Pizza ingredients – pizza flour, yeast and San Marzano tomatoes

Here you will find ingredients for homemade pizza: five Caputo pizza flours, Caputo pizza yeast, San Marzano DOP tomatoes from Strianese and Mutti, pizza sauce from Don Antonio and Mutti, nduja from Ask and a kit for making your own mozzarella. The table below shows which flour suits which pizza and proving time.

Pizza flour – the foundation of good pizza

Good pizza starts with the dough, and the dough starts with the flour. The flour decides how much water the dough can take, how long it can prove and how airy the crust becomes.

What do Tipo 00 and Tipo 0 mean?

Italian flour is graded by how finely it is milled. Tipo 00 is very finely milled and gives a supple, elastic dough. Tipo 0 is slightly coarser. For pizza you will usually use one of the two.

Flour strength (W) and proving time

The W value tells you how strong the flour is and how long the dough can ferment. A low W suits a short prove, while stronger flour takes more water and a longer cold prove, which gives more flavour.

Hydration

Hydration is the amount of water relative to the flour. 65 % hydration means 650 g of water per kilo of flour. Higher hydration gives a lighter, moister crust, but a stickier dough that is harder to handle.

How to choose the right pizza flour

Flour	Type	Strength (W)	Hydration	Proving time	Best for
Classica	Tipo 00	220–240	60–70 %	6–24 hours	Classic pizza, short prove
Pizzeria	Tipo 00	260–270	65–70 %	12–36 hours	Neapolitan pizza
Nuvola	Tipo 0	260–280	65–75 %	12–40 hours	Airy crust (cornicione)
Cuoco Chef	Tipo 00	–	–	Long prove	Strengthened flour, approx. 13 % protein
Semola	Durum	250	–	–	Dusting and pasta

The figures come from Caputo's product sheets. The Caputo pizza kit with dough tray contains four flours and pizza yeast, so you can try them side by side.

Yeast, tomatoes and cheese

Caputo pizza yeast is an Italian dried yeast that goes straight into the flour. You use a third of the amount of fresh yeast.
Strianese San Marzano DOP are tomatoes from Campania with a firm texture and low acidity, good for Neapolitan pizza sauce. Mutti also has San Marzano DOP and pinsa sauce.
The mozzarella kit from Enolandia has culture, rennet and equipment to make mozzarella from 10 litres of milk. You only need the milk.
Mad Millie sourdough culture and the 15 Minute sourdough kit for baking sourdough bread.

Frequently asked questions about pizza flour and dough

Which flour is best for Neapolitan pizza?

Caputo Pizzeria Tipo 00 is made for Neapolitan pizza. It has a W of 260–270, takes 65–70 % hydration and 12–36 hours of proving. For an extra airy crust, Nuvola is an alternative.

How much yeast do I need for pizza dough?

Caputo's Neapolitan pizza recipe uses 3.5 g of Caputo dried yeast to 1 kg of flour, 640 g of water and 30 g of salt. It makes six pizzas of about 30 cm, with a 24-hour cold prove in the fridge.

What is semola used for?

Semola is double-milled durum wheat. You dust the worktop with it when stretching the pizza, because it does not soak into the dough as easily and gives a crisper base. It is also used for fresh pasta.

What does DOP mean on San Marzano tomatoes?

DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) is a protected designation of origin. It guarantees that the tomatoes are grown and produced in the defined area of Italy using the traditional method.