Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

[heliman]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

..... why whine about the price?

i'll tell you why there's whining about the price... to get it over here to Perth will cost another 30 - 60 dollars. It's just not worth it.

I have eaten pizzas made with Molino Caputo flour and they were excellent but certainly don't warrant spending the outrageous price being asked for MC here.

The topic has been discussed at length in this forum and general consensus was that there are some really good local flours with high protein that make outstanding pizzas so forget MC for now.

The bottom line is that import and quarantine regulations in Oz add both time and cost to the product pricing it out of the market.

[shuboyje]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

I can certainly understand any and all frustration with that price. I'm in the US 4700 miles from Naples and I can get a bag for $36. I could see you guys paying double what I pay due to the longer distance, smaller quantities purchased, ect.. Four times seems like somebody is making some killer markup somewhere along the line. I'd bet I don't pay 4 times what they do in Naples.

[PeterE]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Disagree about the blue label Molino Caputo pizza flour - sadly only available at Lario's in 25 kg bags. The red label is the 1kg bag. I've used both - the blue is by far the best pizza flour I've used -make sure you use 59% hydration - makes the perfect pizza dough to work with, fabulous flavour. Get your dome over 950F and floor about 750F+ and they cook up beautiful in 90 seconds - just like the pros. My friends won't let me vary the toppings - San Marzano sauce, buffalo mozzarella, bits of prosciutto, basil and the obligatory drizzle of good olive oil. I have been trying to perfect this for 2 years and I'm finally there. I also spent big on an imported Azurro perforated peel 36cm - it's worth every penny. Bases never stick slide off every time.

[nickk]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

PeterE, share your (59% hydration) dough recipe

[PeterE]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

No big deal - as per the fornobravo pizza dough recipe - but not 65% water to flour ratio. I use spring (bottled) water and weigh it -59% of my flour weight, so if 500gm of flour the water amount is 500x0.59= 295gm. I warm it in microwave to about 110F. Be accurate as you can with your weights . I use less salt(non-iodized sea salt) -about 7-8 gms (not 10) and 3 gms yeast. Let the dough rest (autolyse) for 20 minutes after 5-6 minutes of mixing. Then mix another 5 mins or so. Then stretch it(3 fold letter type technique) - form into big dough ball then cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
Then make your dough balls (I weigh them to get them as equal as I can) - cover them and in fridge for 24 hrs..take out 1-2 hrs before making bases.
Works for me!

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Thanks for the post. Marco didn't tell me about the shelf life of the flour. I hope that's not a problem because there's no way I'll use 25kg in 8 months. I've got the bag in a reasonably air tight plastic container. Maybe I need to find someone willing to go halves for future purchases or I'll go back to buying a few 1kg red packs each time I go to Sydney. I had to postpone the pizzas till tomorrow but I've made a batch of dough and it looks and feels good. I'll let you know how they shape and cook up.

Regarding the shelf life you cold try freezing half of the flour to extend its life.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

If anyone is interested in growing San marzano tomatoes. I have been growing them for a couple of years. I can send you some if you are in this wonderful land downunder. Except WA of course. Also I got them from Diggers Seed Club. They do heritage seeds of all kinds.
I also have a local old style Tom that is fabulous really meaty beautiful flavour and even freezes well oh yes and it is huge. Where the SM toms are quite small. I am happy to pass some of those seeds along as well if anyone is interested.

[PeterE]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Love to have some of your SM seeds and the other tom seeds. I can email you direct my address. Thanks

[nickk]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Just returned from visit to the States and brought back (much to my wife's bewilderment) 4 x 1kg bags Antimo Caputo Chefs 00 flour ($3.99 US per bag) and can't wait to use it. Also went to Frank Pepes in New Haven (amongst other great pizzerias) and my god the size of their pizzas ?????? The Margherita and White Clam pizzas were sensational. Especially the sauce on the Margherita. Base could of been a tad crispier/firmer (I don't think the size of the pizza helps this) but overall great experience. Also had great pizza (& pasta) at Eataly in NYC.

[nickk]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Just returned from a weekend in Bowral (NSW Southern Highlands - 90mins from Sydney) and noticed the local deli sells the Antimo Caputo flour ($4.95).

They had 3 and I purchased 2. They said they get every now and then (easier to get in the bigger 25kg bags) but great to have a shop that stocks either.

[nickk]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Just noticed the following site (Sydney based) that sells the Caputo 25kg Pizza Flour for $70, as well as the red 1kg bags for $4.95.

http:shop.icnussa.com.au

Haven't ordered from them so can't comment on service, etc but worth looking into.

Also, the Zanetti 5 star deli/supermarket in Haberfield (across the road from the IGA) has quite a selection of tinned San Marzano's - some excellent, some good, some not so good, as well as good range of tinned/bottled tomatoes. I find the 'Mutti' range really good.

I also recently ordered some 'Cento' San Marzano's from Welcome to USA Foods (nicely sized 800gm tins) and they were really, really good. Notice they are currently out of stock but definitely will buy again.

[heliman]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

I ordered my Caputo from icnussa and I found them good to deal with. The flour also has a long shelf life which is good when ordering the 25kg bags.

I did a "torture test" on Caputo recently and cranked the oven up to 500 C. The pizzas showed signs of burning so I had to drop the temp to around 450 C for best results with a 90 sec bake. Definitely the best pizza flour around but I would be interested in getting commentary from others as to its overall value for money.

Note: To ship it to Perth costs $45 - $50 which is another consideration if outside Sydney. You have to arrange your own courier as icnussa does not provide that service.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Love to have some of your SM seeds and the other tom seeds. I can email you direct my address. Thanks

Did you get the seeds? did you grow them? mine are just starting to flower.

[applor]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Hey guys just thought I would post an update in here as this topic is being discussed in another thread.

Oasiscdm has discovered a company that are now importing Molino Caputo flour to each state in Australia.
Here is their website for contact details:
Food importers and distributors, Italian food and wine | Basile Imports

Ring your state supplier to find out which retailer sells the flour. Basile are a wholesaler so they generally won't sell to you direct.
Having said that, I am in Brisbane and enquired but they didn't really have any retailers as they are only selling direct to bakers/pizzerias at the moment.
As a result they were willing to drop off a 25kg bag to me in Bris CBD as part of their delivery run.
$42 for the 25kg delivered straight to me at work - absolute bargain!
Looking forward to getting/using it, though my build is still a month or so away.

[oasiscdm]

Re: Molino Caputo pizza flour and San Marzano Tomatoes

Your welcome.

You won't regret it applor. Shit $42

To get true taste of it try this.

Olive oil steeped with minced garlic, not a lot off cheese finely sliced chili of choice and olives chunky dice.

I took 3 of these to work.

They wanted more.

Then do one the same with smoked piquillo peppers added.

Wow

Btw I find out yesterday that bassile have increased the price $7