Guide to Pizza Dusting Flour: What It Is, Flour Options & Which to Choose
In this article, we’ll explore what dusting flour for pizza (also known as bench flour) is, its uses, the types of flour suitable for dusting flour, and the pros and cons of each option
Introduction: Understanding Dusting Flour and Its Purpose
Before discussing the various types of flour suitable for dusting flour, let’s first define what dusting flour is and explain its importance.
Throughout this article, the terms “bench flour” and “dusting flour” are used interchangeably.
Note that this article focuses on explaining what dusting flour is and how different types of flour work as dusting flour. For practical tips on using dusting flour, see How to Use Dusting Flour for Easy Pizza Stretching and Launching: Practical Tips.
What Is Dusting Flour?
Dusting flour, also called “bench flour,” is the flour used for stretching a pizza dough ball and flouring the pizza peel. It plays a crucial role in making the dough manageable, preventing it from sticking to our hands, the work surface, or the pizza peel.
Simply put, dusting flour serves three key purposes:
- Flouring (‘dusting’) the dough itself.
- Flouring the work surface where the dough is stretched.
- Dusting the pizza peel to ease the pizza’s transfer to the oven.
While any flour can technically serve as dusting flour, we’ll later explore the pros and cons of different flours as dusting flour.
Why Is Dusting Flour Necessary?
Once the dough has fully fermented and before it heads to the oven, it often becomes somewhat sticky, making it a challenge to handle (depending on factors we’ll explore later).
Dusting flour ‘solves’ this by allowing us to coat the dough with a thin, dry layer – whether sprinkled directly onto the dough, the work surface, or the pizza peel. This creates a ‘buffer’ between the sticky dough and our hands, the work surface, or the pizza peel. As a result, the dough can be stretched and shaped easily, staying free from sticking during handling and transfer to the oven.
In essence, dusting flour ensures the dough remains manageable – from the moment it’s shaped into a pizza base until it is launched into the oven – preventing it from sticking to hands, the work surface, or the pizza peel.
How Much Dusting Flour Should You Use?
As a general guideline, aim to use the least amount of dusting flour needed – just enough to comfortably handle the dough.
Using too much dusting flour can lead to several undesirable outcomes:
- Excess flour on the pizza’s base may burn during baking, leaving a bitter flavor (see picture below).
- Too much flour on the dough can alter the crust’s flavor, texture, and appearance.
- Excess flour on the baking surface might burn and stick to the next pizza(s), imparting a bitter flavor.
Conversely, using too little dusting flour risks the dough sticking to your hands, the work surface, or the pizza peel.
In summary: dusting flour is often essential, but the key is balance – use just enough to work the dough comfortably – no more, and no less.
What Makes a Good Dusting Flour for Pizza?
Before discussing specific flour types, it’s important to understand what qualities make a flour more or less effective as a bench or dusting flour.
As noted earlier, the primary goal of dusting flour is to keep dough from sticking. A key characteristic of an effective dusting flour is slow water absorption.
Generally, the slower a flour absorbs water, the longer it remains dry, enhancing its performance as a dusting flour, by maintaining that crucial ‘non-stick’ barrier.
Two main factors influence a flour’s water absorption rate:
- The particle (granule) size of the flour.
- The amount of damaged starch in the flour.
In the sections ahead, we’ll see how these properties impact the flour’s water absorption rate and its effectiveness as a dusting flour.
Flour Particle Size
The coarser the flour’s particle size – meaning larger individual grains – the slower it absorbs water, allowing it to stay “dry” for longer.
This happens because larger particles have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio. For instance:
- Plain white flour (fine particles) absorbs water quickly, turning “wet” fastest.
- Durum wheat semolina (medium particles) takes longer to absorb water than plain white flour.
- Wheat semolina (typically coarse particles) absorbs water even more slowly than durum semolina.
The surface area-to-volume ratio measures how much surface an object has relative to its volume. Think of a large ice block melting slowly (with less surface area compared to its volume), versus small ice cubes melting quickly (with more surface area relative to their volume).
This principle applies to flour particles:
Large/coarse particles: smaller surface area relative to volume → slower water absorption → stays dry longer.
Small/fine particles: larger surface area relative to volume → faster water absorption → becomes wet sooner.
When dusting a pizza peel, coarser flour particles form a layer that acts like tiny “ball bearings,” reducing friction between the dough and the peel, making it easier to slide the pizza into the oven.
One exception is rice flour, which we’ll cover later.
Moreover, coarser flour particles are less likely to cling to the dough, reducing excess flour buildup. This is because larger particles adhere with more gaps and less density, leaving less flour on the dough’s surface.
Picture this: sprinkling sand on a surface creates a dense, even coating, covering it almost entirely. In contrast, scattering marbles or small pebbles leaves noticeable gaps, forming a less continuous, less dense layer. Similarly, finer flour particles stick densely to dough, while coarser ones spread with gaps, potentially leaving less flour ‘residue’.
As noted earlier, excess flour can burn during baking or impart a raw, “floury” taste to the crust. Coarser particle sizes help minimize these issues by reducing the amount of flour that sticks to the dough.
In summary, flour with coarser/larger particles:
- Remains dry longer.
- Leaves fewer flour grains on the dough.
Flour that stays dry longer and minimizes excess on the dough is, in theory, a better choice for dusting flour.
Damaged Starch Content in Flour
Damaged starch refers to starch grains damaged and physically fractured during milling.
Damaged starch:
- Absorbs 2-4 times more water than intact starch.
- Absorbs water much faster than intact starch.
Both of the above are undesirable properties for dusting flour.
In simple terms: Flour with more damaged starch absorbs water faster and in larger amounts, making it less effective as a dusting flour.
Generally:
- Flours milled to a coarser grain size tend to have less damaged starch.
- Flours from soft wheat, like Italian flours, typically have less damaged starch.
Practically speaking, it’s difficult to assess a flour’s damaged starch content since flour mills don’t publish this data.
Types of Dusting Flours (Including Pros and Cons)
The following sections will examine the distinct characteristics of different flour types and their performance as dusting flour.
Durum Wheat Semolina
Before moving forward, let’s clarify some key terms:
In pizza-making, “semolina” typically means fine semolina milled from durum wheat (“semola rimacinata”).
The terms “semolina” and “semola” are interchangeable and mean the same thing: “semola” is Italian for “semolina” in English.
For more on semolina and semola, see Semola vs Semolina: Understanding the Differences and Their Best Uses.
For details on durum wheat, see Durum Wheat (Durum Flour): What Is It and Should You Use It in Pizza Dough?.
Unless stated otherwise, this section refers to fine durum wheat semolina (“semola rimacinata”).
Durum semolina is probably the most popular dusting flour for pizza.
What makes semolina a top choice is its relatively large grain size compared to plain white flour. This leads to slower water absorption and less excess flour sticking to the dough.
Durum semolina comes in varying particle sizes, from finer to coarser, but all are coarser than white flour.
Beyond aiding dough handling, semolina grains also lend a slightly rough, “grainy” texture to the baked crust (some might even call it “crunchy”), depending on the grind size. Whether this is a perk or a drawback is subjective – some love it, others don’t.
Contrary to some beliefs, semolina doesn’t “burn less” during baking. The burning (or smoking) point of common wheat and durum wheat is similar.
The misconception stems from the semolina’s particle size: coarser grains mean less flour adheres to the dough. When too much dusting flour is used, whether white flour or durum semolina, semolina might seem to “burn less” – simply because there is less of it on the dough.
Pros and Cons
The biggest advantage of semolina is its particle size.
Its main drawbacks are higher cost and limited availability, though a single package can last a long time, depending on your pizza-making frequency. Another potential downside is the grainy texture it adds to the crust, which not everyone likes.
How to Use
Durum semolina can be used as 100% dusting flour, or blended with other flours. For example:
- 50/50 with white flour.
- ⅓ / ⅓ / ⅓ with white flour and rice flour or cornmeal.
Plain White Flour
Plain white flour serves as a great dusting flour. Though its finer grains don’t absorb water as slowly as some alternatives, it performs well when used properly, making it an effective dusting flour.
Many top-tier pizzerias use plain white flour as their dusting flour.
Pros and Cons
The biggest advantage of white flour is its widespread availability. Any white flour, even the cheapest, can be used as dusting flour.
The drawback of using white flour as dusting flour is a smaller margin for error, which may require more skill and experience:
- Its faster water absorption means that slow or improper handling can lead to dough sticking to hands, the work surface, or the pizza peel.
- Using too much risks excess flour on the pizza’s base, which may burn during baking and leave a bitter taste.
- Too much flour on the pizza’s rim (cornicione) can form a “flour layer” on the baked crust, giving it a white or cloudy look that can impact the pizza’s eating characteristics.
- Dusting the pizza peel with white flour increases the contact points between the dough and the peel, raising friction and potentially hindering a smooth release (no “ball bearings” effect).
How to Use
White flour can be used as 100% dusting flour or blended with other flours in any proportion you prefer.
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is an excellent choice for dusting flour, used in many pizzerias.
To clarify, this refers to cornmeal, ground from whole corn kernels – not cornstarch – which is a distinct product derived from the kernel’s endosperm, similar to white wheat flour.
Cornmeal has a yellow-ish color, while cornstarch is stark white, like white wheat flour.
Cornmeal typically comes in three grind sizes: fine, medium, and coarse:
[Image credit: https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/is-corn-low-fodmap]
For a dusting flour for pizza, fine cornmeal is ideal (second from the left in the image above). Medium or coarse cornmeal is often too gritty, complicating handling and potentially leaving a grainy texture in the baked crust.
Medium-to-coarse cornmeal is commonly labeled “polenta flour,” as traditional polenta uses these grinds. When selecting cornmeal for dusting flour, opt for products specifically labeled “fine cornmeal”, and avoid “polenta flour,” which is usually too coarse.
Cornmeal’s key advantages as dusting flour are its coarser grain size and lower damaged starch content (compared to white flour) – qualities that make it highly effective as dusting flour.
Additionally, cornmeal is gluten-free. Since gluten is naturally sticky, and the gluten-forming proteins can absorb a significant amount of water, cornmeal’s lack of gluten keeps it drier and less prone to sticking to hands or surfaces.
Like semolina, cornmeal adds a slightly coarse texture to the crust, also imparting a subtle “corny” flavor to it.
Pros and Cons
Cornmeal’s advantages are its grain size, slow water absorption, and gluten-free nature, all of which help it stay dry longer and reduce stickiness.
The main drawback of cornmeal is limited availability – fine cornmeal can be hard to source. Another potential drawback is the grainy texture and “corny” flavor it might lend to the crust, which isn’t universally loved.
How to Use
Fine cornmeal can be used as 100% dusting flour, or blended with white flour or other flour types.
Rice Flour
Rice flour is an excellent choice for dusting a pizza peel, or as bench flour when blended with other flours.
Rice flour’s standout feature is its extremely low water absorption, thanks to its gluten-free nature and minimal damaged starch content. These properties keep rice flour “dry” for longer, preventing it from becoming wet or sticky – far more so than other flours.
This makes rice flour ideal for dusting proofing baskets (bannetons) when fermenting artisinal bread. It prevents the dough from sticking to the cloth or basket, and allows for an easy, clean release, even with very sticky doughs.
Rice flour is typically very finely milled, almost powdery, so it provides a full, almost ‘perfect’ cover to the dough surface. Despite its fine particle size, its low water absorption makes it ideal for dusting a pizza peel, as it creates a thin, dry, and uniform layer that ensures the pizza slides off smoothly.
In the video below, you’ll see rice flour used on a wooden pizza peel, with an 80% hydration, very sticky dough:
Important: For dusting flour, look for regular rice flour, NOT glutinous rice flour (also called “sweet” or “sticky” rice flour). Glutinous rice flour has starch properties that make it absorb water rapidly, creating a sticky texture (hence its name) – the opposite of what we need in dusting flour.
Pros and Cons
The main benefit of rice flour is that it forms a “non-stick layer” between the dough and the surface. This makes it a good choice for dusting the pizza peel, or when you need to leave dough on a surface for a while without it sticking.
Also, rice flour is:
- Flavorless.
- Less likely to burn during baking, because it has a higher burning point than other flours.
- Very fine in grain size, so it doesn’t change the texture of the baked crust.
These points – especially the first two – mean that even if you use a fair amount of rice flour on the peel, the extra flour won’t affect the pizza as much as other flours would.
The downside of rice flour is its fine grain size, which lets it cover the dough completely. This is helpful for dusting the pizza peel, but when used alone as a dusting flour (without mixing with other flours), it can stick to the dough too well. This makes it hard to brush off extra flour, which might leave an unappealing white layer on the baked crust.
While it won’t change the taste or texture, it can affect how the crust looks.
How to Use
For dusting the pizza peel, you can use 100% rice flour without mixing it with anything else. A thin layer is usually enough to make a “non-stick” surface that lets the pizza slide into the oven easily.
You can also mix rice flour with other flours, like a 50/50 blend with white flour, cornmeal, or durum semolina.
For use as a bench flour (dusting the dough or work surface), it’s not the best idea to use rice flour by itself. Instead, it can be mixed with other flours at a low amount – up to about ⅓ of the total flour mix.
Wheat Semolina
Wheat semolina (common wheat – not durum wheat] is regular wheat ground into a coarser grain size than white flour. Basically, it shares the same characteristics as white flour, but with larger particles.
Typical supermarket common wheat semolina usually comes in a very coarse grind. If a semolina product doesn’t explicitly say it’s made from DURUM wheat – it’s a COMMON wheat semolina.
While it’s possible to use wheat semolina as a dusting flour, its grain size is often too coarse:
- The coarse grains leave patchy coverage, with “bare” spots on the dough that might stick to surfaces, hands, or the pizza peel.
- It gives the baked crust a very grainy texture.
Because of this, wheat semolina isn’t the best choice for dusting flour. If you’re out of other options and want the benefits of coarser grains, you could mix wheat semolina with white flour at a 50/50 or 60/40 ratio (more white flour), or better yet – just stick to 100% white flour.
Can Coarse Semolina Be Ground Finer?
The short answer is: No.
In theory, it’s possible to grind coarse wheat semolina into a finer particle size, but doing it with typical home tools isn’t easy. There’s a reason mills use specialized rollers to get a specific grain size.
Several challenges come up when attempting to grind wheat semolina into a smaller particle size:
- Most home tools aren’t made to work with such small grain sizes, so they can’t grind them down smaller effectively.
- It’s impossible to control the grain size or keep it even, so you’d either end up with something like white flour (losing any benefit of semolina), or uneven grains.
- Grinding damages the starch, raising the damaged starch content – which is the opposite of what we want for dusting flour.
- The process creates a lot of heat, which can change how the semolina behaves and absorbs water.
Overall, grinding coarse wheat semolina into finer semolina isn’t worth it, and isn’t practical. You’re better off using plain white flour instead.
What’s the Best Dusting Flour for Pizza?
The only correct answer to this question is: the one that works best for you.
Some people are happy with plain white flour, while others prefer the coarser grains of semolina or cornmeal, or the non-stick, water-resistant layer rice flour provides on the pizza peel.
I’d love to offer a single “one-size-fits-all” suggestion, but honestly – there isn’t one. When using dusting flour properly, all the flours mentioned above can do the job. It’s up to you to figure out what you like most.
I’d recommend starting with the two most popular options – plain white flour and durum wheat semolina – then trying out other flours (or mixes) until you land on the one that suits your pizza style, dough, and workflow best.
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