Are Bread Flour and Pizza Flour the Same? (Simple Breakdown)

In this day and age, the amount of flour available at your local grocery store is ABSOLUTELY BONKERS.

There are a gazillion different types, and it’s tough to make sense of which flours you should use for your pizzas.

Are bread flour and pizza flour the same?

Yes and no. “Pizza flour” usually refers to 00 flour, which is a softer, highly-refined flour used in Neapolitan pizzas (or other pizzas baked at high temperatures). Bread flour is made from hard red wheat flour, but is also used for pizzas (Detroit-style, NY-style, etc). Both flours have high gluten protein content, which is essential for making proper pizza dough.

So what are the differences between the flours?

And which should you use?

Answer 👉 It depends on the type of pizza you making, of course!

Let’s get into it 👇

Table of Contents

What’s Different About Bread Flour?

The major difference between bread flour and all-purpose is the amount of protein it contains.

All-purpose and cake flours = lower amounts of protein (around 8 to 10 percent)
Bread flour = 12 to 14 percent protein.

We’ll talk about protein content in detail below, but all the protein content generally makes a stronger gluten network in the dough, which is perfect for pizza crust.

Glutens “lock in” the air so that the yeast and eat it during fermentation!

It’s necessary for rising.

All-purpose flours will still rise (and taste similar), but not nearly as much as bread flour.

2 more things to note:

You might need more water with this type of dough since it absorbs moisture better than other types of wheat flour, all-purpose, etc.
American bread flour is usually made with hard red wheat, which is a strong dough that’s more elastic (with a higher potential to rise)

What Is 00 Flour and How Is It Different?

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Tipo 00 flour is what most people refer to as “pizza flour,” since it’s commonly used in traditional Neapolitan pizzas (and can be used for other pizza as well)!

The “00” is part of a flour scale commonly used in Europe to measure the ash content of flour.

Tipo 00 – most refined, lower ash content
Tipo 0 – basically all-purpose flour
Tipo 1 – less refined
Tipo 2 – basically whole-wheat flour

This pizza flour is made from a softer white wheat (more common in Europe), and it’s LESS elastic and therefore easier to shape!

00 flour has a finer texture, and will also taste slightly different as well.

PIZZA PRO TIP: There is no perfect flour for pizza. The flour you choose should depend on the style of pizza you’re making! (and the oven you’re baking in).

Also, you CAN cook a Neapolitan pizza in a regular oven.

Why Is “Protein Content” Important for Pizza Dough?

This is important…

The protein content is the single biggest factor to consider when choosing pizza flour.

The higher the protein content (11-13% is ideal), the stronger the gluten network, and the better the rise potential and structure of your pizza dough!

Low protein content = used for pastries, cookies, cakes, etc
High protein content = pizza, bread

Can you imagine a pizza crust with the texture of a cake? “Cake pizza” sounds good, but it wouldn’t actually turn out well.

You NEED high protein content in your flour.

WARNING: Just because flour is labeled as “00 flour,” doesn’t actually mean it has a high protein content!

The “Tipo 00” label has little to do with the protein content, and they even make 00 flour with LOW protein content.

So you need to focus on flours with high-protein content–but even then, which should you choose?

It depends on the pizza!

Which Pizzas Are Made With Which Flour?

The flour you choose should come down to a few things:

The type of pizza
The temperature of your oven
The overall taste you like!

Flours for different types of pizza

Here’s a very general breakdown:

NY-style pizza	Bread flour (what I use), although all-purpose would work fine as well. Probably not 100% Tipo 00, unless you have a REALLY expensive pizza oven
Neapolitan pizza	Tipo 00. Neapolitan pizza is usually cooked in pizza ovens that reach 800F+ temperatures, which is where 00 flour shines
Detroit-style pizza	Bread flour (what I use), although all-purpose could work (though it probably won’t rise nearly as much)
Sicilian-style	Bread flour (or all-purpose or a mix of both)
Chicago-style	Bread flour (or all-purpose or a mix of both)

Different flours work with different ovens

The general advice is to NOT use Tipo 00 flour unless you have a pizza oven capable of reaching 800F+ degrees.

This temperature is required for Neapolitan-style pizzas (which cook in around 90 seconds).

If you’re making pizza in your home oven (which generally only reaches 500F or 550F), you can technically make Neapolitan pizzas–but you’ll probably need to use bread flour with a slightly longer bake time.

My NY-style pizzas take roughly 5 minutes to bake in my home oven. (on my pizza steel).

Can I Substitute Bread Flour for 00 Pizza Flour?

But what if you can’t find 00 flour in your store?

You can usually substitute bread flour for any type of pizza, including 00 pizza. Just know that your crust will have a different shape, texture, and flavor.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

In fact, everybody’s preferences are different, and you might actually enjoy the taste of your pizza with a different flour (which is why I LOVE making pizza at home! I get to experiment and figure out what I LIKE best).

You might even try a blend of bread, Tipo 00, and all-purpose flours to see what textures & flavors you can create.

Here’s way more info on bread flour!

What’s the Best Kind of Flour for Pizza Dough?

There is no “best flour” for all types of pizza!

The flour you choose should come down to the type of pizza and the type of oven you’re using.

Here are my recommendations for making pizza at home:

NY-style or any other type of “normal” pizza: bread flour
Neapolitan pizza (or other pizzas baked in a high-temperature pizza oven)
Detroit-style (or other deep-dish pizzas at home): bread flour

Honestly, the flour you use comes down to personal preference.

What texture and taste you prefer will require some experimentation!

Pro Tip: If at all possible, try to avoid JUST using all-purpose flour though. In order to get a nicely risen dough, you’ll need at least SOME high-protein content flour.

Pizza Flour Quick F.A.Q.s

Will bread flour work for pizza?

Yes. Bread flour is preferred for most pizza due to its high protein content, which generally rises more and develops better flavors and structure for pizza crust. However, Tipo 00 is a more refined, softer flour that is used with Neapolitan pizzas.

Is 00 flour the same as bread flour?

No. Bread flour is made from hard red wheat and typically makes dough stronger and more elastic. Tipo 00 flour is made from a softer wheat (typically found in Europe), which is easier to shape and less springy. The “00” scale actually measures the ash content in flour and ranges from Tipo 00 up to Tipo 2 (which is similar to whole wheat flour).