What type of flour makes the best Pizza?

Summary

In this video, the host conducts a comprehensive test to explore the impact of different types of flour on pizza quality. Comparing bleached and unbleached all-purpose flour, bread flour, and Italian double zero flour, the experiment delves into their effects on two pizza styles: Detroit and Neapolitan. The script offers insights into flour production, protein content, ash content, and the role of added ingredients, concluding that while all flours can yield good results, the choice of flour significantly influences texture and taste, with bread flour excelling for Detroit style and double zero providing a tender bite for Neapolitan.

Takeaways

• 🍕 The video conducts a side-by-side test of different types of flour to determine their impact on pizza quality, focusing on Detroit and Neapolitan styles.
• 📚 It delves into the world of flour, aiming to answer common questions about various types like all-purpose, bread flour, double zero flour, and their differences.
• 🌾 The script explains the milling process of wheat into flour, highlighting the importance of the extraction rate and how it affects the flour's composition.
• 🔍 The importance of gluten protein content in flour is discussed, as it influences the dough's texture and rise, with hard wheat varieties typically creating a stronger gluten network.
• 🌈 The differences between bleached and unbleached flour are explored, with the former being aged less and potentially affecting the dough's rise.
• 📏 The significance of ash content in European flour labeling is explained, serving as an indirect measure of bran and germ separation from the endosperm.
• 🍞 The role of added ingredients like malted barley and enzymes in flour is briefly mentioned, noting their function in aiding the fermentation process.
• 🧀 The Detroit style pizza test reveals that bread flour rose the most and produced the airiest crust, while double zero flour didn't brown as well in a lower-temperature oven.
• 🔥 The Neapolitan style pizza test shows that the double zero flour, made from soft wheat, was easier to shape and had a tender bite, but its benefits may not justify the high price.
• 🍴 The taste test for the Detroit style pizza favored the bread flour for its combination of crunch and airiness, while the Neapolitan style test found the double zero flour to be a good match for its style.
• 💡 The video concludes that while different flours can impact pizza quality, personal preference plays a significant role in choosing the best flour for one's needs.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on a side-by-side test of different types of flour to determine if certain flours make better pizza dough, specifically for Detroit and Neapolitan styles of pizza.

What are the two styles of pizza tested in the video?

The two styles of pizza tested are Detroit style and Neapolitan style.

How many different bags of flour were used in the test?

Four different bags of flour were used in the test: bleached and enriched all-purpose flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, bread flour, and double zero flour from Italy.

What is the significance of the alveograph test mentioned in the video?

The alveograph test is significant because it measures the dough's textural qualities, proving that different flours can produce measurably different doughs.

Why does the video mention the ash content of flour?

The ash content is mentioned because it is an indirect way to measure how well the bran and germ were separated from the endosperm in the flour, which affects the flour's properties.

What is the difference between bleached and unbleached flour mentioned in the video?

Bleached flour is whitened and aged faster using chemicals like ascorbic acid, while unbleached flour is aged naturally, which can affect its rise and texture in doughs.

Why is the protein content of flour important for bread and pizza doughs?

The protein content is important because it affects the formation of the gluten network, which in turn influences the dough's ability to stretch, rise, and hold its structure.

What does the video suggest about the use of double zero flour for Neapolitan style pizza?

The video suggests that double zero flour, made from soft wheat, provides a tender bite and is easier to shape, making it suitable for Neapolitan style pizza, but it may not be worth the high price for some people.

What is the hydration level used for the Detroit style pizza dough in the video?

The hydration level used for the Detroit style pizza dough is 75%.

What is the difference in the dough preparation between Detroit and Neapolitan styles in the video?

The Neapolitan style dough has a lower hydration level (62%), uses less yeast, has a longer fermentation time (minimum of 8 hours), and is baked at a much higher temperature (905 degrees Fahrenheit).

What is the conclusion of the video regarding the best flour for Detroit and Neapolitan style pizzas?

The conclusion is that bread flour is best for Detroit style pizza due to its stronger gluten network and cloud-like bite, while for Neapolitan style, the double zero flour is suitable but not necessarily worth the high cost compared to domestic options.

Outlines

00:00

🍕 Flour for Pizza: The Ultimate Test

The video script introduces a comprehensive test to determine if certain types of flour make better pizza dough. The host plans to compare four different types of flour for two distinct pizza styles: Detroit and Neapolitan. The script promises an in-depth exploration of flour, addressing common questions about all-purpose and bread flour, double zero flour, the effects of bleaching and unbleaching, protein content, and ash content. The goal is to understand if there's a noticeable difference in pizza quality based on flour choice and if more expensive options provide a significant upgrade.

05:02

🌾 Understanding Flour Production and Properties

This paragraph delves into the process of flour production, from wheat harvesting to milling, and the importance of the extraction rate. It explains the composition of wheat grains and how the bran and endosperm affect the flour's characteristics. The script also touches on the differences between whole wheat and white flour, the role of gluten proteins in dough, and the significance of ash content in flour labeling. The paragraph sets the stage for the flour tests by discussing the variables that could influence the dough's performance.

10:03

🏭 Flour Testing: Variables and Methods

The script outlines the variables that affect flour performance, such as wheat grain type, gluten protein content, ash content, and added ingredients. It introduces the Chopin alveograph, a machine used to measure dough elasticity and strength, and discusses the importance of these measurements in understanding how different flours create distinct dough textures. The paragraph also presents the first pizza test: making Detroit-style pizza with four different flours, observing the dough's rise, bake, and taste to identify the best performer.

15:04

🍴 Taste Test and Flour Analysis

The taste test results for the Detroit-style pizza are shared, with observations on the dough's texture and flavor differences. The script discusses the reasons behind the varying outcomes, such as protein content and flour type. It also raises questions about why certain flours rose more than others and why the bleached all-purpose flour had smaller holes in the crumb. The paragraph sets up the second test, which will explore how these flours perform under different conditions, such as lower hydration and high-temperature baking.

20:07

📊 Flour Labeling and Protein Content

This paragraph focuses on the labeling of flour in different countries, particularly the difference between protein percentage labeling in the U.S. and ash content labeling in Europe. It explains the significance of protein content in flour and how it affects dough's elasticity and rise. The script also discusses the role of gluten proteins in dough formation and the impact of wheat type on gluten quality. The paragraph concludes with a caveat that higher protein content is not always desirable, depending on the type of baked good being made.

25:09

🔍 Flour Enrichment and Bleaching

The script explains the process of flour bleaching and its purpose, contrasting it with the natural aging of flour. It discusses the historical context of flour enrichment during wartime and its continued use today to restore nutrients lost during milling. The paragraph also mentions additional ingredients like malted barley and enzymes that are added to flour to aid in the fermentation process. The discussion provides a deeper understanding of the factors that influence flour quality and performance.

🔥 Neapolitan Pizza Test: Flour's Impact

The final paragraph describes the Neapolitan pizza test, which uses different dough variables such as hydration, yeast amount, fermentation time, and baking temperature. The script compares the results of using various flours in this style of pizza, noting differences in browning, crumb texture, and taste. It concludes with the host's personal preference for the double zero flour in Neapolitan pizza, but also questions the high cost of imported flour and suggests considering domestic alternatives.

Keywords

💡Flour

Flour is the main ingredient in the video's dough recipes and is the central theme of the video. It is a powder made by grinding raw grains or seeds, typically wheat, used in baking and cooking. The script explores different types of flour and their impact on pizza quality, highlighting how different flours can alter the texture and taste of the final product.

💡Pizza

Pizza is the subject of the video's culinary experiment, serving as the medium to test the effects of various flours. The script discusses two distinct styles of pizza: Detroit and Neapolitan, each requiring different dough characteristics. The outcome of each pizza is used to evaluate the performance of the flours.

💡Protein Content

Protein content in flour is a key factor affecting dough elasticity and rise. The video explains that higher protein content, particularly of glutenin and gliadin, results in a stronger gluten network, which is desirable for bread and pizza doughs. It is used to compare how different flours perform in the dough-making process.

💡Ash Content

Ash content refers to the mineral content of flour, which is an indirect measure of how well the bran and germ have been separated from the endosperm. The script notes that in Europe, flour is often labeled by ash content, which can affect the flour's baking properties and is a point of comparison between different flours in the video.

💡Extraction Rate

The extraction rate of flour indicates the percentage of the wheat grain that has been converted into flour. The video mentions that higher extraction rates, such as in whole wheat flour, include more of the wheat grain, including the bran and germ, which can affect the flour's texture and nutritional content.

💡Bleached Flour

Bleached flour is flour that has been treated with chemicals to whiten it, a process that can affect its rise and texture. The script contrasts bleached flour with unbleached, suggesting that the former may not rise as well due to the lack of aging that typically occurs with unbleached flour.

💡Enriched Flour

Enriched flour is flour that has had nutrients added to it to replace those lost during the milling process. The video explains that enriching flour was originally a wartime measure to ensure nutritional adequacy and is still practiced today to improve the flour's nutritional profile.

💡Double Zero Flour

Double zero flour, a term used in Italy, refers to a very finely milled flour with a low ash content and a minimum protein content. The video discusses its use in Neapolitan-style pizza and compares it to other flours in terms of dough handling, taste, and texture.

💡Gluten

Gluten is a protein network in dough that allows for elasticity and the trapping of air, which contributes to the dough's rise. The script explains that the quality and quantity of gluten proteins, such as glutenin and gliadin, in different flours affect the dough's performance in baking.

💡Alveograph

The alveograph is a device used to measure the strength and elasticity of dough, providing a visual graph of its properties. The video uses the alveograph to illustrate that different flours produce doughs with varying textural qualities, which is a key point in the discussion of flour types.

💡Bench Rest

Bench rest is a period of rest given to dough after it has been shaped, allowing it to relax and further develop its gluten structure. The script mentions bench rest as part of the process for making Neapolitan-style pizza, highlighting its importance in the dough's final texture.

Highlights

The video conducts a side-by-side test of different types of flour to determine their impact on pizza quality.

Four types of flour are used: bleached all-purpose, unbleached all-purpose, bread flour, and Italian double zero flour.

A deep dive into the world of flour explores its composition, types, and effects on baking.

The video answers common questions about flour, such as the difference between all-purpose and bread flour, and the role of ash content.

The importance of protein content in flour is discussed, with its impact on the dough's texture and rise.

The difference between bleached and unbleached flour is explained, along with the process of flour bleaching.

The video tests the flours in two pizza styles: Detroit and Neapolitan, to see the effects on crust, texture, and taste.

Bread flour is found to rise the most, creating an airy texture, especially suitable for Detroit style pizza.

Bleached all-purpose flour's smaller holes in the crumb and its taste are compared to other flours.

The alveograph test is introduced to measure the dough's air bubble formation and texture differences.

The gluten network's role in dough rise and texture is explained, with the importance of both glutenin and gliadin proteins.

The ash content's significance as an indirect measure of bran and germ separation from the endosperm is discussed.

The video tests the flours in a Neapolitan pizza context, considering variables like hydration, yeast amount, and oven temperature.

The double zero flour's tender bite and ease of shaping are noted as suitable for Neapolitan style pizza.

The conclusion suggests that while different flours yield different results, the choice depends on the desired pizza style and personal preference.

The video encourages viewers to decide the best flour for their needs based on the information provided.

Transcripts

in today's video I want to do a

side-by-side test of something I've been

wondering about for years

and that is do certain types of flour

actually make better pizza so I made a

batch of dough with four different bags

of flour for not one but two completely

different styles of Pizza Detroit and

Neapolitan so we can get to the bottom

of this

now in addition to Pizza testing we're

gonna do a deep dive into the world of

flour that will explode your knowledge

and understanding of the white powdery

stuff as I tried to answer just about

every question I could think of when it

comes to flour for example things like

our all-purpose and bread flour actually

that much different what exactly is

double zero flour and is it worth the

high price tag what's the difference

between bleached and unbleached flour

does a one percent higher protein

content actually make better bread and

why do some countries label their flour

by Ash content and maybe most

importantly of all how much of a

difference does any of this stuff

actually make like can I just stick to

my standard bag of all-purpose flour or

is there an upgrade to be had from some

of these more expensive options and in

this video I went down so many rabbit

holes the world of flower is

simultaneously confusing and absolutely

exhilarating and it's not because you or

me just don't understand it I actually

think it's due to three factors one

there's non-standard labeling in

basically every country Italy Germany

and France label their flowers by Ash

content but the U.S typically goes by

protein percentage and even then a lot

of the bags in the U.S aren't required

to list the exact percentage so

naturally they don't get into that later

secondly some flowers may or may not be

desirable depending on what you are

actually making for example a higher

protein flour May create a more robust

gluten Network which you would want in a

loaf of bread but you may not want that

in a cookie so I chose to use Pizza as

our guiding use case in this video but

if you want me to do follow-ups there's

about 10 different video ideas that I

got while writing this one and then

thirdly the outcomes are subjectively

good or bad as a continuation of number

two even if we made the same product

Pizza in this case with all four flowers

at the end of the day these outcomes are

subjectively good or bad and this is

where your role comes in as a viewer I'm

going to lay out all the information

give you some of my thoughts but

ultimately it will be up to you to

decide what's best for you for example I

could say that the super light and Airy

crust isn't for me but some of you may

be eyeing that as your dream pizza so

where does our journey begin well first

I'm going to outline the four bags of

flour I chose for testing why I chose

them and then we'll go over some of the

key variables that I think everyone

should know when it comes to flour and

we'll get into those two different

styles of pizza testing before we break

it down a quick thank you to today's

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thank you again Harry's for sponsoring

this video but now let's dive into the

test candidates for both the Detroit and

Neapolitan style pizzas I use four

different bags of flowers at varying

price point and flower particle makeup

and these are one bleached and enriched

all-purpose flour two unbleached

all-purpose flour three bread flour and

four double zero flour from Italy

so your first question might be why the

hell was this bag of flour twenty

dollars secondly if you're from Europe

you might be wondering what bleach flour

even is because it's not legal there and

we'll get to both of those but more

importantly I want to explain the

differences and variables that come

between these flowers that we're

purchasing at the store and to begin to

understand that we first need to run

through how flour is produced in the

first place so most of us probably know

that wheat is grown in a field and when

ready the wheat is harvested before

being separated and cleaned into

individual wheat grain and these grains

are then milled and turned into the

flour that we buy at the grocery store

but what you maybe haven't seen is

inside these individual grains so each

grain or wheat berry has three main

pieces the outer layer known as the bran

and then inside we have the endosperm

and The Germ so when this wheat grain is

crushed and milled there's two goals we

are after for a white flower one is to

separate the brand in The Germ from the

endosperm as well as possible and then

secondly maximize the flour made from

the separated endosperm

and each package of flour is going to

have an extraction rate which is simply

how much flour was actually extracted

from the grains so typically all-purpose

and bread flours in the U.S are going to

have around a 70 percent extraction rate

meaning if we started with 100 pounds or

grams of wheat 70 pounds or grams of

flour were produced now interestingly

the double zero flour from Italy has

around a 50 percent extraction rate as

it's the most refined of all these

flowers but one more note if you look

really closely at the cheapest

all-purpose flour you'll notice a higher

percentage of little flecks of brown

which are likely little bits of the bran

and endosperm that didn't get separated

now the question is do these tiny tiny

little bits of the bran in the endosperm

actually affect the dough and it turns

out they probably do so as you can maybe

guess whole wheat flour on the other

hand uses the entire bran endosperm and

The Germ and it's going to have close to

a 100 percent extract action rate now if

whole wheat flour is generally more

nutritious and also taste more intensely

like wheat why isn't it a more popular

flour and it honestly could be a whole

separate video if we wanted to but the

short form is noted from two big reasons

in on food and cooking basically the

bran and The Germ cause two problems

first they can go bad in a few weeks so

whole wheat flour has a shorter shelf

life than white flour and then secondly

and probably more importantly the bran

and The Germ interfere chemically and

physically with the formation of the

gluten Network and this leads to less

rise and a denser bread compared to the

light and fluffy stuff that most of

society has come to love so the cheapest

all-purpose flour was the only one that

I could see with my eye and camera

equipment that had noticeably more of

those brown flecks throughout and that

may start to explain why people say

cheaper all-purpose flours don't rise as

well however that's just one variable of

many so a regular pizza Forum member may

say that bleached all-purpose flour is

for absolute heathens whereas your

average home cook may just be saying hey

I know it's not the best but even bad

pizza is good pizza right so in this

video I've tried to kind of merge these

two philosophies together and give you

the big picture of what probably matters

most when it comes to selecting out your

flower and then if you want to there are

so many more rabbit holes you can go

down so what I want to talk about next

is the Chopin alveograph not because you

need to fully understand it I definitely

don't even understand the science behind

it but I want to talk about the show pin

alveol graph because it proves a

fundamental question which is does

different flour actually make measurably

different doughs so for commercial

purposes there's this machine made by a

company called Chopin technologies that

can evaluate how different flowers will

work in a dough and it works by going

through five stages is and there's this

kind of cool video where you can

actually watch this entire test but

basically it pumps air into dough like a

balloon until it pops now this test

spits out five measures onto a graph

now if you want to read more into this

test I'll link some resources below but

again my reason for bringing this up is

that theoretically this proves each

flower will produce a different dough

that will vary in textural qualities AKA

they will produce different readings on

an alveo graph so what this means for us

is that there may not be a big

difference in one of the pizza tests

whereas the other Pizza test there might

be huge differences in the dough texture

and quality and naturally I think this

brings up two important questions that

we need to answer one is what are the

variables that would cause these flowers

to produce different does because again

they kind of all look the same and then

secondly how noticeable are the

differences when we taste them now we'll

get into those variables in a bit and

there's some really really important

information in there but first let's

just hop into the first pizza test which

is the Detroit style pizza

Detroit style pizza is probably my

favorite pizza to make at home and it's

made in a carbon steel pan and for this

variation I made four identical batches

of dough which was 300 grams of flour 75

hydration or 225 grams of water 6 grams

of instant yeast and six grams of salt

and I actually just threw all of these

in the blender or food processor in

pulse over low to quickly combine the

soap so I could get my forearms a little

break

once each dough was done I added a cap

full of olive oil to the container and

then laid in the bleached all purpose

the unbleached all-purpose the bread

flour and the double zero flour before

covering them

I let all these rise for two hours and

here they are and we have our first

quick observation one is that the bread

flour clearly Rose the most next

followed by the double zero then the

unbleached all-purpose and the bleached

all-purpose but what happens when we

actually bake them so to assemble I

added some oil to each of these Detroit

style pizza pan and added 250 grams of

each dough I let each dough rest for

another 20 minutes before pushing them

into the rectangular shape to fill up

the pan

once shaped I added a mix of Monterey

Jack slices and mozzarella cheese which

I think gets the closest to replicating

the more traditional Wisconsin brick

cheese that is typically used in Detroit

lastly sauce it with the classic three

stripes of tomato sauce and to cook

these I added each pan to a 425 degree

oven and rotated them at 10 minutes

again at 10 minutes and for the final

five minutes for 25 minute cook time in

total

now I don't know about you but after

slicing them up all of them look pretty

darn good to me however there are some

noticeable differences that we can see

in terms of Browning all of them are

pretty solid but the double zero in

bleached all-purpose weren't quite as

good and for my money I'd say the bread

flour browned up the nicest now I was

doing some digging and stumbled across

this pizza for him where they kind of

mentioned that double zero typically

doesn't Brown that well in lower

temperature ovens so that's going to be

something to keep an eye on in the next

test where the pizza oven will be at 900

degrees Fahrenheit but Browning aside I

think the bigger difference is in the

crumb of the dough again the bread flour

Rose the most and is so much more Airy

compared to both of the all-purpose

flowers now the double zero also has

some larger bubbles but overall did it

rise quite as much as the bread and it's

definitely not as Airy so we can see

some of these differences but how much

different do they actually taste side by

side I haven't had pizza in a while so

I'm really stoked for this taste test

right now

and in this taste test I'm not

necessarily trying to guess which one is

like which or which one is best I'm just

kind of trying to observe at this point

I mean it's it's good it's good it's all

Pizza is pretty much good it's hard to

make bad Pizza

number two

this one a little bit denser

than the first one I tasted all right

number three

the one thing from this one I think

there were some bigger bubbles in this

one but still a little bit denser than

number one I'd kind of put this one in

between number

um one and two in terms of kind of like

lightness a little bit bigger bubble

[Music]

okay so number four

definitely the lightest of the bunch it

was really nice to bite into like nice

and Airy

um

as far as taste goes like they all

tasted really good but definitely there

is a noticeable noticeable difference

between number four and the rest of them

especially in terms of lightness so you

guys should know but I'm looking now so

bread flour double zero

bleached all-purpose and then the

regular all-purpose so straight up for

this style of pizza I think the bread

flour is clearly Superior you get this

crazy juxtaposition of that crunchy and

crisp crust that turns into just this

light Airy bite and chew which I find

very very addictive next time I make

Detroit style pizza I'm definitely gonna

have some bread flour on hand

so clearly the video is not over because

if you were like me you still have a lot

of questions you want to be answered for

one why did the bread and double zero

flower rise noticeably more than the

all-purpose versions and then secondly

why did the bleached all-purpose flour

have such tiny holes in the crumb and

overall why does it taste kind of say

the same and then for test number two I

want to know how are these flowers going

to react at one a much lower hydration

and with a heat at over 900 degrees

Fahrenheit so now it's time to dive into

the four variables that I think are most

important to know when it comes to

buying flour at the grocery store and

these are the type of wheat grain the

gluten protein content and why it's

important third is the ash content and

then fourth is added ingredients take a

look at this table from on food and

cooking that lists the major wheat types

that are produced in the United States

and the protein content of each of these

types of wheat as you'll notice is

different

so in 2021 hard red wheat accounted for

63.5 of the total wheat production in

the United States and these are the

Wheats used to make our all-purpose and

bread flours that we find in the store

now another interesting note is that in

Europe I couldn't find the exact

statistic by wheat type but the majority

of their wheat grown to produce flowers

is said to be a soft wheat variety which

has a lower protein content and as we

see in this next table this leads to

flowers like type 55 in France and the

UK plain flowers that overall have a

lower protein content than the standard

all-purpose flour we have available in

the U.S there are other differentiating

factors that will change how a wheat

flour Works in a dough but as Harold

McGee notes the most important

distinguishing characteristic of a wheat

type and by extension of flour it is

made from is the content and quality of

the gluten proteins

and again we probably need an entire

different video just talking about

gluten but let's do a quick Speed Run

version because the gluten network is

what allows air to be trapped and our

pizza dough to rise simply put gluten is

a network of protein that allows our

dough to stretch and spring and this

illustration shows how it works at a

microscopic level the gluten network is

made above these interconnected gluten

sheets that are filled with the starch

granules from the flowers and this

gluten sheet is what allows gas or air

to be trapped and hold its structure

before being baked where everything

solidifies in place but you may be

wondering how does this gluten sheet

actually form so by weight flour is made

up of several components the gluten

proteins typically make up 10 to 15

percent the starch granules around 70

percent moisture is typically 12 to 15

percent and then like one percent less

of other stuff so what I found

interesting is that we tip typically

just call it gluten but gluten is

actually made up of two different gluten

protein one is gluten in which when

hydrated with water forms a very strong

bond with each other and this is what

makes that extensive and tightly knit

Network and the glutenin is responsible

for making the dough elastic or its

ability to stretch

the second gluten protein is gliadin

which also when hydrated with water

forms a weak bond to themselves and the

gluten in and this protein is what makes

the dough plastic or its ability to be

shaped now it may seem like gluten in is

the more important of the two but we

actually do need both proteins for our

dough to work for example a dough with

only gluten and protein would keep

snapping back into place like a rubber

band without being able to be shaped and

a flower with only gliadine on the other

hand would have such a weak gluten

Network it wouldn't be able to trap any

air and we wouldn't get any rise take a

look at this photo it actually shows the

gluten proteins from soft wheat and hard

wheat varieties that is extracted from

the endosperm and assuming the overall

protein content is the same the hard

wheat actually will still create a

stronger gluten Network because the

quality of the gluten protein is higher

and this is why both the quantity and

the quality of the gluten proteins in a

flour is so important and this

difference between soft and hard wheat

actually may explain one of the things

that I noticed when working with the

Neapolitan style pizza dough so when I

was shaping the pizzas the double zero

flour dough was so much easier to shape

compared to the bread or all-purpose

flour doughs that kept springing back

together and this is important to point

out that the double zero is made from

soft wheat while the hard wheat was used

for the other proteins so at this point

you can start going down a bunch of

different rabbit holes but here is the

big picture you need to keep in mind

when it comes to protein content in your

flour and that is if you have identical

flowers the one with the higher quantity

and quality of the gluten proteins will

form a stronger and more elastic gluten

network with a higher potential for rise

so if you think back to that alveo graph

test a stronger gluten network will be

able to take more air pressure before

that dough bubble pops

now I need to point out two caveats one

is this is assuming you have identical

flowers like I said there are a lot of

factors that can influence how the

gluten develops in a dough how they rise

and how they Brown for example you may

see that 14 protein content on a whole

wheat bag of flour but because it has

the bran and The Germ and the flour it

actually shears the gluten Network

resulting in a more dense dough and less

rise and secondly higher protein content

and a stronger gluten network is not

always desirable we typically want a

stronger gluten Network for Breads and

pizza doughs but in a pastry dough we

actually want to limit the amount of

gluten that is formed and I'm really

interested to see how much different a

bread dough would be in a cookie or

pastry dough so if you want me to do a

follow-up video I will happily do so so

while protein content and flour is

probably the most important thing to

look out for in a U.S grocery store it's

very interesting to note that in

European countries like France Germany

and Italy their flower is labeled by

numbers and these numbers refer to the

ash content in flower and obviously this

begs the question what is Ash content

for a simple definition Ash content is

simply the mineral material and flour

and I'll link a couple of Articles below

but what's kind of confusing about the

ash content is that it actually doesn't

really matter what matters is that it's

indirectly a way to measure how well the

bran and germ were separated from the

endosperm so do you remember that whole

wheat grain from earlier

so typically around two percent of a

wheat grain is going to be made up of

mineral material of which point three

five percent is going to be in the

endosperm meaning the other 1.65 is in

the germ and the brand now in Germany

and France the numbers on the bag of

flour are based on these values so if

you see a type 405 this means there are

405 milligrams of Ash content per 100

grams of flour in France on the other

hand the type 45 means 45 milligrams per

10 grams of flour so the numbers in

Germany and France flowers make sense

but you must be wondering what does the

double zero refer to in Italy so before

looking into this I assume that double

zero zero one and two flowers were just

different sizes of how the flower was

ground but again after reading into a

pizza forum and following a link it's

actually based on the ash content not

the size or how fine it's milled and the

main requirement here is that the

maximum Ash content and in double zero

flour is only 0.55 percent and the

protein must be a minimum of nine

percent and this is why if you look at

the computer website they'll have

several different double zero flowers

that have slightly different protein

amounts but with that being said there's

just two more items I want to note

before we hop into that Neapolitan style

pizza test first let's answer why is

flour bleached and what does that even

mean so traditionally freshly milled

flowers are kind of a creamy yellow so

while they are in that creamy yellow

State they are actually stored for aging

and aging does two important things as

noted in on food and cooking the

traditional air aging of flour has a

visible side effect and that is the

yellowish flower becomes progressively

paler as the xanthophyll pigments are

oxidized to a colorless form and

secondly the oxygen in the air actually

frees up the gluten in proteins and

sulfur group so they react with each

other and can form even longer gluten

chains giving the dough a greater

elasticity and if you see unbleached

flour this is basically another way of

saying age flower so if we get two of

those great benefits from aging why did

people even start bleaching flour in the

first place and simply put storage and

aging costs money so adding absorbic

acid is another way to whiten the flour

and get it on the shelves faster

now since bleach flour is not aged this

could be another potential Factor why it

doesn't rise quite as well as the

unbleached all-purpose so we've got

bleaching down but what does enriched

flour mean so when Rich flour started as

a wartime necessity where food

production and nutrient provision was a

concern and it is kind of just stuck

around since then and the purpose of

enriching flour is just to replenish the

nutrients in the flour to match the

nutritional status of a flower with the

original bran and germ nutrients and

here are the nutrients you'll typically

find on a bag oven Rich flour which are

going to be on the ingredient label now

one last tidbit is that you may see two

other ingredients on a bag of flour and

that is malted barley and enzymes and

these are mainly there just to assist a

little bit in the fermentation process

so for some of you that may have been

way more information than you ever

wanted to know about flour but I bet for

a lot of you you kind of have some more

questions but regardless let's move into

our final test and that is the

Neapolitan style pizza which introduces

a lot of new variables with how the

dough is made

I made my Neapolitan style pizza

according to the standards set by Pizza

napolitana which mandates that a double

zero flower from an improved supplier

must be used which is the flower I got

but obviously I'm switching out that

variable for this test and really I'm

curious about a couple of things one is

double zero really the secret to great

pizza as this two minute Master Class

article claims secondly does it have any

differences in how the dough handles

does it taste better is the texture

better does it brown better and if so by

how much is it actually worth this high

price that from a dough making

perspective Neapolitan dough is wildly

different than Detroit style and here

are the main variables first the

hydration is 62 percent compared to 75

the amount of yeast is way way less the

fermentation time increased from two

hours all the way up to a minimum of

eight I did 12 and then the temperature

of the oven should be 905 degrees

Fahrenheit

and I let each dough ferment in the

container in the oven to maintain a

standard temperature for the 12 hour

ferment

after 12 hours I separated them into 200

gram balls of dough and let them bench

rest for 30 minutes before shaping

so during this time I got the uni heated

up to the requisite temperature and

shooting right for around that 900

degrees Fahrenheit number

to assemble I flattened out the dough

into roughly a 10 inch circle before

adding the Blended San Marzano Tomatoes

some fresh mozzarella cheese and a

drizzle of olive oil now I'm normally a

toppings guy but I had to keep it simple

because this is all about the dough so

into the uni each of these pizzas went

and I cooked them until I thought they

looked good which was some spotting on

the bottom and nice Browning on the top

as well which took about just 90 to 100

seconds each now obviously for this test

I couldn't have all the pizzas done at

once and do a proper fresh taste test so

let me show you some of the shots that

came right off the grill first off all

of these made pretty darn good looking

pizzas to me like you can definitely

make great Neapolitan style pizza with

any of these flowers but let's take a

look at the finer details when it comes

to Browning all of them have nice

spotting on the bottom crust but again I

would say the three hard wheat us

varieties have a little bit of a deeper

color compared to the soft wheat used in

a double zero flower

when it comes to the crumb the bread

flour was again Crazy Light and Airy

compared to the others but this time the

unbleached all-purpose was a little bit

closer than the double zero and then

rounding out the bottom was the bleached

all-purpose so you may be wondering is

the bread flour still the best one and

actually for this test I wasn't really a

fan of the super Airy crust in the

Neapolitan style pizza because you don't

have that contrast with the crunchy

crust you get in Detroit style and if I

had to pick one of these pizzas to say

is the best I would actually say it is

the double zero the double zero flower

has a tender bite that just suits this

style of pizza and additionally it was

easier to shape with like I mentioned

earlier and it might be due to using

soft wheat flour now just because I

thought it was the best for this test

does that mean I would recommend

everyone go out and buy the Italian

imported double zero flour no I

definitely don't think it's quite worth

that high of a price tag it's not that

much better than the others and instead

I would probably look at some more

domestic options because there are some

Brands now making double zero flowers

with American style Wheats though they

definitely do differ for example this

brand I found has 11.5 protein compared

to the 12.5 percent from the Italian

version and then for some reason King

Arthur's pizza flour doesn't even list

their protein percentage even though

they do that on all their other bags and

again maybe that's a test for another

video so let me know down in the

comments below but in conclusion these

four flowers were made with varying

wheat types varying protein percentages

varying Ash content and all did yield

different results all were possible in

my opinion but the next time I make

Detroit style pizza I'll definitely be

using bread flour for the stronger

gluten Network that yields that

cloud-like bite for my next neapolitan

pizza I will be using up the rest of my

expensive double zero flour but I don't

know if I'll actually buy any more

anyways I hope you all have enjoyed the

video this was a lot of information to

go through so if you have more questions

let me know down below and like I said

if you want some follow-on video topics

we can definitely do some but that will

wrap it up for me in this one I will

catch you all in the next one

peace y'all

[Music]