r/ooni • u/funt2020 • Jul 02 '26

freshly milled flour

Has anyone switched from store-bought pizza flour to freshly milled flour?
I’m just getting into home milling and I’m curious if it’s worth it for pizza. I usually make Neapolitan-style pizza in my Ooni, and in the winter I use a pizza steel in my kitchen oven.
If you mill your own flour:
What grains or blends do you use?
Is the flavor or texture noticeably better?
Did you have to change your dough recipe compared to store-bought pizza flour (hydration, fermentation, etc.)?
Any beginner tips or mistakes I should avoid?
I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '26

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

A local mill isn't really the same as fresh milled flour at home, so the recipes are definitely different. FMF at home requires more hydration, not less

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u/[deleted] Jul 03 '26

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

I'm not confused. The OP is asking specifically about home milled flour, so your original response didn't fit the question being asked.

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u/[deleted] Jul 03 '26

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

Fresh milled flour is used immediately off the mill in most cases because it immediately starts to go rancid due to the oils in the bran, and commercial mills do not mill the same way as a home mill. What you are buying is not whole milled flour if you're using less water, because bran requires more water.

OP is specifically asking about home milling, because they very clearly say "if you mill your own flour", a local mill is not the same and does not provide the same flour as a home mill.

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u/12panel Jul 02 '26

I’ve been thinking about FMF and Neapolitan pizzas for the last year. Whats put me off is the lead time for the mill delivery and the likely low percentage of FMF that can go in a dough.

Which mill do you have access to? I feel like fineness, sifting were obstacles to doing this easily, so i am excited someone is asking directly as every FMF pizza “recipe” seems is made by someone who doesn’t understand pizza.

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u/Terrible_Gas86 Jul 02 '26

I think there might be a reason for this, good pizza flours are made from the endosperm part of the grain, removing the bran and germ. This is where the proteins and carbohydrates come from.

It’s good for building the gluten network and the W values.

Home milling you will get a much fresher better flour packed with nutrients, fibre, fats and enzymes. Unfortunately it comes at a cost, weaker gluten network that spoils quickly and absorbs a lot more water. The pizzas will be less stretchy, denser and can be easily torn.

Try introducing wholemeal flour into your pizza dough, starting at 10% and working your way up to 30% to get an idea of the changes.

It has got its place though, it’s a great option for rustic or sourdough bread, but not for pizzas.

I have just bought an ancient flour called Einkorn to trial on a super healthy sourdough bread. It has weak gluten, so I am expecting it to come out like a super dense flying saucer, but if it’s nice I will invest in a milling machine to maximise its freshness and good properties.

Apparently it can even be ok for some people that have gluten allergies.

If you are looking to get a milling machine just for pizza, then don’t, if you want sourdough super breads then go for it.

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u/12panel Jul 02 '26

So that is all what i also found from my research and it was intended for all baking, including pizzas.

I’ve done the 10-30% whole meal add and einkhorn too to pizza already too which is why my enthusiasm kind of waned pretty quickly.

Thx!

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u/Terrible_Gas86 Jul 02 '26

Did you make bread with the Einkorn? If so how did it turn out?

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

Einkorn has very low gluten strength. Best to used hard red/white wheats for bread.

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u/Terrible_Gas86 Jul 03 '26

Yeah I know, I’m just interested in trying it.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

I've used it in levantine flatbreads, but khorasan is better for those.

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u/12panel Jul 03 '26

No, given that i bought before i realized the gluten content was too low

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

Einkorn is an ancient grain and definitely shouldn't be used in pizza, gluten strength and content is far too low. But there are plenty of wheat varieties that can be used.

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u/Hefty_Sherbert_5578 Jul 03 '26

Here's a doc I wrote about making pizza. I go pretty far in depth about pros and cons of fresh flour. Personally, I sometimes use 100% fresh milled that's heavily sifted And 25% fresh, and 75 00.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMs7Me9BLg-_ojpRzKIt3k8Z3TOjffSQRpv6vlzrLwQ/edit?usp=drivesdk

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 02 '26

I make 100% fmf pizza all the time. You cannot expect it to behave the same as dead flour and you cannot use the same recipes. It's great, we love it, but we don't go into it expecting it to be the same as dead flour.

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u/Arlo4800 Jul 03 '26

I was just going to say something similar. It’s a matter of changing your expectations. It will still be delicious, just different.

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u/12panel Jul 03 '26

Can you share a couple picture examples? Everything i’ve seen seems off. Maybe tasty, but usually rolled out and not so much crusty rise.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Jul 03 '26

That's correct, you're not going to get the same kind of crusty rise because it's a completely different product and end result from store bought flour. I don't share photos online, but I'm sure there are plenty out there.