The W value – flour strength and how long your dough will hold
The W value decides whether a dough survives 48 hours or collapses after 24. How to read the number, and how to make a sensible guess when the bag is silent.
Quick answer: The W value measures flour strength – how much work it takes to inflate a bubble of dough until it bursts in an alveograph. The higher the W value, the longer the dough holds together during fermentation without the gluten network giving way. AVPN wants W 250–320 for Neapolitan dough.
How to read the number
A low W value (below roughly 180) means a weak flour suited to short fermentation – beyond a day the dough risks turning slack and losing structure (see sticky dough). A high W value (above 300) tolerates long fermentation but can feel tough if it is over-kneaded or fermented too briefly – its full potential never gets used. AVPN’s range of 250–320 is a compromise built for exactly 8–24 hours of fermentation at room temperature or 24–48 hours cold (see cold fermentation).
Where to find the number
Imported Italian flours (Caputo and similar) often print the W value on the bag. Ordinary supermarket flours almost never do, so you usually have to work from other clues instead.
Protein content is not the same thing as W value, but it is often the only number you get on a supermarket bag – see protein content for how to use it anyway. See also which flour for which oven.
