Italian Food ImporterSince 1979
The Pizza Flour Guide
What Tipo 00 means, how the W rating works, and which flour fits your fermentation time.
01What does Tipo 00 mean?
Italian flour is graded by how finely it is milled and how much of the outer grain it keeps. The lower the number, the finer and whiter the flour.
00
The finest grade
Soft, silky dough for pizza and pasta
0
Slightly less refined
Roman-style pizza alla pala and pinsa
1
More of the grain
More flavor and color, rustic crusts
Semola
Durum wheat, re-milled
Fresh pasta, breads and dusting
00 is about fineness, not strength.Two 00 flours can behave very differently. What tells you how a flour will handle long fermentation is its W rating, explained next.
02The W rating: flour strength
W measures how strong the dough is. Stronger flour holds up to longer fermentation. Match the flour to how long your dough rests.
Same-dayNeapolitan classic
Classica
Tipo 00 · W 270
- For 8 to 10 hours of fermentation.
- Soft, airy Neapolitan crust.
OvernightThe all-rounder
Vivace
Tipo 00 · W 290
- For 16 to 18 hours of fermentation.
- Fits an overnight dough schedule.
Cold fermentThe strongest
Super
Tipo 00 · W 360
- For 24 to 26 hours of cold fermentation.
- Deeper flavor and a more open crumb.
Longer rest, stronger flour.Not sure how much flour, water, salt and yeast you need? Use our free Polselli Dough Calculator.
03Which flour for which dough?
Polselli makes a flour for every style.
Quick picker
Match the flour
2
Long cold fermentation: Super.
3
Roman pizza alla pala and pinsa: La Romana or the wheat and rice pinsa blend.
4
Bread: Organic Open-Crumb Bread Flour or Type 1.
5
Fresh pasta: Fresh Pasta Flour or Semola Rimacinata.
6
Gluten-free: Polselli Gluten-Free Flour.
7
Work table dusting: Voilà Spolvero.
A
Unbromated
Italian flour is milled without potassium bromate, which is not permitted in the EU. Polselli flours are unbromated.
B
Why cold fermentation
Resting dough slowly in the cooler builds flavor, makes it easier to digest and stretch, and gives a lighter crust. It needs a strong flour like Super.
C
Organic options
Polselli offers an Organic Tipo 00 and an Organic Open-Crumb Bread Flour made with 100% Italian grain.
D
About Polselli
An Italian flour mill in Arce, Lazio, making professional flours for pizza, bread and pasta. Imported and distributed in the U.S. by Manzo Food Sales.
04Bag sizes
From a home kitchen to a high-volume pizzeria.
1 kg (2.2 lb)
Retail and test batches
5 kg (11 lb)
Restaurants and small pizzerias
25 kg (55 lb)
High-volume pizzerias
See all flours in Polselli and Artisan Pizza Ingredients.
05Questions buyers ask
Is Tipo 00 the same as all-purpose?
No. 00 is a finer Italian grade. Its strength varies, so check the W rating for how it handles fermentation.
What does W mean?
A measure of dough strength. Higher W flour holds up to longer fermentation.
Which flour for a 24-hour cold rise?
Polselli Super, W 360, made for 24 to 26 hours.
Is Polselli flour bromated?
No. Polselli flours are unbromated.
What is pinsa flour?
A Roman-style blend; Polselli La Romana pinsa flour combines wheat and rice flour for a light, crisp base.
Who imports Polselli in the U.S.?
Manzo Food Sales, importer and distributor of Italian food since 1979. Send a wholesale inquiry.
W ratings and fermentation times are Polselli guidelines; adjust for your kitchen. Imported by Manzo Food Sales, Miami, since 1979. Wholesale inquiries
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