Pizza Dough Calculator
Calculate exact pizza dough ingredients by number of balls, ball weight, and hydration. Supports Neapolitan, New York, and pan pizza styles.
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How to Use This Calculator
Choose Your Pizza Style
Neapolitan pizza uses 250–280g dough balls at 62–65% hydration. New York-style uses 280–340g at 60–65%. Pan pizza (Detroit, Sicilian) uses higher hydration at 70–80% and heavier dough balls.
Set Ball Count and Weight
Enter the number of pizzas you want to make and the weight per dough ball. A 280g ball makes a 12-inch Neapolitan pizza; 340g makes a 14-inch New York pie.
Adjust Yeast for Your Timeline
Use 0.1–0.2% IDY for a 24–72 hour cold ferment (best flavor). Use 0.3–0.5% for a room-temperature same-day ferment of 4–8 hours. Higher yeast speeds fermentation but reduces complexity.
Calculate and Weigh Ingredients
Click Calculate to get gram-precise amounts. Use a digital kitchen scale accurate to 0.1g for yeast and salt. Combine flour and salt dry, then dissolve yeast in water before mixing.
How We Calculate
This pizza dough calculator applies baker's percentage math, the same formula used by pizzaiolos from Naples to New York. All ingredient quantities are expressed relative to flour weight (100% base), meaning hydration, salt, and yeast percentages are consistent whether you are making 1 or 20 dough balls. The formula solves for flour first — TotalFlour = TotalDoughWeight ÷ (1 + Hydration + SaltPct + YeastPct) — then derives each ingredient as a percentage of that flour weight. This approach matches the standard methodology in Tony Gemignani's "The Pizza Bible" and the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) official dough specification.
Yeast conversion factors in this calculator follow industry standards: Active Dry Yeast (ADY) requires approximately 25% more than Instant Dry Yeast (IDY) due to its lower live-cell density; Fresh yeast requires approximately 3 times the IDY amount because it is roughly 70% water by weight. These conversion ratios are validated by King Arthur Baking Company's professional baking resources and the Bread Baker's Guild of America technical guides.
Hydration has a direct impact on dough handling and final crust texture. Neapolitan dough at 62–65% produces a smooth, extensible dough that chars beautifully in a 900°F wood-fired oven. New York dough at 58–62% is slightly firmer for easier hand-stretching and fold-down slices. Pan pizza at 70–80% produces a soft, oily, focaccia-like texture. Cold fermentation (24–72 hours at 38°F) develops more complex flavors via enzymatic activity regardless of the style chosen.
Sources & References
- Gemignani, Tony — The Pizza Bible, Ten Speed Press, 2014
- Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana — Official Neapolitan Pizza Specification (pizzanapoletana.org)
- King Arthur Baking Company — Yeast Conversion Guide (kingarthurbaking.com)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hydration depends on your pizza style. Neapolitan pizza uses 62–65% hydration, producing a light, airy crust when baked at very high temperatures. New York-style uses 58–63% for a chewy, foldable slice. Pan pizza (Sicilian, Detroit) uses 70–80% for a thick, soft, focaccia-like crust. Beginners should start at 62–65% as the dough is easier to handle.
Pizza size and style determine dough ball weight. For a 10-inch Neapolitan: 230–250g. For a 12-inch: 260–280g. For a 14-inch New York slice pizza: 300–340g. For a 16-inch pan pizza: 500–600g depending on desired thickness. The calculator handles any weight — just enter your desired ball weight and number of pizzas.
For a cold ferment of 24–72 hours at refrigerator temperature (38°F), use 0.1–0.2% Instant Dry Yeast. This slow fermentation develops superior flavor complexity. For a room-temperature 6–8 hour ferment, use 0.3–0.5% IDY. Using too much yeast with cold fermentation results in over-proofed, gassy dough that collapses when shaped.
Instant Dry Yeast (IDY) has smaller granules, higher live-cell density, and can be added directly to flour without proofing. Active Dry Yeast (ADY) has larger granules and should be dissolved in warm water first to activate. For the same fermentation speed, you need about 25% more ADY than IDY. Fresh yeast requires 3 times the weight of IDY and has a very short shelf life.
Yes. Set hydration to 62–65%, use 2.5–3% salt, and 0.1–0.2% IDY for a 24-hour cold ferment. Dough ball weight for a standard Neapolitan is 250–280g. These parameters match the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) specification for authentic Neapolitan pizza dough.
Tearing usually indicates under-fermented dough or insufficient gluten development. Gluten needs time to relax before the dough becomes extensible. Let dough balls rest at room temperature for 2–3 hours before stretching. If the dough springs back immediately when pushed, it needs more time. Cold dough also tears easily — bring it to room temperature for at least 90 minutes before shaping.
For Neapolitan-style pizza, use 00 flour (like Caputo Pizzeria) with 12–13% protein for a soft, supple dough. For New York-style, bread flour (13–14% protein) gives more chew and structure. All-purpose flour (10–12% protein) works as a versatile substitute but produces a less chewy crust. Higher protein creates stronger gluten networks that retain fermentation gases and give the crust structure.
Refrigerate dough balls in individual airtight containers or lightly oiled zip-lock bags for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze dough balls after the initial ferment — they keep for up to 3 months. To use frozen dough, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature for 2 hours before stretching. Frozen dough produces slightly denser crust compared to fresh-fermented dough.
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