Pizza Dough Calculator

Master Pizza Dough with Baker's Percentage

If you've ever ended up with sticky, unworkable dough or a crust that bakes up dense and flavorless, the problem usually comes down to imprecise measurements. Baker's percentage is the professional method used by pizzaiolos worldwide — every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. That means if you have 500g of flour and your hydration is 65%, you add exactly 325g of water. No guesswork, no eyeballing, just consistent results every single time.

This pizza dough calculator takes that professional system and makes it instantly accessible. Enter how many pizzas you want to make, your target dough ball weight (typically 250–280g for a 12-inch Neapolitan), your desired hydration level, and your fermentation time. The calculator returns exact gram measurements for flour, water, salt, and yeast — ready to scale up whether you're making two pizzas on a weeknight or twenty for a backyard party.

Hydration, Salt, and Yeast — Getting the Ratios Right

Hydration is the single biggest variable in pizza dough. A classic Neapolitan pizza dough sits between 58–65% hydration, giving you a firm, manageable dough that blisters beautifully in a hot oven. New York-style dough often runs 60–65%, while modern high-hydration Roman-style pies can push 75–80%. Higher hydration produces a more open, airy crumb but demands more confident handling technique.

Salt and yeast amounts are equally critical and directly tied to your flour weight. A standard salt ratio is around 2–3% of flour weight — for 1000g of flour, that's 20–30g of salt. Yeast quantity depends heavily on fermentation time and temperature. A long cold ferment of 24–72 hours requires very little yeast, sometimes as low as 0.1–0.2% of flour weight. A same-day dough at room temperature may need 0.5–1%. Getting these numbers wrong is why so many home pizza attempts fall flat.

At simple-calculator.online, the pizza recipe calculator automatically adjusts yeast quantity based on your chosen fermentation time, so you don't need to memorize fermentation tables or convert between fresh, active dry, and instant yeast on your own.

From Calculation to Perfect Crust

Once you have your ingredient weights, the process becomes straightforward. Mix flour and most of the water first, let it rest for 20–30 minutes (autolyse), then add salt dissolved in the remaining water. Incorporate yeast last to avoid direct contact with salt. Fold and stretch the dough every 30 minutes during bulk fermentation rather than kneading aggressively — this builds gluten structure without overworking the dough.

For best results, cold-ferment your dough balls in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Pull them out 2 hours before baking to come to room temperature. Bake on a preheated pizza stone or steel at the highest temperature your oven allows — ideally 450–500°C for Neapolitan, or 260–290°C for a home oven setup. The precise dough weights you get from this calculator ensure every pizza cooks evenly and consistently.

FAQ

What is baker's percentage in pizza dough?

Baker's percentage expresses every ingredient as a ratio relative to the total flour weight, which is always 100%. It lets you scale any pizza recipe up or down while keeping the same dough character and texture.

What hydration should I use for Neapolitan pizza dough?

Traditional Neapolitan pizza dough uses 58–65% hydration. This produces a slightly firm dough that's easy to stretch by hand and develops the characteristic leopard-spotted char when cooked at very high temperatures.

How much dough do I need per pizza?

A standard 12-inch pizza typically uses a 250–280g dough ball. Smaller 10-inch pies work well at 200–230g, while a larger 14-inch pizza may need 300–320g depending on how thick you like the crust.