We get this question with some regularity, and there seems to be some conflicting information.
We inquired with Molino Caputo, in Naples, and they told us that the Chef’s flour in the red 1 kilo (2.2 lb) bags is the same flour as the Rinforzato (translated: “Reinforced”), which comes in the red 55 lb bags.
That is our current answer, since it’s what the person at the mill in Naples is telling us.
Some additional history
When we initially inquired with a distributor in the U.S., he told us that the Chef’s was the same as the Pizzeria flour. We talked to the importer, and he insisted that the distributor was incorrect, and that it was actually the Rinforzato. So we decided to contact Molino Caputo ourselves because we saw others making the claim that the Chef’s used to be the same as the Blue, but some time in 2009, they switched to using Rinforzato as the Chef’s, and the packaging also changed on the Chef’s a bit.
So the distributor may have just been relying on outdated information perhaps? Maybe there was a change at some point? Regardless, since the mill and the importer are in agreement that the Chef’s is Rinforzato, that’s what we are telling you.
To further cloud things, it doesn’t help that the front of the bag for all of the types of flour mentioned above shows an image of a pizza.
But that should bring some comfort that all three of the flours are suitable for making pizza. Ultimately it comes down to your preference as to which flour creates a crust that you prefer.
I would be remiss not to mention that after I talked to another customer about what I’m telling you above, that he contacted Caputo himself, and their answer was that the Chef’s is the same as the Pizzeria. Honestly, I throw my hands up in the air in desperation.
Technical Specs
Caputo did provide us with some technical specifications that you can review if you’re a real food techie. We have specs on the Pizzeria and the Rinforzato. To me, they look pretty much the same, but we don’t know what other properties of the various types of wheat which are being blended to produce flours that yield different results. That’s Caputo’s secret.
If you know something different or have any other information to clear things up, leave a comment below.
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Greetings:
The Truse answer is….they are all different!
Upon looking at spec sheets, you would belive thjat there are all the same flour in different packages…but the reason is that they all contain ~ the same protein content.
The Differnce comes in to a proprietary blend of the wheat used to mill these flours to 00 specs.
Chefs Flour contains predominately Grano Tenero…soft wheat and produces a very slack dough. It is formulated for home bakers who likely will be doing alot of hand kneading and like the package suggests…will be making pasta, pizza and dolce. I find it a little to weak for my liking. It makes a slack dough that tends to tear slightly and makes a spongy Focaccia….works great for pasta.
Next is the Pizza Flour…..Which contains just enough American Hard Red Spring Wheat to facilitate being stretched for pizza napoletana and will make suitable focaccia as well.
Reinforzato contains a larger percentage Hard Red Spring Wheat to give a dough that is very strong…for Itallian Bread and for Pizza Napoletana where long proof times are used. It is fine for Focaccia as well, it will be too strong for Pasta.
You can see from my review of the chefs flour that when you try and make flour that is general perpouse it will excell on maybe a single appplication and be fair in all others, thats why Molino Caputo makes so many flours.
So My final answer…is know what you will before hand and buy the right flour for the job…in a pinch you can allways purchase the Chefs Flour and blend it with King Arthur Bread Flour, which is made from the same 100% Hard Red Spring Wheat that is used to strengthen Caputo Flours, but is milled in the USA and Malted.
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