Published: 2026-04-20 | 9
I get this question more than any other in my DMs. Right behind oven temperature, but barely. The flour aisle is overwhelming on purpose, every brand wants you to think their bag is special. Most aren't. Here's the actual answer in one place: which flour for which pizza, what protein percentage really means, and the three brands I keep in my kitchen at all times.
That's the whole chart. Want to know why? Keep reading.
When flour mixes with water, two proteins in it (glutenin and gliadin) combine to form gluten, the elastic network that makes pizza dough stretchy. More protein = more potential gluten = stronger, chewier dough that can hold more water.
The protein % on the bag tells you exactly how much gluten potential your flour has. This one number is more useful than any marketing claim on the package.
Protein: 12-13%. My default for 90% of pizza.
Bread flour makes chewy, structured dough that can handle the 60-68% hydration range. It bakes into a crust that has bite without being tough. If you only buy one flour for pizza, buy bread flour. It works for NY slices, bar pies, Detroit, grandma, Sicilian, and every variation of those.
Protein: 11-12.5%. The "zero zero" refers to grind fineness, not protein.
00 flour is finely milled Italian flour designed specifically for Neapolitan pizza. The fine grind creates an incredibly extensible dough that stretches effortlessly, you can pull a 250g dough ball into a 12-inch circle without tearing. It's engineered for the high-heat, short-bake environment of a 900°F wood oven.
Caputo "Pizzeria" (blue bag) is the industry standard. If a Neapolitan pizzeria has an Italian flour, it's probably Caputo. Blue bag for restaurants/home, red bag for pro wood ovens, green bag for lower-heat applications.
Should you use 00 for NY style? You can. It'll be fine. But the fine grind and lower protein of 00 produces a slightly softer, less chewy crust than bread flour. For a chewy NY bite, bread flour wins.
Protein: 9-11%. Don't use it for NY-style.
All-purpose flour is designed to be passable at everything and excellent at nothing. For pizza, that means it makes a soft, weak dough that can't hold up to cheese weight, tears when you stretch it, and bakes into a dense, limp crust.
The exception: Chicago tavern pizza and cracker crust styles actually benefit from lower protein. The goal with those styles is a thin, crackly, snap-breaks crust, too much gluten produces chew, which you don't want. All-purpose is the right call for tavern pizzas specifically.
Protein: 14%+. Specialized use.
High-gluten flours like King Arthur Special or Central Milling High Mountain are for when you want to push hydration above 70%. The extra gluten network absorbs more water without the dough falling apart. If you're exploring Detroit, Sicilian, or al taglio, this flour lets you go higher on water and still have a workable dough.
Don't start with high-gluten. It's an intermediate tool. Nail bread flour first, then explore.
5-10% whole wheat in your blend = more flavor, no texture penalty. Swapping a small percentage of your bread flour for whole wheat, rye, or spelt adds nutty complexity without making the dough dense. Above 15%, the bran fragments start cutting into gluten strands and you lose structure.
Einkorn is Dave's personal favorite for projects outside pizza (he's made einkorn Oreos for his kids). For pizza it's too soft, stick with bread flour for crust.
Yes, with small hydration tweaks:
King Arthur Bread Flour. If I was stranded on a desert island with one flour and a pizza oven, that's the one. It makes a great NY pie, a great bar pie, a passable Neapolitan (though 00 would be better), and an excellent Detroit. It's the universal tool.
Yes, but it won't have the classic chewy NY bite. 00 is engineered for the high-heat Neapolitan environment. For NY style in a home oven at 550°F, bread flour produces a better result.
King Arthur Bread Flour. It's forgiving, widely available, and works for 90% of pizza styles. Start there. Explore other flours later.
Only if you're making Neapolitan pizza in an outdoor oven that hits 700°F+. In a home oven at 550°F, the extra extensibility of Caputo doesn't really come through, bread flour makes a better home pie.
Usually not the flour, usually the fermentation. A 24-72 hour cold ferment develops dramatically more flavor than a same-day dough. See /blog/48-vs-72-hour-cold-ferment.
Absolutely. 85% bread flour + 10% whole wheat + 5% rye is a great pizza blend that adds complexity without sacrificing structure. Start with 10% swaps and adjust.