Pizza Dough Calculator
Calculate exact pizza dough ingredients by weight. Perfect your homemade pizza with precise baker's percentages.
Formula
Ingredients = Total Dough × (Baker's % / Total %)
This Pizza Dough Calculator computes results from your provided inputs using the calculator's underlying model.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Two 12-inch Neapolitan Pies at 65% Hydration
Problem:You want 2 Neapolitan pizzas, 12 inches each, at 65% hydration. How much flour, water, salt and yeast do you weigh out?
Solution:A 12-inch Neapolitan dough ball is 250 g, so total dough = 250 x 2 = 500 g. The Neapolitan percentages sum to 100 (flour) + 65 (water) + 2.5 (salt) + 0.2 (yeast) = 167.7. Flour = 500 x 100 / 167.7 = 298 g. Water = 500 x 65 / 167.7 = 194 g. Salt = 500 x 2.5 / 167.7 = 7.5 g. Yeast = 500 x 0.2 / 167.7 = 0.6 g.
Result:298 g flour, 194 g water, 7.5 g salt, 0.6 g yeast (500 g total dough, 250 g per ball)
Example 2: Four 14-inch New York Pies at 62% Hydration
Problem:Four 14-inch New York style pizzas at 62% hydration. This style adds oil and sugar, so the percentages no longer sum the same way as Neapolitan.
Solution:A 14-inch New York dough ball is 340 g, so total dough = 340 x 4 = 1360 g. New York style adds 3% oil and 1% sugar and uses 0.5% yeast, so the percentages sum to 100 + 62 + 2.5 + 0.5 + 3 + 1 = 169. Flour = 1360 x 100 / 169 = 805 g. Water = 1360 x 62 / 169 = 499 g. Salt = 1360 x 2.5 / 169 = 20.1 g. Yeast = 1360 x 0.5 / 169 = 4 g. Oil = 1360 x 3 / 169 = 24 g. Sugar = 1360 x 1 / 169 = 8 g.
Result:805 g flour, 499 g water, 20.1 g salt, 4 g yeast, 24 g oil, 8 g sugar (1360 g total dough, 340 g per ball)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hydration in pizza dough?
Percentage of water relative to flour. 60% = 60g water per 100g flour. Higher hydration (65-70%) = lighter, airier crust. Lower (55-60%) = denser, chewier.
Why use weight instead of cups?
Flour volume varies with how packed it is. 1 cup can be 120-150g. Weight is consistent. Professional bakers always use grams for precision.
How long should dough rise?
Neapolitan: 24-72 hrs cold ferment for complex flavor. Quick rise: 1-2 hrs at room temp. Longer = better flavor development.
What are baker's percentages and why does the total exceed 100%?
Every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the flour weight, and flour itself is always 100%. A Neapolitan dough at 65% hydration with 2.5% salt and 0.2% yeast therefore sums to 167.7%, not 100%. To find the flour weight you divide the total dough weight by that sum: 500 g of dough at 167.7% gives 500 x 100 / 167.7 = 298 g of flour. Every other ingredient is then a percentage of that flour figure.
How much should each dough ball weigh?
Ball weight sets the finished pizza diameter. A 10-inch Neapolitan pie is typically 200 g, a 12-inch is 250 g, and a 14-inch New York slice pie runs 340-400 g because the crust is thicker and carries more toppings. Pan and Detroit styles use more still, around 500-600 g for a 10x14 inch tray. Multiply the ball weight by the number of pies to get the total dough weight Pizza Dough Calculator scales from.
How does hydration change the way the dough handles?
Water percentage controls both texture and workability. At 55-60% the dough is firm, easy to shape by hand and forgiving for beginners. At 65% it becomes noticeably slack and needs a light touch and well-floured hands. Above 70% you are into focaccia and ciabatta territory, where the dough is best handled wet, folded rather than kneaded, and baked in a tin. Raise hydration in 2-3% steps rather than jumping.
Why do New York and Neapolitan recipes use different ingredients?
True Neapolitan dough is only flour, water, salt and yeast, because the AVPN standard for pizza napoletana permits nothing else. New York style adds roughly 3% oil and 1% sugar: the oil softens the crumb and helps the base stay pliable enough to fold, while the sugar speeds browning in a home oven that cannot reach the 800-900 degrees F of a wood-fired dome.
How much yeast should I use for a long cold ferment?
Yeast quantity scales inversely with fermentation time and temperature. A 1-2 hour room-temperature rise typically needs 0.5-1% instant dry yeast, while a 24-72 hour cold ferment at 38-40 degrees F needs only 0.1-0.3%. Using same-day quantities for a long ferment overproofs the dough, leaving it slack, sour and prone to tearing when you stretch it.
Can I substitute fresh yeast for instant dry yeast?
Yes, but adjust the weight. Fresh compressed yeast is roughly three times the weight of instant dry yeast for the same leavening power, so 1 g of instant becomes about 3 g of fresh. Active dry yeast sits between the two at roughly 1.25 times the instant weight and should be rehydrated in some of the recipe water first. Keep the flour, water and salt percentages unchanged.