Flour Finesse: The Best Substitutes for 00 Flour

It’s Italian cooking night and you are all set to make pasta, but then you notice the 00 flour is empty! Put an end to this Italian nightmare with these helpful 00 flour substitutes!

Homemade pasta and pizza are some of the best dishes to master to impress your friends and family. One ingredient that comes up a lot when you are talking about pasta and pizza dough is 00 flour. It is known for its use in pasta and pizza, but what can you do when you just don’t have this special flour? Don’t worry, your pasta is safe with these 00 flour substitutions!

What is Double Zero Flour

Sometimes known as pasta flour or doppio zero flour, this variety of flour was made for Italian cooking. The double zero refers to the grind size of this flour. Double Zero Flour is ground extra fine so it has an airy texture like powdered sugar or baby powder.

Uses for Double Zero Flour

The most common recipes calling for double zero flour are usually pasta and pizzas. This extra fine flour helps to contribute to the elasticity of the dough. That is what makes it so important to doughs like pizza and pasta that must be stretched before cooking.

Health Benefits of Double Zero Flour

This flour brings more than stretchability to the dough. Double zero flour has plenty of dietary fiber and iron. It is also a source of potassium. This is wheat flour so it should not be consumed by someone with gluten intolerance.

How to Choose a Double Zero Flour Substitute

There are some considerations to make when choosing a substitute for Double Zero flour. Think about what dish you are trying to make. Do you need a highly stretchable dough? Are you looking for a substitute due to stomach issues like gluten intolerance? Do you have access to more specialty flours?

Keeping these questions in mind as you consider which substitute will work best for your purposes will help you navigate this list and find the perfect 00 flour substitute.

The 6 Best Double Zero Flour Substitutes

No	Substitute Name	Pizza, Pasta, or Both
1	All- Purpose Flour	Both
2	Bread Flour	Pizza
3	Durum Flour	Pasta
4	Pastry Flour	Pizza
5	Semolina	Pasta
6	Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour	Both

1. All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is a very commonly on-hand ingredient that makes a great for double zero flour. This ingredient is a pantry staple with a long list of applications. Its texture is more coarse than 00 flour, but it is still a suitable substitute for pizza dough and pasta.

Using A.P. flour as a substitute for double zero works very well but you may notice a slight texture difference in the final product. A pizza dough made with all-purpose may be a little chewier than a double zero dough. All-purpose flour will stretch almost as well as double-zero in the dough.

2. Bread Flour

Bread flour is a common type of flour that works well as a substitute for 00 flour. This type of flour is very high in protein which enables more gluten development. That means that this flour can produce a very stretchy dough.

Bread flour is a great choice to use as a substitute for 00 flour in pizza dough. It creates a wonderful elasticity that works very well for pizza. One drawback of using this flour in pizza making is its absorbency. Bread flour is more absorbent than 00, so you may need more liquid when working with bread flour.

3. Durum Flour

This fine flour makes a great substitute for 00 flour in pasta and pizza doughs. Durum flour is a byproduct of milling semolina. It is a very fine flour with a yellowish color. Compared to semolina flour, durum is much finer making it a closer substitution for 00 flour.

Durum flour is an excellent substitute for 00 in pasta making. Durum has a soft texture and high protein content that makes a dough that is sturdy and stretchable enough to work as pasta. It also works very nicely to create stretchy pizza dough.

4. Pastry Flour

Pastry flour is a fine ground flour that can be used as a substitute for 00 flour. Pastry flour is made to give pastries their nice crunch and chew. It has a similar texture to 00 flour, but its protein content is fairly low.

Pastry flour can be used in place of 00 flour in pasta and pizza dough, but it may not stretch quite the same. The protein content of pastry flour is typically around 9% so it cannot form quite as strong strands of gluten as some of the other flours. Doughs made with this flour will have a nice toothsome quality.

5. Semolina Flour

One great option to look to when in need of a 00 flour substitute is semolina flour. Semolina is yellow flour milled from hard durum wheat. It is related to durum flour but much more coarse. The protein content of semolina is high so it is capable of making sturdy and stretchable doughs.

Semolina is far more coarse than 00 flour but it can still work as a substitute in pasta doughs. The dough this flour produces is stretchy with a strong gluten network that allows it to hold up when run through a pasta maker. Its yellowish color and rich wheaty flavor make it a flavorful substitution for 00 flour.

6. Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (+Xanthan Gum)

Needing to reduce or cut out gluten should not mean you cannot enjoy dishes like pizza or pasta! Luckily, many major flour producers have developed gluten-free flour options. The best gluten-free flour to use in place of 00 flour is gluten-free all-purpose flour. Much like regular A.P. flour, the gluten-free variety is very flexible in its applications.

There are bound to be a few struggles when swapping 00 flour for a gluten-free option. To make the most of this swap in pizza or pasta, try adding xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is both a thickener and emulsifying agent. It will help the gluten-free flour build flexibly similar to regular flour dough. This duo of ingredients will help you craft a pizza or pasta dough that does not feel like missing out!

The Best 00 Flour Substitute for Pasta

The best 00 flour substitute to use for pasta making is durum flour. It is wonderfully fine and has a great protein content for elasticity. This flexible flour holds up well to a pasta maker and produces pasta with a satisfying chew. Durum flour can be a little more pricey and is not always stocked in smaller markets.

The Best 00 Substitute for Pizza

When making pizza, the best 00 flour substitute is bread flour. It has a wonderfully high protein content that allows this flour to create a satisfyingly stretchy dough. Bread flour is easy to find and can be a little more affordable than flours like semolina or durum.

The Best Overall 00 Flour Substitute

The best overall substitute for 00 flour is all-purpose flour. As its name indicates this flour is great for all purposes. It will work in both pasta and pizza dough to create a satisfying texture. All-purpose flour is easy to find and affordable compared to some other specialty flours. When in doubt, all-purpose flour will do the trick.