Pizza Dusting & Bench Flour

Dusting flour does a simple job: it keeps the dough from sticking to the bench and the peel, and it should not burn on a hot stone.

Re-milled durum semola is the most popular choice. Its coarser granules act like tiny ball bearings under the dough, and it browns more slowly than fine flour. Dedicated dusting blends (spolvero) mix semola with other flours for a lighter touch, and corn flour gives a more rustic finish.

Use a light hand: shake off the excess before the pizza goes in, so loose flour does not scorch on the oven floor.