Hi! Has anyone used 00 flour in sourdough bread recipes? If so, can you please share your experience in details? Thanks!
Is your Tipo 00 “strong” i.e. high protein? If so, you can treat it as bread flour minus a very little bit of the liquid in any recipe. If you have soft wheat Tipo 00, you could try some of the tips here:
Thank you for responding. I have 2 different brands of 00 flour. One is Anna Napoletana Unbleached and the other 00
Flour is King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour. The packaging doesn’t specify protein level. How do I know if it’s strong or soft?
Anna Napoletana says it’s grano ternero, which means soft wheat. However, the nutrition label also says 4g protein in 30g serving, which is 13.3% protein i.e. high gluten (which doesn’t really correspond with soft wheat??). The KA tipo 00 pizza flour is 3g protein for 30g serving, which is 10% i.e. a little less than AP flour, also label says mix of hard and soft wheat.
I think your best strategy is to do a slurry test, which is described in the Baking Bread with Low Gluten article and this article too Kamut, Khorasan, and Durum Wheats Comparison – Breadtopia
I’d mix 50g of each flour with maybe 35g water (70% hydration) and see how stretchy the mini doughs are initially and after 30 and 60 minutes.
Thank you! 
You can find details about KA 00 pizza four on their website:
It has a protein content of 11.5%.
There is a large approximation in the labels. Their AP with 4g per 30g serving has a protein content of 11.7%.
I have used Anna 00 and in my experience it has the strength of an AP. If you are looking for 00 flours with specific characteristics, you can find them online.
This is a constant source of confusion.
Grano tenero is the common name for Triticum aestivum (common wheat). While the literal translation of grano tenero is soft wheat, the term refers to both soft and hard varieties of the species.
Grano duro (triticum durum), literally hard wheat, is the Italian name for durum wheat.
I’ve never seen a bread recipe that calls for 00 flour or equivalent flours like the French T45. It’s always used in recipes that include other ingredients that add flavor and nutrients. That doesn’t mean you can’t experiment.
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Understandable as in the USA and UK soft and hard wheats have a different meaning than in Italy. Because terminology is not standardised (it rarely is) mistakes are often made when sourcing flours from other countries.
While tipo 00 doesn’t necessarily tell use the gluten % it does seem to suggest that it’s more for pasta and flat(er) breads. That doesn’t mean one cannot make a loaf of bread from it however expect different results.
@hnykiss0505 In Italy soft wheat doesn’t mean low gluten unlike in the USA and UK.
Durum wheat is the only designated hard wheat. Durum = Hard.
Everything! else is soft wheat no matter the gluten %.
Something to keep in mind when buying Italian flours.
@Abe @Leonardo Thank you so much for the clarifications on rounding on nutrition labels and the wheat descriptions.
Durum = Hard
Common wheat = Ternero ≠Soft / Low gluten wheat
No Melissa,
Grano tenero = both hard and soft wheat (regardless of gluten content).
Grano duro = durum.
Ah, so grano ternero is simply common wheat, regardless of the protein level?
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Yes, correct.
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If i’m not mistaken durable and durum would have the same root. Makes sense.
There is a lot of confusion and misleading information about what 00 flour is, even in Italy. I’ll try to clear it up.
An average 00 flour is simply a slightly more refined flour than AP or Tipo 0.
Its specifications are regulated by a law on baking flours.
The law specifies only three parameters that must be respected:
Besides the moisture content, they are
Max. ash (mineral) content = 0.55%.
Min. protein content = 9.0%.
To put things in perspective, Tipo 0 flour (similar to AP) has
Max. ash (mineral) content = 0.65%.
Min. protein content = 11.0%.
The minerals come from the bran and the germ. The lower their content, the more refined the flour.
The law doesn’t set a maximum level for proteins. This means that you can find 00 flours similar to weak cake flours, and others very rich in gluten, good for panettone and very long fermentations.
How to buy.
If the protein level is not stated on the label, expect an average strength, similar to AP.
Better brands specify the protein % or the use.
The best flours provide complete information: protein %, W value, P/L index and for what specific use they have been formulated.
Thank you all for the detailed info, it’s very helpful!
@Leonardo Thank you for that. I do source my Italian/durum flour from my local Italian store. Always read the label. But since protein % doesn’t explain the numbering system it is a tad confusing as to the different flours. Bread flour in the UK is not as white as bread flours from other countries. Bleached is not allowed and white is more off-white. Numbering systems can be confusing. That’s why calling it Bread or AP flour is less confusing.