Hydration and fermentation shape the crust: Neapolitan dough is soft (60–65%) with very little yeast and bakes in 60–90 seconds at 450 °C; New York dough adds oil and sugar for browning in a home oven; pan pizzas use wetter dough (70–80%) for a light, airy crumb.
How to use the Perfect Pizza Dough Calculator
- Pizza style
- Number of pizzas
- Yeast type
- Dough ball weight (custom)
- Hydration (custom)
- Salt (custom)
- Instant yeast (custom)
- Oil (custom)
- Sugar (custom)
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Choose the style (or custom), the number of pizzas and your yeast type.
Tips
- Order by area, not by diameter: a 16″ pizza has almost twice the area of a 12″ one.
- Plan about 3 slices per adult for a meal, more for big appetites and teenagers.
- For homemade pizza, cold-ferment the dough for 24–72 hours for better flavour.
- Preheat the oven and the stone or steel for at least 45 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Comparing prices per pizza instead of per square inch.
- Forgetting that a thick crust eats into the topping area of a small pizza.
- Over-topping homemade pizza, which leaves the middle soggy.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Pizza style | Choose one: Neapolitan (12 in / 30 cm), New York (14 in / 36 cm), Roman thin crust – tonda (12 in), Roman pan – al taglio (30 × 40 cm tray) … |
| Number of pizzas | A number |
| Yeast type | Choose one: Instant dry yeast, Active dry yeast, Fresh yeast |
| Dough ball weight (custom) | Units: g, oz, lb, kg |
| Hydration (custom) | In % |
| Salt (custom) | In % |
| Instant yeast (custom) | In % |
| Oil (custom) | In % |
| Sugar (custom) | In % |
What each result means
- Total dough = [Number of pizzas]×[Ball]
- Flour = [Total dough]÷(1 + ([Hydration] + [Salt %] + [Yeast %] + [Oil %] + [Sugar %])÷100)
- Water = [Flour]×[Hydration]÷100
- Salt = [Flour]×[Salt %]÷100
- Yeast = [Flour]×[Yeast %]÷100×[Yeast type]
- Oil = [Flour]×[Oil %]÷100
- Sugar = [Flour]×[Sugar %]÷100
- Dough per pizza = [Ball]
Example values
How the main result changes when Number of pizzas changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Number of pizzas | Flour (g) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 303.1 |
| 3 | 454.7 |
| 4 | 606.2 |
| 5 | 757.8 |
| 6 | 909.4 |
| 8 | 1,212.5 |
Formula
Flour = total dough ÷ (1 + hydration + salt % + yeast % + oil % + sugar %)
Each ingredient = flour × its baker's percentage
Yeast type: active dry = instant × 1.5; fresh = instant × 3
Worked example
Inputs — Pizza style: Neapolitan (12 in / 30 cm); Number of pizzas: 4; Yeast type: Instant dry yeast.
Results — Total dough = 1,000 g; Flour = 606.2 g; Water = 375.9 g; Salt = 17 g; Yeast = 0.91 g; Oil = 0 g; Sugar = 0 g; Dough per pizza = 250 g; Oven temperature (°C) = 450 °C; Baking time (min) = 1.3 min.
Frequently asked questions
How much dough for a 12-inch pizza?
About 230–260 g for a Neapolitan-style 12 in pizza.
What hydration is best for pizza dough?
60–65% for Neapolitan and New York; 70–80% for pan styles.
How long should pizza dough rise?
8–24 h at room temperature with little yeast, or 24–72 h cold in the fridge for more flavour.