As passionate pizza enthusiasts, our quest for the ultimate Neapolitan pizza has led us down many flour-dusted paths. Today, we’re excited to share the next chapter in this delicious journey with Le 5 Stagioni Pizza Napoletana Flour.
The search for the finest pizza flour is a bit of a treat and a nightmare at the same time! Lots of delicious pizza – but how do you really figure it out??
We continue to explore both American and Italian flours in order to find what might be “the best of all flours for pizza”. Le Stagioni isn’t the most well known of Italian flours here in the US, but it is well deserving of getting to know!
I mean just look at this pizza! Beautiful leopard spotting!
Le 5 Stagioni Flour: Premium Quality from Farm to Table
Le 5 Stagioni flour is crafted to meet the diverse needs of Italian bakers (and not just pizza bakers). Each step, from harvesting to milling, undergoes rigorous quality control, ensuring a flour with the best characteristics for baking.
Sustainability and Innovation
Le 5 Stagioni flour not only makes the promise of exceptional quality but also commits to sustainable development. By utilizing energy exclusively from renewable sources and continuously striving to reduce environmental impact, this brand supports a greener planet.
A Closer Look at Le 5 Stagioni
Craftsmanship and Heritage
Le 5 Stagioni prides themselves on the Italian tradition of excellence in milling. Their flours are the product of centuries of milling expertise, combined with modern technology and a commitment to quality. The brand’s name, which translates to “The 5 Seasons,” reflects their dedication to producing flour that captures the essence of Italy’s rich agricultural heritage. Each bag of flour carries with it a piece of this history, which I think you’ll find can translate into the pizzas you make with it.
Global and Local Grain Selection
Le 5 Stagioni flours are made from a meticulous selection of grains sourced from the best cultivations in Italy and around the world – a fact I found surprising, but I’ve learned is rather common. They take this approach to ensure that they only use the highest quality grains, regardless of where they are grown. The result is a consistent and superior product that stands out in the crowded market of pizza flours. The brand apparently has strict quality control processes, from harvesting to milling, ensure that each bag of flour meets their high standards.
Sustainability Commitment
Sustainability is at the heart of Le 5 Stagioni’s operations. The company prides itself on producing flours using energy exclusively from renewable sources. I don’t know exactly how this is done (I guess I could have spent more time with Google Translate) but this commitment to sustainability means that when you choose Le 5 Stagioni, you’re not only choosing quality but also supporting environmentally responsible practices.
Okay, let’s stop worrying about the company and get onto this flour and the pizza!
The Le 5 Stagioni Pizza Napoletana Flour: A “00” Soft Wheat Flour
The only real practical flour available to for the home pizzaiolo in the US is Le 5 Stagioni’s Pizza Napoletana “00” Soft Wheat Flour. And I’ve only found this flour available in a 2.2-pound package, but that’s quite ideal for for most people creating authentic Neapolitan pizza at home. Though it is perhaps the priciest option on the market—at $13 for 2.2 lbs., I still recommend giving this flour a test drive.
You’ll still be able to make 12 Neapolitan pizzas from that one little package – barely more than $1 each for such wonderful flour!
Key Features of Le 5 Stationi Pizza Flour:
- Type “00” Soft Wheat Flour: Known for its fine texture, it’s perfect for pizza dough.
- High Protein Content: With a minimum of 13% protein, it maintains the gluten structure over long periods, essential for Neapolitan pizza dough.
- Optimal Hydration and Fermentation: The packaging recommends a 59% hydration and a 10-12 hour fermentation, ideal for achieving the perfect balance of elasticity and strength. That’s a little on the short side for an AVPN pizza, but since AVPN pizzas fermenting at room temperature can become a little tricky to work with, I recommend following their recommendations.
AVPN Guidelines & Le 5 Stagioni Napoletana Pizza Flour
For those seeking to create an authentic Neapolitan pizza, adhering to the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) guidelines is essential. AVPN specifies strict standards for ingredients and methods, and Le 5 Stagioni Napoletana Pizza flour meets these standards, making it a top choice for traditional Neapolitan recipes – and we will dive right into making a true Neapolitan!
Neapolitan Pizza with Le 5 Stagioni Type 00 Pizza Flour
Being an an Italian Type 00 Pizza flour specifically for Neapolitan pizza, obviously I had to make a traditional Neapolitan pizza. Following the AVPN pizza recipe, I went to work.
The instructions for the recipe are detailed on our AVPN page (and also in the recipe below), but I followed the classic method of making Neapolitan pizza dough.
What Was My Experience?
Experimenting with Le 5 Stagioni Pizza Flour
As a home-pizzaiolo, I love to experiment with flour – and Le 5 Stagioni Pizza flour is my latest experiment. It won’t be our last (because that’s just now how we work), but this has proven to be a wonderful adventure!
One thing that really stood out immediately was the lovely texture during the kneading. It had a great feel while mixing. I made these in to 275 gram (a shade under 10 ounces). It had a similarly great feel when mixed in a stand mixer.
Within the realm of the AVPN rules, you may be a little limited – but you can still dabble with starters, adjusting the hydration levels slightly (especially as you adjust the cooking temperature). I quite enjoyed getting this one started with a sourdough starter.
This dough seems to work best when fermented at room temperature for about 12 hours using 10% starter (poolish, biga, or sourdough), allowing the natural flavors and textures to develop fully – but not over-fermenting.
After my bad luck with over-fermenting, I tried using dried yeast at the recommended portion from the AVPN recipe and after 20 hours at room temperature, it was spot on. Flavor was excellent too.
Baking the pizza at the traditional 900°F, the crust developed the perfect Neapolitan texture: slightly charred, airy, and with just the right amount of chew. The slices were characteristically floppy, as a true Neapolitan pizza should be, yet firm enough to be enjoyed without the need for a fork and knife.
The result was a pizza that captured the essence of Naples, thanks to the exceptional quality of Le Stagioni’s flour.
Remember, making pizza is as much about the process as the final product. Enjoy the journey, and don’t worry about making mistakes—each one is a step towards mastering the art of pizza making.
Can I Make Other Types of Pizza?
Of course! Type 00 flour is best known for making Neapolitan pizzas but it is also commonly used to make other types of pizza. Just note that this is a soft wheat flour, so it will have less structural integrity than American hard red wheat flours.
Meaning you can make other styles of pizzas using a pizza pan or a pizza screen. I’ve had good luck with this flour making a Detroit style pizza too! (Yes, I know that’s not Italian – but it was delicious).
Le 5 Stagioni Pizza Neapoletana Dough Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer (Optional)
- 1 Outdoor pizza oven AVPN says wood-burning is required, but use what you've got!
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups 00 Pizza Flour Le 5 Stagioni Pizza Neapoletana (320 grams)
- 7 Ounces Water Filtered or bottled drinking water preferred. Do not use reverse osmosis purified water.
- 1 Tsp Sea salt fine is best
- 0.01 Ounces Dry yeast (1/2 of 1/8 Teaspoons)
Instructions
- Pour the water into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the salt into the water and whisk (or stir) until the salt is dissolved.Add about 1/2 cup of flour into the water.
- Start your stand mixer using the hook attachment on its slowest setting.
- Add the yeast to the water.
- Slowly add more flour. Not all flour hydrates the same, so it may be that you'll need a little less or a little more flour.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do this all by hand. Dissolve the salt in the water.Make a "volcano" of all of the flour and pour the salt water into the middle. Slowly move and mix the "volcano" walls into the water. Add the yeast into the paste of flour and water before kneading.
Checking the Dough
- The dough will form into a single compact ball.· When this happens, stop the mixer and check the texture. · Dust your hands with flour and pull the dough off of the hook. · Knead the dough in your hands. · The texture and moistness should be consistent throughout. If it is not, return it to the mixer and check again. · The dough should be slightly tacky and smooth but should not be leaving much sticking to your hands. If it is, return it to the mixer and continue adding flour – slowly. · The final dough ball should be "fat" in appearance and sticky, soft, elastic. It might not be perfectly smooth to the touch yet.
First Fermentation
- Place the dough on a clean surface and cover with a damp cloth for one hour. The damp cloth is important to keep the outer surface from drying out.
Second Fermentation
- Remove the damp cloth and separate the dough into two balls of equal size (this recipe will make two dough balls approximately 9 ounces – which should make about a 11" to 12" pizza).
- Work the two halves into balls (the traditional technique is to shape them the same way Italians prepare fresh mozzarella balls).
- Place the two balls into one or two sealed containers – the dough balls will double in size, so make sure they have enough room.
- Let the dough rest for up to 12 hours at room temperature.
Stretching the Dough
- After the second fermentation, the dough will have become extensible (meaning you can stretch it) but not very elastic.
- Put 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface
- Remove one dough ball from its container onto the floured work surface.
- Stretch the dough by hand from the center to the edge. Create a round shape but ensure that the edge of the crust is about 0.5" tall and 0.5" to 1" wide and the rest of the crust is very thin (less than two pennies, if you can).(If needed, add more flour to the work surface so the pizza does not stick, but do not use more than you need)
- With this recipe (which makes two 9 ounce pizza dough balls), you should be able to make up to a 12" pizza.
- Put 1 tablespoon of flour on your pizza peel and rub it into the wood (so the dough will not stick when launched into the oven).
- Transfer your dough to the pizza peel.
- You will want to quickly apply your toppings and get the pizza into the oven before the dough sticks to the peel. Start with the sauce.
- Fresh sliced mozzarella is always the best on a Neapolitan pizza, but you can use shredded. A bit of grated parmesan is also a nice addition!
- We also had some lovely pancetta left over from a previous pizza, so we used the last of it up here!
- Launch the pizza into the oven on the hottest part of the stone without being in the flames.
- Rotate the pizza one quarter turn every 30 seconds. Generally, the pizza will be done in 3 minutes or less. So watch it closely!
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 3 minutes.
- Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are going to cook this in a conventional oven, you’ll want the highest temperature you can get the oven to.Â
- If you have a pizza stone (or pizza steel), that’s going to help a lot in getting the most authentic crust. If not, a pizza pan (or cookie sheet) will still turn out a great pizza.
- You can either start the pizza on a pan (or cookie sheet) and transfer it to the stone after about 10 minutes (when the crust is firm enough to be safely transferred). At this point, turn off the oven and let the pizza cook on the stone for another 5 minutes. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for another 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Alternatively, you can start by launching the pizza directly to the pizza stone in your oven. This is more tricky and you might want to practice with some dough with no toppings!
Nutrition
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.