00 flour is one of the common ingredients in Italian cooking especially when it comes to pasta and pizza dough. This fine grind flour gives a really smooth texture to your recipes. However, if you are running out of it, don’t worry. There are 00 flour substitutes that can yield similar results to your food.
When choosing an alternative, keep in mind that 00 is milled and processed finely. There are variations to this flour depending on the protein level. An original Italian version of this product would also contain about 12% gluten. With its protein and gluten content, this flour can produce a delicious crispy and chewy crust.
First, try these 3 common 00 flour substitutes
1. Bread Flour
The closest alternative you can get for 00 flour is bread flour. Although it is not as finely grind and has a higher gluten content, it works pretty well for the same recipes.
Bread flour is also commonly used when making pizza dough. It’s a well-known choice in America for making delicious baked treats. As for pizza, using bread flour will render both crispness and chewiness similar to 00 flour.
This is also an efficient choice if you love baguettes, bagels, pretzels, dinner rolls, and more.
2. Pastry Flour
Pastry flour is another common flour you can use if you’ve got no 00 flour in stock. It’s milled to a really fine texture even more than all-purpose flour. Made with soft wheat and having lower protein content, it produces a finer crust and tender, flaky results.
Since pastry flour contains less gluten, it makes for a smoother, delicate pizza dough and light, airy baked goods. To create the closest results to 00 flour, some would mix pastry flour with bread flour or all-purpose flour.
Aside from making pizzas, use this flour to make pastries like cakes and cookies.
3. All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour is the most efficient alternative for 00 flour. Since it’s all-purpose, you can use it for a lot of recipes needing flour.
Unlike 00 flour that is made from durum wheat, all-purpose is made from a mix of hard and soft wheat. For this reason, it creates a stretchier texture that makes for a chewy pizza base. While you can make some adjustments to achieve a crispier crust, it is not as effective as 00 flour.
Regardless, you can use all-purpose flour not just for pizza but also for a variety of baked goods or even as a thickener for some savory dishes.
Other 00 Flour alternatives for Pasta and More
4. Rye Flour
If you’re looking for a fiber-rich alternative to 00 flour, try using rye flour. You will not only get a good tasty pizza or an interesting pasta but also improved dishes in terms of nutrition.
Rye flour is ideal for baking brown aromatic breads and one specific use is for rye bread. While it has already made its way to many bakers’ hearts, it is also a sufficient choice for your other Italian recipes like pizza.
5. Whole Wheat Flour
With a slight nutty taste and color that brings a browner hue to baked goods, whole wheat flour is a popular choice for making baked goods. In a pinch, you can also use this to replace 00 flour.
This flour has high amounts of valuable minerals and dietary fibers. While it’s a great choice for many baked goods, you need to make some measurement adjustments or level down the effect of this flour by mixing it with others. Using whole wheat flour can result in an overly chewy texture for pizza so make sure you check out the specific recipe you’ll use it for.
On the other hand, this option makes for a good flour to make some pasta. It’s easy to make homemade pasta with it.
6. Buckwheat Flour
In a pinch, you can also use buckwheat flour to replace 00 flour in certain recipes. Quite similar to whole wheat, it has good nutritional value and may add some added taste to baked products. Unlike whole wheat and 00 flour though, buckwheat flour is gluten-free which is both its advantage and disadvantage.
Having no gluten means people who are sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease, this is a great choice. On the other hand, it limits its culinary use or may not produce a similar consistency and effect to recipes as flours with gluten. Regardless, it still works for your pizza base and pasta that have their own charms.
7. Semolina Flour
Semolina flour contains high amounts of gluten. Some would say it can give your pizza base a crispy bottom and a chewy texture for the overall crust. While you have this as a go-ahead signal for use on your pizza, just note it’s not as easy to work with compared to other flours. Instead, this is the perfect choice for making pastas and couscous.
While this flour is also made from durum wheat like 00 flour, this one is a coarser version. It is typically used for pasta, Italian breads, and other baked goods.
8. Spelt Flour
With its high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, spelt flour is making rounds in the health-conscious community. In a pinch, you can also use this to replace 00 flour for certain dishes.
Spelt flour comes in either whole grain or fine white kind. The former has a coarser texture and acts like whole wheat flour while the latter lighter, fine-textured version is close to all-purpose flour. Like 00 flour, it can work for pastas, pizzas, and pastries.
Read more: 12 Spelt Flour Substitutes for Cooking and Baking
9. Oat Flour
A gluten-free product you may have in your kitchen, you can use this when you’ve got no choice at the time. Oat flour comes as a separate product or you can make a homemade version with whole rolled oats.
You can pretty much use this flour the same way as others listed above but expect some distinct differences in texture and subtly added taste. Also, since oat flour is gluten-free, you can’t expect the same chewy and crispy results like 00 flour but you have the option to add baking soda or gums to make your dough rise.
10. Cassava Flour
Cassava flour is another last resort option for some of your dishes needing 00 flour. It’s also close to wheat flour in the way it’s handled and is a good choice for those who follow a gluten-free diet.
You can also make pizza crust with this option but pay attention to the recipe. Other uses for this include making pastas, thickening sauces, and baking pastries.
Related FAQs
What is 00 flour?
00 means a fine grind which is supposedly finer than what is common in America. This Italian flour comes in various protein levels but typically contains 12% protein. This also translates to about 12% gluten.
Also known as double zero flour or doppio zero, it’s traditionally used to make pasta and pizza. It is the number one choice for Naples-style pizza and for those baked in wood-fired ovens.
Where to buy 00 flour?
You can get 00 flour locally or through delivery. Walmart, Whole Foods, and King Arthur are some of the shops that sell this flour. If you don’t want to go out of your way to shop for this product, you can also purchase it on Amazon and igourmet.
What are gluten-free 00 flour alternatives?
Aside from buckwheat, oat, and cassava flour, there are more gluten-free alternatives for 00 flour. A few of these include flours made from rice, millet, corn, amaranth, teff, quinoa, and almond.
To use these flours and replicate the effect of 00 flour, you need to adjust your mixture accordingly. For instance, adding xanthan gum, adding more water, and so on will make up for the lack of gluten in these options.
Can I use cake flour instead of 00 flour?
Cake flour is a fine flour like 00 flour but it has a low protein content that is even lower than all-purpose. Picture a fluffy, moist cake versus a fuller, chewy bread. 00 flour leans in more to a good balance of smooth, chewy, and crispy results in texture. Cake flour creates a fluffy, tender, or even airy sort of consistency meant for cakes. So, while you can use cake flour in certain recipes you would use 00 flour, it’s not very good for pizza dough.
To wrap it up
00 flour is the standard flour in making traditional Italian pizza, specifically Neapolitan pizza. The fine flour creates the perfect in-between of high elasticity, sturdy, crispy, and chewy texture. As such, it is hard to replace it to get the same exact results. Even so, the 00 flour substitutes listed above will work well in the right hands and in the right recipe.