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Pizza Dough Calculator

Calculate exact flour, water, salt, and yeast for any pizza style. Yeast auto-adjusts for fermentation time and temperature. Baker's percentages included.

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%

Ingredients (baker's %)

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%
%

Fermentation

h

Total Dough

1,000 g

4 balls × 250 g

Recipe

Ingredient Grams Baker's %

Per ball: 250 g

About This Tool

Getting pizza dough right means nailing the ratios. Too much yeast and your dough over-proofs. Wrong hydration and you get a cracker or a sticky mess. This calculator does the baker's math for you — enter how many pizzas you want, pick a style, and get exact gram amounts for every ingredient. The killer feature is **yeast calculation based on fermentation time and temperature**. Most online recipes give you a fixed yeast amount, but the right amount depends entirely on how long and where you ferment. A 24-hour cold ferment needs far less yeast than a 4-hour room temperature rise. This tool interpolates the correct yeast percentage so your dough is perfectly proofed every time. Whether you're making classic Neapolitan, New York-style, thick Detroit pan pizza, or airy Roman teglia — start with a preset and adjust to your taste. All amounts are shown in grams with baker's percentages, the standard way professional bakers communicate recipes.

How to Use

1. Choose a pizza style preset (Neapolitan, New York, Roman, Detroit, or Sicilian) — or start from scratch 2. Set the number of dough balls and weight per ball (250 g is standard for a 10-12" pizza) 3. Adjust hydration percentage — higher means softer, more open crumb but harder to handle 4. Set salt, oil, and sugar percentages under Ingredients (some styles use no oil or sugar) 5. Choose your fermentation plan: room temperature or fridge, and how many hours — yeast adjusts automatically 6. Select your yeast type (instant, active dry, or fresh) — amounts convert automatically 7. Read the results table for exact gram amounts, then copy the recipe or share the link

Formula

All percentages are baker's percentages (relative to flour weight): Total dough = Number of balls × Ball weight Flour = Total dough ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast% + oil% + sugar%) Water = Flour × Hydration% Salt = Flour × Salt% Yeast = Flour × Yeast% (auto-calculated from fermentation time & temperature) Oil = Flour × Oil% Sugar = Flour × Sugar% Yeast conversion: Fresh yeast = Instant × 3, Active dry = Instant × 1.5 Example — 4 Neapolitan balls at 250 g, 62% hydration, 2.8% salt, 24h room temp: Total = 1000 g Flour = 1000 ÷ (1 + 0.62 + 0.028 + 0.0005) = 606.2 g Water = 606.2 × 0.62 = 375.8 g Salt = 606.2 × 0.028 = 17.0 g Yeast (instant) = 606.2 × 0.0005 = 0.3 g

Frequently Asked Questions

How much yeast do I need for pizza dough?
It depends on fermentation time and temperature. For a quick 2-hour room temp rise, use about 0.8% instant dry yeast (relative to flour weight). For a 24-hour room temp ferment, use only 0.05%. For a 24-hour cold ferment in the fridge, use about 0.1%. This calculator adjusts yeast automatically — just set your fermentation time and temperature.
What is pizza dough hydration and why does it matter?
Hydration is the ratio of water to flour, expressed as a percentage. At 60% hydration, you use 60 g of water per 100 g of flour. Lower hydration (55-62%) gives a stiffer dough that's easy to handle — great for beginners and Neapolitan style. Higher hydration (65-75%) creates a lighter, airier crust with bigger bubbles but is stickier and harder to shape. New York style typically uses 63%, while Roman teglia goes up to 75-80%.
What is the difference between Neapolitan and New York pizza dough?
Neapolitan dough is simpler: just flour, water, salt, and yeast — no oil or sugar. It uses 60-65% hydration and bakes at very high heat (450°C/900°F) for 60-90 seconds. New York dough adds oil (2-3%) and sugar (1-2%) for a chewier, slightly sweeter crust. It uses similar hydration but bakes at lower temperatures (260-290°C/500-550°F) for longer, giving it a crispier bottom.
How long should I cold ferment pizza dough?
Cold fermentation (in the fridge at 2-5°C) develops complex flavors. Minimum 24 hours gives noticeable improvement over a quick rise. The sweet spot is 48-72 hours — the dough develops a slightly tangy, complex flavor. Beyond 72 hours, the dough can over-ferment and become too acidic. Always bring cold-fermented dough to room temperature 1-2 hours before shaping.
What are baker's percentages?
Baker's percentages express every ingredient as a percentage of the flour weight. Flour is always 100%. If a recipe uses 600 g flour and 372 g water, the hydration is 372 ÷ 600 = 62%. This system makes it easy to scale recipes to any size and compare dough formulas regardless of batch size. Professional bakers worldwide use this notation.
Can I substitute fresh yeast for instant dry yeast?
Yes. Fresh (compressed) yeast weighs about 3× more than instant dry yeast for the same rising power. If a recipe calls for 1 g instant dry yeast, use 3 g fresh yeast. Active dry yeast is in between — use 1.5× the instant amount. Fresh yeast should be dissolved in warm water first, while instant can be mixed directly into flour.
How much dough do I need per pizza?
For a standard 10-12 inch (25-30 cm) round pizza, use 220-280 g of dough. Neapolitan typically uses 250 g for a 12-inch pizza. For a thicker New York style, use 280 g. Detroit and Sicilian pan pizzas use 300-350 g because the dough fills a rectangular pan. Adjust the ball weight in this calculator to match your preferred pizza size.

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