What hydration should I use for pizza dough?

Neapolitan-style (thin, blistered crust): 60–65%. New York-style (foldable, chewy): 62–65%. Pan pizza or focaccia: 70–80%. Start at 62% if you are new to pizza making — it is easy to handle and produces a great crust.

How much salt should pizza dough have?

Pizza dough typically uses 2–3% salt (as a percentage of flour weight). The Neapolitan pizza standard calls for 2.5–3%. Salt strengthens gluten, controls fermentation speed, and enhances flavor. Below 1.5% the dough can taste flat; above 3.5% it may inhibit yeast activity.

How much yeast should I use?

For instant/dry yeast: 0.1–0.3% for a cold, slow fermentation (24–72 hours in the refrigerator); 0.5–1% for a same-day dough (4–8 hours room temperature). Fresh yeast uses roughly 3× the weight of instant yeast. Less yeast and longer fermentation generally produces better flavor.

Is oil necessary in pizza dough?

Oil is optional. It tenderizes the crust, adds flavor, and helps browning. Traditional Neapolitan dough uses no oil; New York-style commonly adds 2–4% olive oil; pan pizzas often use 3–5%. Leave the oil field at 0% to omit it entirely.

How does this calculator work?

Total dough weight = number of balls × weight per ball. Flour weight = total dough ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast% + oil%, all divided by 100). Each other ingredient weight = flour × its baker's percentage ÷ 100. This guarantees all ratios stay exact no matter the batch size.

What is a typical pizza dough ball weight?

200–250g is standard for a 28–30cm (11–12 inch) Neapolitan pizza. 250–300g works well for a 30–33cm New York-style pie. For mini (20cm) pizzas, 150–180g is common. Adjust the ball weight to match your preferred pizza size.

Pizza Dough Calculator

Name: Pizza Dough Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter the number of dough balls, ball weight, and your desired percentages to instantly get exact ingredient weights for any pizza dough recipe.

Dough Parameters

Number of Dough Balls

Weight per Ball (g)

200–250g = 28–30cm pizza • 270–300g = 30–33cm pizza

Baker's Percentages

Hydration 62%

50%70%90%

Salt 2.5%

0%2.5%5%

Yeast (instant) 0.3%

0%1%2%

Oil (optional) 0%

0%3%6%

Quick Style Presets

Enter the number of balls and weight per ball to see ingredient weights.

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Summary

Enter the number of dough balls, ball weight, and your desired percentages to instantly get exact ingredient weights for any pizza dough recipe.

How it works

Enter the number of dough balls and the target weight per ball.
Set the hydration percentage (water as a proportion of flour weight).
Adjust salt, yeast, and oil percentages to match your recipe style.
The calculator computes total dough weight, then works backward to determine the flour weight.
All other ingredient weights are derived from the flour weight using baker's percentages.
Use the Copy Recipe button to copy the full formula as plain text.

Use cases

Scale a Neapolitan pizza recipe from 2 to 20 balls without doing the math by hand.
Experiment with hydration levels to compare 60%, 65%, and 70% doughs side by side.
Verify that your salt and yeast percentages fall within safe, flavorful ranges.
Convert a memorized ratio-based recipe into exact gram weights.
Batch-prep dough for a pizza party and know exactly how much to buy.
Fine-tune oil content for pan pizzas, focaccia-style bases, or crispy crusts.
Reproduce a successful dough formula reliably across different sessions.
Teach baker's percentages to students with a visual, interactive reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu