I’ve used KA Bread Flour for my pizza crust with outstanding, reliable results for several years. It’s my go-to for both flavor and color. So I was eager to try this flour, and it just did not come close to the same results. In fact, I would use AP flour before this one.

First, it’s simply too wet to handle. I followed package and online directions exactly, using a calibrated kitchen scale. After 24 hours rising, the mass doubled in size to a thick, gloppy consistency, too wet for hands. I used a spatula to scrape it out of the bowl and ended up incorporating almost 30g more bench flour to make the dough manageable both to form a ball and to shape it.

Second, I don’t see how a half-portion of this dough (210g, with my extra flour) can be stretched into a 12” round as stated on package, with a nice cornichon. I barely got 10.5”, and that required stretching it into a nearly flat disc.

Third, flavor was less tasty than KA Bread Flour (or AP). True, in my recipe, I add a touch of garlic powder and olive oil. I also knead it and cold ferment for 48 hours. All are fairly common practices to build flavor because they work.

To be fair, in general Type '00' flour works superbly in 900ºF ovens and wasn't ever intended for 500º to 550ºF home ovens. In short, I’m going back to my recipe with KA Bread Flour.

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