All-purpose flour

Behaviour

Lower absorption than bread flour; doughs are more extensible and less chewy

Workable for short same-day fermentation; can slacken and lose structure over long cold ferments

Style compatibility

A reasonable substitute across most styles for home bakers, though results in a softer, less chewy crumb than bread flour or type 00

Styles using this flour

• New York-style pizzaDomestic substituteGenerally accepted

  Produces a softer, less chewy crumb than bread flour, but is a workable home substitute.

• Chicago deep-dish pizzaTraditionalStrongly supported

  Lower gluten strength than bread flour gives the classic flaky, almost pastry-like crust rather than a chewy one.

  Usually with a portion of cornmeal or semolina worked in for colour and a flaky, biscuit-like texture.

• Chicago stuffed pizzaTraditionalGenerally accepted

  Same flaky, low-gluten-strength crust logic as Chicago deep dish, needed for two rolled layers plus a full filling.

• Chicago tavern-style pizzaTraditionalGenerally accepted

  Low protein content is essential to the style's defining cracker-like, low-rise crispness.

• New England bar pizzaCommonly usedLimited evidence

  Keeps the thin, crisp New England bar-pizza crust from becoming too chewy under a cheese-to-the-edge topping.

• St. Louis-style pizzaTraditionalStrongly supported

  Low gluten development is essential to the style's unleavened, cracker-thin, dense crust.

• Quad Cities-style pizzaDomestic substituteLimited evidence

  A workable home substitute, giving a slightly softer crumb.

• School cafeteria-style sheet pizzaTraditionalLimited evidence

  A simple, inexpensive, low-protein base suited to mass sheet-pan production.

• Greek-style pizzaAcceptable substituteLimited evidence

  A workable, softer-crumbed home substitute.

• Brazilian pizzaCommonly usedLimited evidence

  The standard base flour ('farinha de trigo tipo 1') used by most Brazilian pizzerias.

• PanzerottoCommonly usedLimited evidence

  A simple, lower-protein dough suited to this street-food-style fried snack's quick preparation.

• Ohio Valley-style pizzaTraditionalLimited evidence

  Low protein content supports the style's defining thin, cracker-like, rolled crust.

• Japanese-style pizzaAcceptable substituteLimited evidence

  A workable, softer-crumbed home substitute.

• Chip shop pizza (deep-fried pizza)Commonly usedLimited evidence

  The shop-bought or par-baked base this style starts from is typically a simple, low-protein dough — the battering and frying, not the dough itself, defines this style.

• Uruguayan pizza (pizza a la pala)Acceptable substituteLimited evidence

  A workable home substitute, giving a slightly softer crumb than the traditional bakery-strength flour.

• Chicago pizza puffCommonly usedLimited evidence

  A moderate-protein, easily rolled flour suits the thin, tortilla-like wrapper this style requires; high-gluten flour would make the wrapper too tough to seal and fry cleanly.

• Filipino-style pizzaCommonly usedLimited evidence

  A standard commercial-grade flour suited to the style's ordinary, same-day chain-pizzeria dough; the style's distinctiveness lies in sauce and toppings, not flour choice.

• Indian-style pizzaCommonly usedLimited evidence

  A standard commercial-grade flour suited to the style's ordinary chain-pizzeria dough; the style's distinctiveness lies in its marinated toppings, not flour choice.

• Flammekueche (tarte flambée)TraditionalGenerally accepted

  A moderate-protein flour rolled thin gives the exceptionally crisp, cracker-like base this style requires without excess chew.

• Scacciata (Tampa-style pizza)Commonly usedLimited evidence

  A moderate-protein flour suits this style's egg-enriched, cakey dough without the extra chew high-gluten flour would add.

Substitution

Adding 1-2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten per 500g approximates bread flour strength

UK 'plain flour' and US 'all-purpose flour' are comparable in protein range but milled from different regional wheat blends

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