Replacing OO Flour

[pwcoppard]

I have a hard time finding reasonably priced OO flour for pizza dough. but a potential solution presented itself in an Italian Cookbook I was just reading - replace OO flour with 1 part pastry flour, and 3 parts unbleached flour.

I will by trying it soon. Anyone else have any experience?

[Wiley]

Re: Replacing OO Flour

pwcoppard,
I have not tried mixing flours in hopes of imitating another, however, here is a link to a page that perhaps is relevant. Written near the bottom under French flours:

"It has been put forth in some circles that French flours can be imitated by “cutting” the extra strength of North American bread flours with weaker cake or pastry flours. The logic of this is attractive, but it does not pan out."

Don't know if this also relates to Italian flours and imitating 00 type flour but the authors write as if they knew what they were talking about. And I wonder if their pun was intended or a slip in translation :-)

Hope this helps and do let us know how well it works...the experts aren't always right.
Wiley

Oops! Here's the link:
http://www.theartisan.net/flour_classification_of.htm

[echopark]

Re: Replacing OO Flour

I have used a cheapo, store brand, bread flour (Ralph's) with good results. I tested a bunch of local brands by mixing to 80% hydration w/ no yeast and letting it rest 10 minutes. Then grabed a chunk and pulled it apart to see if the strands of gluten were elastic and long.

Have you tried calling Giusto's and/or King Arthur Flour (99% sure they will ship to Canada)? I expect it will still cost you around $3/lb US -- is that too much?

I really recommend the Giusto's Ultimate Performance High Gluten Unbleached Bread Flour(available in 5 or 75lb bags). Better flavor than the Italian 00's (IMO), and doesn't come all the way from It'ly. I have not used the King Arthur flours recently, but that's who Hamelman works for, so it can't be bad, right?

[texassourdough]

Re: Replacing OO Flour

Let me be candid. I find it ludicrous to worry about blending flours to achieve some mythical result if you don't understand the individual flours first! And it isn't that folowing a recipe is wrong so much as it is that the "flours" you are proposing to blend are more diffferent than the outcome you are pursuing.

It makes far more sense to me to get comfortable with AP flour before begnning to blend AP with pastry flour. Until you know what AP does how do you proosoe to evaluate the blend or its shift in characteristics.

I would strongly encourage you to deal with what you have reasonably available before you start experimenting!
Jay