I recently delved into the world of homemade pizza and decided to try out King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour to start things off. If you have access to an outdoor pizza oven that can reach high temperatures between 600-800 degrees Fahrenheit, this flour could be a perfect match for you.
However, if you're aiming for a classic New York-style slice like I was, I found that combining King Arthur Bread Flour yielded better results. I primarily used an indoor conventional oven, which made it challenging to achieve the desired browning on the outer crust, especially with the smaller pizzas. Typically, home ovens max out at 500-550 F and just can't hit the high heat of a standard Neapolitan-style pizza.
In the images with the smaller pizza, as well as the one with half pepperoni, half cheese, it has been difficult to get a good browning on the outside crust. This typically would be crisped up by an open flame, but with a conventionial / convection oven, it won't work as well. The image with the large full pepperoni was using King Arthur Bread Flour, and rose much better, and had crispier / browned crust, typical of a New York slice. Again, this is really comes down to the method of cooking. Home ovens just can't get hot enough to make a standard Neopolitan style pizza.
In terms of the dough, I followed popular recipe calculators, making slight adjustments along the way. The 00 Pizza Flour provided good flavor and decent dough consistency, but it lacked the rise and browning I was looking for. Switching to King Arthur Bread Flour resulted in improved rise and a crispier, well-browned crust more like the classic New York slice. However, I did notice a slight loss of taste with the Bread Flour, so I plan to experiment with flavorings in the dough.
Here are some general tips I've gathered during my pizza-making journey, regardless of the flour you choose:
Ingredients:
Opt for high-quality ingredients, as they significantly impact the final outcome.
- For the sauce, I highly recommend Cento Crushed All-In-One (blue label), blended with a pinch of sugar, salt, and basil for added flavor.
- When it comes to cheese, a combination of shredded pecorino romano for a salty kick and shredded whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella as the main covering works well.
- If you prefer toppings, plain cheese or pepperoni (such as Boar's Head Stick or Hormel Rosa Grande Stick) are great options. Use a mandoline or a knife to slice the sticks to your desired thickness.
Other Tools:
- Consider using a Pizza Steel (not a stone) in your oven for optimal heat transfer. I found a 16x16 3/8" thick steel to be highly effective in retaining and transferring heat.
- Preheat the Pizza Steel for at least an hour at the highest temperature your oven can reach. With my oven maxing out at 550 degrees, the Pizza Steel registered just over 600 degrees with an infrared thermometer.
- If you prefer placing the pizza directly onto the steel and transferring it with a pizza peel (wood or steel), dust the peel with semolina flour to essentially create ball-bearings that help launch the pizza onto the steel and prevent it from sticking.
- Stretch out the pizza dough quickly and make it directly on the pizza peel, ensuring you promptly transfer it to the steel. Allowing it to sit on the peel for too long may result in sticking.
- If you dont have a pizza peel, a pizza screen can be used as an alternative. This makes the process foolproof, ensuring the dough remains perfectly round and won't stick to the peel. Stretch and shape the pizza directly on the screen before placing it on the preheated pizza steel for 1-2 minutes.
-- After 1-2 minutes, remove the pizza steel (lifting the pizza slightly and using tongs to pull out the screen as it will be very hot!) and allow the pizza to cook directly on the steel for another 5-7 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
- For a final touch, turn on the oven's High Broil for just 1-2 minutes to crisp up the cheese and crust.
Overall, I would rate King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour 4 out of 5 stars. While it is marketed as "Pizza Flour," it is specifically tailored for the Neapolitan style, and achieving proper browning can be challenging in an indoor oven. However, personal preference plays a significant role here, and for those aiming to recreate the classic New York slice, using King Arthur Bread Flour is my preference.
| 45.0 servings per container | |
| Serving size | 1/3 cup (30g) |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
