Caputo Red vs Blue: Choosing Pizza Flour
The significance of high-quality flour when making Italian dishes, especially pizza, is something that cannot be underestimated. Many people still wonder which flour to use. Besides, how many types of flours can there be? To answer this, there are various types of flours. And the only flour you’ll need to make tasty pasta, pizza, and pastries are Caputo flour.
Caputo flour also called the gold standard of Italian flour, is recognized internationally as the best pizza flour globally.
It was first produced in Naples in 1924 by Carmine Caputo’s company. On his return to Italy from the US, Carmine developed a flour mill factory in Capua named Caputo. Now, in its third generation, Caputo is still producing this sought-after flour commonly used to make pizzerias in Naples. This article discusses Caputo flour and the differences between Caputo red and blue flours.
Caputo Red vs Blue: Overview
Caputo Red and Caputo Blue are two types of pizza flours within the Caputo 00 flour range. Caputo Red has a higher gluten content and boasts greater strength, making it perfect for prolonged fermentation and creating thin-crust pizzas or for various baking purposes.
Caputo blue has less gluten content with low strength. This makes it suitable for shorter fermentation and making thick crust pizza.
About Caputo 00 Flour
Caputo 00 flour, an Italian-milled flour made by a Naples-based company Antimo Caputo, is a popular flour locally and internationally. Antimo Caputo is among the top pizza flour manufacturers using locally produced wheat. This company is also considered an “approved supplier” by the True Neapolitan Pizza Association (TNPA), which controls regulations for authentic Neapolitan pizza.
The 00 refers to the level of refinement of the flour. The low the number, the softer and more refine the flour is. So, Caputo 00 flour is very soft and well-refined with very tiny particles.
There are several flours under the Caputo 00 four umbrella, each with its unique protein content. Protein in pizza flour is crucial as it makes the dough elastic and stretchy.
The recommended optimal amount of protein in pizza flour should be around 12%, which is precisely where Antimo Caputo pizza flour falls. Caputo Calssica, Caputo Pizzeria, and Caputo Chef’s Flour have a protein content of 11.5%, 12.5%, and 13%.
When kneading pizza dough, gluten proteins begin to form gluten strands. The gluten strands formed become stronger and more prolonged the longer you knead the dough. Small pockets filled with gas that rises also form during kneading. As more gluten is developed, the pizza crust becomes crispier when baked. That’s so because the gluten proteins harden when heated.
The Caputo Pizzeria comes in two packages, red and blue. Thus, red or blue Caputo flour refers to packaging rather than the flour color.
About Caputo Red
Caputo red flour comes in a red package and is the best for thin crust pizza or general baking. This flour has more protein and gluten. The gluten and protein make the dough more elastic and stretchy. This results in crispier pizza.
Besides making pizza, Caputo red flour can also be used to make cakes, bread, and even sauces.
About Caputo Blue
Caputo blue pizzeria flour comes in a blue package and is best for thick crust pizza. This flour has strong elastic gluten. It is also light with a perfect rising, making it suitable for thicker crust Neapolitan pizza with a thin middle and a thicker edge.
Caputo blue flour is finely ground and has a smooth overall texture. The roughest of Caputo pizzeria blue flour is graded 1.
Similarities Between Caputo Red And Blue
Degree of Refinement
Both Caputo red and blue are well refined. Flour under the Caputo umbrella is milled to the finest grade 00, making them extra smooth like infant formula.
Use
Caputo red and blue fall in the category of Caputo pizzeria flour. This means they are both great at making pizza. Caputo red is ideal for romano style pizza, while Caputo blue is suitable for Neapolitan-style pizza.
Protein Content
Both Caputo red and blue have high protein content. The two flours come with a 12.5% protein amount.
Differences Between Caputo Red And Blue
Protein Content
As mentioned, protein and gluten content play a crucial role in how elastic and stretchy the dough becomes. Caputo red flour has a protein and gluten content of 12.5% and 13%, while pizza dough’s standard recommended protein content is 12%. This makes this dough elastic leading to crispier pizza.
On the other hand, Caputo blue flour has a lower gluten content, 11.5%. And like Caputo red, Caputo blue has a protein content of 12.5%. Since Caputo blue has less gluten, it’s less elastic and stretchy.
Strength
Caputo red flour has a 300-320 W strength, making it ideal for long fermentation. Dough made from this flour maintains their shape for as long as 24-48 hours. You can also roll and stretch the dough, whichever you prefer, without breaking it.
As for Caputo blue, this flour has a strength of 260-270 W, making it suitable for shorter time fermentation. Caputo blue flour is excellent for typical 8-24 hour fermentation and hardly maintains its shape beyond that. The dough is also tricky to work with or roll into different shapes.
How to Cook Them
Caputo red flour is best for quick and thin crust pizza like romano style run at 720 degrees Fahrenheit, while Caputo blue flour is good for thicker rimmed pizza like Neapolitan style run at 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
Types of Oven to Use
Caputo red flour is designed to use in a regular kitchen oven, while Caputo blue flour is made to use in a wood-fired oven.
Conclusion
Caputo 00 flour is a super fine chef’s flour used to make different pizzas and baked goods. Caputo pizzeria, a category of Caputo 00 flour, comes in two packagings, red and blue. The red packaging comprises stronger flour with more gluten, making it ideal for crispier and thin crust pizza, romano-style. The blue packaging features a less strong flour with lower gluten content, perfect for thicker crust pizza, Neapolitan-style.
