"00 flour." (doppio zero). A flour made from wheat and referring to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Doppio zero is the most highly refined and is almost the texture of talcum powder. It is often assumed that this softness also means that the flour is low in protein, and therefore suitable for making pasta but not for use in making bread, but this is not the case, as flours of varying protein levels can be milled to the 00 category. Flours also available are farina 0 and farina 1.
Flour. The most commonly used types of flour in Italy are grano tenero, meaning soft grain, or grano durum, hard grain wheat. The soft grain flours are used for baking while the hard grain is used for most pasta.
