Pizza Dough Calculator
4 Neapolitan dough balls of 250 g at 65% hydration and 2.8% salt need 596 g flour, 387 g water, 16.7 g salt and 0.6 g instant yeast (0.1% of the flour).
How to use
- Pick a style preset to fill typical numbers, or leave it and type your own.
- Set the number of dough balls and the weight of each ball in grams.
- Adjust hydration, salt, oil and sugar as a percent of the flour weight.
- Choose fresh, instant or active dry yeast and enter the yeast percent for that type. The result also shows the same amount in the other two types.
- Weigh the flour, water, salt and yeast. Mix, ferment and divide into balls of the weight you set.
How it works
Every ingredient is a baker's percentage of the flour weight. Total percent = 100 + hydration + salt + oil + sugar + yeast. Flour = total dough weight x 100 / total percent, and each other ingredient = flour x its percent / 100.
For 4 balls of 250 g the dough weighs 1,000 g. With 65% water, 2.8% salt and 0.1% instant yeast the total is 167.9%, so flour is 1,000 x 100 / 167.9 = 595.6 g, water is 387.1 g and salt is 16.7 g.
Yeast types are converted with the common rule of thumb fresh : instant : active dry = 1 : 0.33 : 0.4 by weight. Brands and sources vary a little (instant is often quoted as one third to one half of fresh by weight), so use the package guidance if it differs.
The tool does not estimate how long the dough takes to rise. Fermentation time depends on the room or fridge temperature, the flour and the yeast, so the yeast percentages in the presets are starting points for a long, cool rise, not exact figures.
Dough sticks to bowls and hands, so many bakers add 2 to 3 percent extra. Raise the ball weight a little if you want a margin.
Style presets
These are conventional starting values used by home bakers, not official standards. Neapolitan dough is often made with only flour, water, salt and yeast; New York style adds oil and sugar. The yeast figure is instant yeast for a cool rise of roughly one to two days.
| Style | Hydration | Salt | Oil | Sugar | Ball | Instant yeast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan | 65% | 2.8% | 0% | 0% | 250 g | 0.1% | Very hot oven |
| New York | 62% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 350 g | 0.3% | Chewy, foldable slice |
| Pan | 70% | 2% | 4% | 0% | 400 g | 0.5% | Thicker, oiled pan |
FAQ
How much yeast do I use for pizza dough?
It depends on how long the dough rises. A common range is about 0.1 to 0.5% instant yeast (of the flour weight) for a rise of a day or two in the fridge, and more for a same-day dough. The presets use values in that range.
How do I convert fresh, instant and active dry yeast?
A common rule of thumb by weight is fresh 1 : active dry 0.4 : instant 0.33. So 10 g of fresh yeast is about 4 g of active dry or 3.3 g of instant. The tool shows all three.
What hydration should pizza dough have?
Thin-crust styles such as Neapolitan and New York usually sit around 60 to 65%, while pan and Roman styles go to 70% or more. Higher hydration gives a more open crumb but is stickier to handle.
How many balls do I need?
A 250 g ball makes a pizza of about 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), and 350 g or more suits a larger New York style pie. Adjust the ball weight to match your oven and pan.
Are the presets official recipes?
No. They are widely used conventions, and traditional associations publish their own rules for certified styles. Treat the numbers as a starting point and adjust to your flour and oven.