Grades of flour
The difference between '0' and '00' flours is in the level of refining and therefore the percentage of grain left after milling. Flour used to be categorised into '00', '0', '1' and '2' grades, '00' being the finest and whitest and working down to the almost wholemeal grade '2' flour. Today, however, the most readily available flours using this categorisation are `0' or '00' grades. Both are suitable for bread-making.
"0" flour: Many people suggest At '0' flour has higher, level of gluten, as in British strong flour, but it is as stright-forward as '0' flour being strong and '00' soft. Italians are divided as to which one is better for making bread and both parties are, of course, sure they are right. We prefer to use '0' flour, as the '00' grade seems to make the bread slightly cakey in texture, but in tests we have done with focaccia it is hard to see any real difference.
'00' flour: Because it is milled more than '0' flour, this is the most refined grade with the lowest level of bran. Some people say that some of the protein is lost during the milling process, resulting in a lower gluten flour. '00' is popular for making pasta in northern Italy when egg is used.
For patisserie, the most commonly used among the grand tenero (soft wheat) flours is '00' grade, which can be a minxture of different types of wheat: 30 per cent Canadian nitoba, 30 per rent Austrian, 20 per cent French and 20 per cent Italian wheat.
Organic and local flour. Where possible, we prefer to buy organic flour to be certain that it is as pure as can be, and does not contain traces of pesticides or too many additives. Locally produced flour is great because it prevents unnecessary transportation, although unfortunately the European climate is unable to produce flour as strong as the Canadian flours. Italian flour has always been weak (apart from the hard durum wheat variety used for dried pasta) which is one reason that a biga was traditionally used to help the flour. This also accounts for the popularity of manitoba flour, which is more reliable than Italian flour. Due to the high cost of importing flour in the UK and Italy, we are usually sold a mix of local and Canadian flours, which marries the weak and the strong as well as the local and the imported.
TYPES OF FLOURStrong flour Semola and semolina Semola acts like little ball bearings on a pala (the thin board for shunting pizza or loaves into the oven). Rather than sticking, the dough glides from the pala onto the hot baking tray in the oven. As semola is difficult to find in the UK, a good substitute is the finest semolina, made from soft wheat that has not been completely ground to flour. The recipe for Semolina Bread (see page 50) makes a particularly tasty loaf that lasts well, and here semolina is combined with strong flour. Plain flour |
Self-raising flour Wholemeal flour
Farina di grano Turco - corn flour |
Farina di segale - rye flour Farina di farro - spelt or emmer wheat |
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