Just a question I had. I know that Italian 00 type flour is milled finer than regular flour. Is it possible to put All Purpose flour in your food processor or VitaMix and get an approximation of 00 type flour?

Warty Bliggens
  • 30561 views
  • 8 Comments

8 Comments

Christina H.
Christina H. April 4, 2020
I've just done it, so yes. Stuff a sock or a wad of tissues in the open feeder at the top so that you don't dust anything with the result, and then let it sit. I do it in batches of 1 minute, rest, 1 minute rest, 1 minute rest. This was born out of desperation because the shoppe shelves are empty. The flour I was able to score was Australian organic .
 
veeebs
veeebs April 16, 2020
Wow I am so thankful you answered this!! Did you use it for pasta making? How did it turn out?
 
Christina H.
Christina H. April 16, 2020
I used it to make pastry birds for Easter. It is an Italian tradition in my family, and the dough held a shape and was tender. I was pleased, but I inherited a really great processor. I think patience is required. The idea of grinding and then letting your machine cool down several times over maybe 10 minutes or so. Mine doesn't tend to overheat, but I don't want to find out if it does. I can imagine you can use it for pasta, but regular flour might hold up better for spaghetti. Lasagna on the other hand, I like a soft pasta because I don't boil it first. If you really want the 00 light you can add a dash of corn flour to it, not a lot.
 
veeebs
veeebs April 16, 2020
Ahh I see! I have a quality processor as well and don’t mind practicing some patience as I’m craving some fresh pasta at the moment. These are wonderful tips. Thanks so much!! Hope you and your family are safe and fed :)
 
pierino
pierino November 8, 2010
I'll concur with all of the above responders, with just the comment that unless you are running a commercial bakery or pizzeria the difference is not worth bothering about. Although I do have a bag of 00 sitting here.
 
JSCooks
JSCooks November 8, 2010
I agree with the others -- the fineness is not the only quality that distinguishes 00, and flour can be a bit flighty when ground in a blender or food processor. If there is a specialty foods store in your area they may carry 00 flour. I've seen it several places around the Bay Area. Or try asking a bakery or pizza shop if you can purchase some from them.
 
RavensFeast
RavensFeast November 8, 2010
Agree w/ Mr_Vittles, that would prob make a big mess ; ) You may just want to try subbing 1 part pastry flour + 3 parts all purpose flour. That's what Carol Field ("Italian Baker") suggests...
 
Mr_Vittles
Mr_Vittles November 8, 2010
Sure you can put AP flour in a food processor of blender to get it finer. You'll probably make a big mess of your kitchen but its entirely possible. But another aspect of 00 flour is its lower protein level usually around 8 percent. This contributes to less gluten build up, and makes it ideal for pizza and pasta.
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52