What it actually means, and what it doesn't.
The Classification
In Italy, flour is classified by how finely it is milled and how much of the wheat bran remains after milling. This is measured by ash content, the mineral residue left after burning a flour sample. Lower ash means a finer, more refined mill. Higher ash means more bran, more fiber, more of the whole grain retained.
The result is a numbered scale: 00, 0, 1, 2, and whole wheat. The double-zero sits at the finest end, the most refined white flour Italy produces. It is not a protein level. It is not a gluten rating. It is not a hydration indicator. It is purely and exclusively a measure of fineness and purity.
What 00 Does Not Tell You
This is where most people get it wrong. Saying your flour is “00” tells a professional almost nothing about how it will perform. The classification describes how the flour was milled, not what it can do.
Many flours in the Agugiaro & Figna range are classified 00. Our Oro flour is 00. Our Croissant flour is 00. They perform completely differently because 00 is not the variable. Protein content, wheat selection, and milling precision are.
Why It Matters for US Professionals
Not the same as all-purpose: US all-purpose flour is milled coarser and blended for multiple uses. Italian 00 is precision-milled for a finer texture, more consistent hydration, and superior extensibility.
Protein varies within 00: A Neapolitan pizza flour and a pastry flour can both be 00. The classification tells you fineness; the spec sheet tells you strength.
Consistency is the product: Professional kitchens need the same result every batch. Flours from a controlled mill like Agugiaro & Figna, whether 00, 0, 1, 2, or whole wheat, deliver uniform protein, uniform hydration absorption, and uniform performance, season after season.