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I tested Caputo gluten free flour in my gluten free recipes. The results are sometimes amazing, sometimes disappointing.
I have a lot of experience with gluten free flour blends, but so far I have only recommended 3 blends for my recipes: Better Batter, Cup4Cup, and now my own blend called Nicole's Best Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour. I have tested my gluten free recipes extensively with these 3, and they will work anywhere a recipe calls for an all purpose gluten free flour blend as an ingredient.
I recommend against most other blends on the market for being unbalanced, containing gritty rice flour, or simply of inconsistent quality. Any of these qualities mean that they won't work in my recipes.
When you leave a comment on the blog saying that you “followed the recipe to a T” and it didn't work, it's almost always an issue with the flour you've chosen.
Why review this flour?
I've begun to seen an increase in the number of comments referring to the gluten free Caputo flour. Some readers were asking if it would work in one of my recipes. Others were stating that they had used it and either did, or didn't, like their results.
I had been aware of the Caputo Fioreglut for some time. But I hadn't tested it because it contains psyllium husk, a gluten free baking ingredient that I generally don't like.
There's also an Italian restaurant near my home that makes incredible gluten free pizza in a dedicated gf pizza oven. I tried it for the first time in 2023, and I really enjoyed it.
For these reasons, I decided to see for myself how well this it performed in my recipes. I have only tested the flour in 3 types of recipes: gf pizza, gf sandwich bread, and gf cookies. These are my results!
What's special about Caputo?
Caputo Fioreglut is unique because it contains wheat starch as its first, and most dominant ingredient. I had seen increasing claims on social media and from readers that it makes the best gluten free pizza and bread that people have ever had.
Is this a sponsored review?
No! I purchased it to test with my own money. Since I do so few sponsored posts and haven't done a single one in years, companies never even approach me any more.
The link below to purchase this product from Amazon.com is an affiliate link. I encourage you to shop around for the deal that is best for you.
Key product facts
What are the ingredients?
These are the ingredients listed on the package of flour that I purchased. All facts are according to the company:
- gluten free wheat starch (This meets FDA requirements for Gluten-Free Foods)
- dextrose
- maize starch
- buckwheat flour
- rice starch
- psyllium seed fibre
- thickener: guar;
- flavoring
The FDA requirements for gluten free food labeling that the company is referring to “define the term “gluten-free” for voluntary use in the labeling of foods.” (Source)
The final rule states specifically that products that contain wheat starch as an ingredient and states, in part:
The final rule defines the term “gluten-free” to mean that the food bearing the claim does not contain … an ingredient that is derived from a gluten-containing grain and that has been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch), if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten in the food (i.e., 20 milligrams (mg) or more gluten per kilogram (kg) of food)
78 Federal Register 47154
Should I add xanthan gum or guar gum?
No! This blend already has psyllium husk and guar gum as binders. Plus, it's very sticky and somewhat stiff. Those
Is it really gluten-free?
Yes, Caputo gluten free flour is properly labeled gluten free as defined by the United States FDA. However, the presence of wheat starch as the most plentiful ingredient in the mix may make you uncomfortable, and I respect that.
Is wheat starch safe to eat for celiacs?
Yes, wheat starch that has been properly tested for being free of gluten is gluten free. However, like all decisions about your diet, you must make a personal decision about whether it has a place in your life. This is not medical advice, as I'm not a doctor and would never pretend to give that sort of advice.
It seems like a similar decision to deciding whether oats are safely gluten free, or whether Cheerios are gluten free. Please do keep in mind that wheat starch is not safe for anyone who is actually allergic to wheat, as it is gluten free, but not wheat free.
How does it perform in baking and taste?
I encourage you toward or against any particular blend, even my own blend, to ensure that you have success when you use my recipes. Specialized gluten free ingredients like a flour blend are very expensive, and I want you to have success in baking the first time, and every time.
The bottom line: Caputo gf is good for yeast breads
It performs very well in yeast-risen baked goods like gluten free pizza and bread. I don't like its performance at all in cookies, and although I haven't tested this, I believe it would make cake with a stiff, unpleasant crumb.
The rise in yeast-risen baked goods is better than anything else I have tried. The rise is truly excellent, which you can see in the photos of bread here on this page.
The crumb structure looks perfect, the texture of the pizza is crispy outside and well-risen inside. However, the bread that I baked with Caputo Fioreglut tasted somewhat dry, and certainly more dry than what I've made with my other recommended gluten free flour blends. It's not enough of a problem to make me not want to use this flour again, though!
How to use it in gluten free pizza
I first made my recipe for NY-style gluten free pizza, as written. That pizza has an 84% hydration ratio, and the pizza bends and folds when made with my regular recommended flour blend.
When I made the same recipe using Caputo, the pizza was good, but did not bend. I increased the hydration ratio to 93% by increasing the water, and the pizza bent and folded well. You'll find my Caputo Fioreglut pizza recipe on the blog.
Results in gluten free bread
I made my recipe for gluten free bread without any changes, except using Caputo Fioreglut as the flour. You can see the results in the photos on this page.
The rise was truly amazing, and the loaf maintained its shape perfectly as it cooled. However, the mouthfeel was a bit drier in my throat than normal. It felt moist to the touch, but felt somewhat drier when I swallowed it.
It's rare that yeast bread will rise so well, and maintain its shape after baking, but without also feeling moist in your mouth. The wheat starch, in particular, is able to trap so much of the carbon dioxide released by the yeast. But the starchiness of the blend means it absorbs a ton of water.
How versatile is it?
This blend is not very versatile, even though the bag states that it's “gluten free flour for all your baking needs.” So far, I'm only willing to recommend that you use it in pizza and breads.
I haven't tried it in gluten free pasta, but I believe it would work well in my recipe in place of both the all purpose gluten free flour blend and the Expandex modified tapioca starch. For a single batch, that would be 325 grams of gf Caputo.
I don't have a formula for how to use it in my recipes without any changes, since it works better in some recipes, and worse in others. I haven't yet tried it in shaped breads, only the batter-style gluten free breads.
This blend most definitely cannot be used in place of traditional flour in a “regular” non-gf recipe. It absorbs a lot of moisture, even more than usual for gf flour blends, so each recipe must be considered individually.
Where to buy Caputo gluten free flour in the U.S.
I purchased Caputo on Amazon.com. That's an affiliate link to the precise product I purchased. As of this writing, the price on Amazon Prime is $1.98 per ounce.
You can also purchase it on the company's website, but the shipping costs make Amazon a better value, particularly if you have a subscription to Amazon Prime.
There are other online retailers that also offer this flour blend for sale in the U.S., but the shipping costs add up to a much higher price than Amazon Prime. Please do shop around for the best value!
How does the price of Caputo compare to Better Batter or Nicole's Best?
As of this writing, the cost of a 5 pound bag of Better Batter's original blend on Amazon Prime is $1.96 per ounce. That's 2¢ less than Caputo as described above. Both of these purchases assume Amazon Prime membership. The price of Nicole's Best right now is $1.91 an ounce, as shipped.
Should you try this flour?
Yes—but only if you're willing to experiment with adding more moisture to some of my bread recipes, or to just use the blend to make my gluten free sandwich bread and this Caputo Fioreglut pizza recipe.
If you're looking for an all purpose gluten free flour blend, this isn't it. And, of course, if you're allergic to wheat or any of the other ingredients in the blend, please don't purchase this flour.
Hi
I have been experimenting with the Caputo gluten free blend and have successfully used it in Nigella’s Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake for my daughter’s birthday cake. It was always her requested cake over the years and last year she needed to remove gluten from her diet. We all agreed it was lighter and better than the originally gluten one! So that in mind I have also made a gluten free mixed chip loaf cake, a gluten free recipe I found online and that too has been deemed a success! Light moist texture! Melt in the mouth shortbreads also made using this flour worked beautifully. One of the best things about this flour I find is that the results are not grainy or powdery tasting as I have often found with other blends tried!
Just thought you might like to know it works for more than bread, pizza and pasta!
This Caputo gluten-free flour works best in a pizza oven when making pizza. You can get good results in your typical kitchen oven, but the higher temperatures in a pizza oven will get the crust to rise and expand more than in your lower-temperature home oven. 500-degree home oven vs 750+ degrees pizza oven. So, the flour isn’t the entire template for a great gluten-free pizza.
I don’t have a pizza oven, like most people, and I was still very very happy with the results, Frank.
Good info. Looking for a gf sour bread and hard roll recipe.
If you mean gluten free sourdough bread, I have a recipe for that. Please use the search function to find it and anything else you’re looking for!
Excellent review, thank you!
I’ve never heard of that brand, Craig. I’ll have to check into it.
I’ve been using this flour for years. It is not meant to be a one-for-one All purpose flour. You are correct that it does not make good cookies or cakes. That’s not what it is designed for. It makes excellent bread and excellent pizza crust. I don’t think there is one gluten-free flour that is perfect for everything. I’m sure you agree and that’s why you have more than one blend. I use your blends but I use them for different things.
I’ve had some really good results with this flour by adding 25g of flax seed meal for every 500grams of flour. It really seems to help develop the crumb into something less gummy. I’ve been using that in variations of Caputo’s ciabatta recipe to make baguettes, hoagies, pretzels, bagels, buns, and bread bowls. I’m eager to see what other things that people with more creativity and time to experiment can do with it. My partner is gluten free and I seem to have a very low tolerance for xanthan gum so this flour has been awesome for us.
I’m glad you found something that works for you, Joe. I’m not sure how flax seeds would make anything less gummy, as they gel when they’re hydrated, but that’s great if it creates a product that you like.
Just an FYI regarding your paragraph “Is wheat starch safe to eat for celiacs?” I believe your answer to this needs to be corrected. If you are truly a celiac, you would not be able to eat any kind of wheat.
My answer is correct, Virginia, provided that the product is labeled “gluten free,” which Caputo Fioreglut is. My celiac son eats this flour without incident, as wheat starch that has been tested to levels that meet FDA and even UK regulations is considered safe for celiacs. Please make the choices that are best for yourself and your family, as this post or this blog in general is not intended to offer any sort of medical advice, but the answer stands.
Not true. Celiacs can have the wheat starch. We can not have wheat protein
I’m confused. You state that the price of the Caputo flour is $1.96/oz on Amazon, but on 2/28/24, only about a week after you published the article, it’s going for only $0.51/oz. Surely the price didn’t drop THAT quickly? That makes the Caputo by far the cheapest option, assuming the other prices are accurate.
Actually, believe it or not, it literally did change that quickly! I see what you mean, but I do try to make clear that at the time of the publication, that was the price. I did the per ounce calculation myself to confirm amazon’s price per ounce then, and it was indeed double. I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s so low today, as I write this, but suspect it will change again. But it right away!
I’ve noticed that on Amazon it states that it’s $0.51 an ounce, but that doesn’t actually calculate correctly. It calculates out to be $1.96 an ounce even though it still says $0.51. Not sure how they can have that big of an error but they do.
OH MY GOSH, Sonya, thank you sooooooo much for clearing that up! That really really had me stumped! And honestly how they could sell a flour blend, particularly one imported from Italy, for that little made no sense. Thank you again!
Is this the sandwich bread recipe you recommend to use with Caputo Fioreglut flour? Are there any changes that should be made to the recipe when using this flour? Thank you.
https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-bread-recipe/
Hi, Jean, yes that is the recipe that I tested, which I link to in the review in this post. Please see the text of this post under the heading “Results of Caputo in gluten free bread” for how it turned out, as stated, without any adjustments.
Thanks! Appreciate your reply. Can’t wait to try it.