Last updated: 13 July 2026 by Maria Williams
'00' flour is the finely milled Italian flour famous for pizza and pasta — and yes, you can absolutely make sourdough with it. It just shines in particular places. Here's what to know.
What '00' actually means
The '00' refers to how finely the flour is milled, not its strength. It's ground to a soft, talc-like texture. Protein content varies: some '00' flours are lower-protein (great for tender pasta), while pizza-grade '00' is often higher protein and built for stretch. Check the protein figure on the bag — for sourdough you want one on the higher side.
Where '00' excels: pizza and focaccia
'00' makes a wonderfully smooth, extensible dough that stretches thin without tearing — exactly what you want for sourdough pizza or a light focaccia. The fine milling gives a delicate, crisp-yet-tender crust. If you've been making sourdough pizza with bread flour, switching to '00' is a noticeable upgrade.
Where to be cautious: tall loaves
Lower-protein '00' won't build the strong gluten network needed for a high, open-crumbed boule, so for traditional tall loaves stick with strong bread flour or blend '00' with it. Match the flour to the bake.
Your starter doesn't mind either way
The flour you bake with is separate from the flour your starter is built on — a healthy culture ferments '00' dough just fine. Our Dough Dough starter works with '00', bread flour, rye, spelt and wholemeal, so you can go from a crusty loaf one day to sourdough pizza the next with the same starter.
Curious how blending '00' with other flours changes your bake? Our free flour blend analyst is built for exactly that.
Not got a starter yet? You can buy sourdough starter online from us — live, lab-verified, ready in about two hours, free UK delivery.
🍞 Ready to bake?
Browse our full library of 25 tested sourdough recipes — everyday loaves, focaccia, bagels, pizza, cinnamon rolls, discard uses and more.
