You're Using The Wrong Flour For Pizza Dough — Use These Types Instead

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There may not be a better person to take pizza-making advice from than a literal pizza champion. Tony Gemignani is a 13-time World Pizza Champion and chef owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. According to Gemignani, if you're using all-purpose flour for your pizza dough, you may want to trade it for another type to achieve more authentic results.

"If you're making styles like classic Italian, Roman, pan, or New York-style pizza in a home oven, you'll want a flour with higher protein and gluten content. Options like King Arthur Sir Lancelot, Tony's "00" California Artisan flour, or Gusto's High Performer are great choices, as they develop stronger structure and bake more effectively at lower temperatures," says Gemignani. In a home oven, pizza is typically baked between 450 and 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Although this may not seem like a "lower temperature" (especially since 550 degrees is the hottest setting most home ovens reach), it's lower compared to high-heat ovens, which can reach up to 1,000 degrees. Because this lower heat doesn't create the same char, Gemignani recommends incorporating a browning agent into the dough — such as a diastatic malt, sugar, or honey to achieve proper color and flavor.

If you're aiming for an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza crust — thin, chewy (but not too chewy) crust, rustically shaped with char on the bottom — while using a high-heat oven like Ooni or Roccbox, Gemignani says a "00" (double zero) flour like the brand Caputo "00" Blue, is ideal. This is because "00" flour is designed to withstand high temperatures better than other flours can.

If you're using a home oven but the higher protein flours Gemignani recommends aren't accessible for you, he also offers helpful tips for getting similar results with all-purpose flour. "If you're working with standard all-purpose flour, you can strengthen it by adding vital wheat gluten to increase the protein content." To create the kind of crispy bottom crust a higher-protein flour would normally produce, Gemignani also recommends baking your pizza on a pizza stone or pizza steel (Julia Child found her pizza stone at a home improvement store). For additional authentic texture and to prevent sticking, Gemignani says to dust your pizza stone with semolina flour or cornmeal before placing your dough on top. And just as you would add a browning agent to higher protein flours in a home oven, you'll need to do the same with all-purpose flour.

When using all-purpose flour in a high-heat oven (above 700 degrees), you'll want to aim for 60% to 67% hydration in the dough; wet enough to blister but not too wet to handle. This helps prevent a dry, tough crust from occurring. Dough made with all-purpose flour going into a high-heat oven also benefits from cold fermentation (at least 24 hours, but ideally 48 to 72 hours), which builds structure and creates a more workable dough that produces a tender crust instead of a dry, overly-chewy one. As a bonus, the cold fermentation enhances flavor.