (60-65% hydration), focaccia (75-80%), and sandwich loaves (65-68%).
How do you bake with Italian Type 00 Flour?
Minimal autolyse (15-20 min) — fine grind hydrates quickly. For Neapolitan pizza: 60-62% hydration, 24-48h cold bulk, short proof, extreme heat bake. For bread: treat like AP or bread flour depending on protein spec.
What hydration % for Italian Type 00 Flour?
Baker's-percentage workable range: 58% — 68%. Absorption is 1.010× bread-flour baseline, so recipes written for bread flour need 1% more water when substituting Italian Type 00 Flour.
Used in pizza dough styles
Italian Type 00 Flour is the canonical flour for the following pizza styles (per their authoritative source citations):
- Neapolitan (Pizza Napoletana) — 60% hydration · no oil · 905°F
- Roman Al Taglio (Pizza by the Slice) — 80% hydration · 3% oil · 525°F
- Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) — 78% hydration · 6% oil · 500°F
Related references on this site
- Italian Type 00 Flour at 65% hydration — formula — calculator pre-set with this flour and hydration combination
- Italian Type 00 Flour hydration range deep-dive — 58-68% workable range with technique notes
- Bread Flour — hydration & absorption — same refined wheat family — compare protein and water behaviour
- All-Purpose Flour — hydration & absorption — same refined wheat family — compare protein and water behaviour
- Organic Bread Flour — hydration & absorption — same refined wheat family — compare protein and water behaviour
- Signature bake: Neapolitan pizza — the bake Type 00 was milled for — 65% hydration worked formula
- Full comparison: Italian Type 00 Flour vs Bread Flour — side-by-side protein, absorption, and hydration-range differences
- Full comparison: Italian Type 00 Flour vs All-Purpose Flour — side-by-side protein, absorption, and hydration-range differences
- Guide: baker's percentage explained — how protein, absorption, and hydration combine in the math
- Guide: whole-grain hydration adjustments — absorption multipliers for whole-wheat, rye, spelt, einkorn
- All flour types — grouped by category (refined, whole-wheat, rye, ancient-grain)
- Reverse calculator: water → hydration % — you have a flour-and-water weight, want the hydration
- Water temperature calculator — your flour temperature is an input — land the dough at the target
- Hydration chart by bread type — typical hydration % for every loaf, at a glance
The gear that makes the math work
A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.
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Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)View on Amazon →- Dutch oven / combo cookerView on Amazon →
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Italian Type 00 Flour at every hydration level
Italian Type 00 Flour usually works between 58% and 68% hydration — drier gives a stiffer dough, wetter a slacker one. Tap a level for the technique, the absorption math and a calculator set to it.
| Hydration | Water per 500 g | For Italian Type 00 Flour |
|---|---|---|
| 55% | 275 g | Drier than usual |
| 60% | 300 g | In its range |
| 65% | 325 g | In its range |
| 70% | 350 g | Wetter than usual |
| 72% | 360 g | Wetter than usual |
| 75% | 375 g | Wetter than usual |
| 78% | 390 g | Wetter than usual |
| 80% | 400 g | Wetter than usual |
| 82% | 410 g | Wetter than usual |
| 85% | 425 g | Wetter than usual |
| 90% | 450 g | Wetter than usual |
| 95% | 475 g | Wetter than usual |