The Essential Guide
Flour Literacy
Beyond double zero, understanding the full Italian milling scale.
What the numbers actually mean
Italian flour is classified by ash content, the mineral residue left after milling. It measures how much of the bran remains. Lower ash means a whiter flour; higher ash means more of the whole grain is present. Crucially, the classification has nothing to do with protein, gluten strength, or performance.
In other words: the number tells you how finely refined the flour is, not how strong it is. Two 00 flours can behave completely differently. That is what the spec sheet is for.
The Scale
Italian flour classification
| Type | Ash (max) | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | 0.55% | Silky, the whitest flour |
| 0 | 0.65% | Fine, slightly less white |
| 1 | 0.80% | Creamy, mild bran, darker color |
| 2 | 0.95% | Tan, visible flecks |
| WW | 1.70% | Whole wheat, full bran & germ |
The lowest ash content in the Italian system, the whitest flour, with very little bran. This is the classification most people associate with Italian flour.
Slightly higher ash than 00, with a limited presence of bran particles and a slightly less white appearance.
Higher ash than 0, with more visible bran particles. Darker in color, with a more complex wheat flavor.
Higher ash than type 1, with a significant presence of bran and peripheral parts of the grain. Darker, with a distinctive, full wheat flavor.
The whole grain is retained, bran, germ, and endosperm. Generally requires adjusted hydration and fermentation tailored to the recipe.
Know Your Grain
Anatomy of a wheat kernel
Bran
Removed in 00
The outer layers of the kernel. The more bran retained, the higher the ash and the darker the flour.
Endosperm
Becomes 00 flour
The starchy, protein-rich heart of the grain, the source of the whitest, most refined flours.
Germ
Oils & nutrients
The embryo of the kernel, rich in oils and nutrients, retained in whole-grain flours.
The number tells you fineness. The spec sheet tells you strength.
00 isn't one flour
When you ask us about our 00 flour, we'll ask you two things: what protein level do you need, and what are you making? We carry multiple 00 flours, each developed for a specific application, the right one depends on your product and your process.
Agugiaro & Figna produces flours across the full Italian classification scale. Our U.S. assortment focuses on the professional 00 lines, with additional classifications available upon request.
Find the right flour for your craft
Compare protein, strength, and absorption across the range, every spec is on the product page.
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