Pizza Dough Calculator - Scale Ingredients by Ball Size
Cooking & Food
Calculate pizza dough ingredients by ball size and baker’s percentage, with editable hydration, salt, oil, yeast, and yeast type.
Style starting points
These are editable starting points, not fixed recipes.Choose a style to load its values, or keep editing your own formula.
This rate is always expressed on an instant-yeast basis.
Yeast type to weigh out
Active dry weighs 1.25× and fresh weighs 3× the instant-equivalent amount. Fermentation speed varies with time, temperature, and flour; these percentages do not promise a rise time.
Recipe for 2× 260g portions (520g total dough)
How to use this tool
- Choose an editable style starting point, or keep Custom values, then enter the number and weight of your dough portions.
- Adjust hydration, salt, oil, and instant-equivalent yeast percentages; choose the yeast type you will weigh out.
- Read the batch ingredient amounts, including the yeast-type conversion.
Pizza dough formulas
| Style | Hydration | Salt | Yeast (instant) | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan (VPN) | 55–60% | 2.5–3% | 0.1–0.3% | Soft, charred, thin center |
| New York | 60–65% | 2% | 0.5–1% | Foldable, chewy |
| Sicilian / Detroit | 70–80% | 2% | 0.5–1% | Thick, airy, crispy bottom |
| Focaccia | 75–80% | 2% | 1% | Very airy, dimpled |
Cold fermentation
Many bakers refrigerate dough for 24–72 hours after a short room-temperature bulk ferment to develop flavor and make scheduling easier. Cold temperatures slow yeast activity rather than stopping it, and timing varies with dough temperature, flour, yeast amount, and refrigerator temperature. Rates around 0.1–0.3% instant yeast are one common starting range, not a guarantee of readiness; check the dough’s expansion and feel. Longer cold ferments may need adjustments, so monitor the dough as it rests.
Dough weight per pizza
- 10-inch personal: ~200–220 g
- 12-inch medium: ~250–280 g
- 16-inch large: ~380–420 g
Flour types and their effect
Flour protein content directly determines dough strength and chew:
| Flour type | Protein % | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tipo 00 (Caputo Blu) | 11.5% | Neapolitan; silky, extensible dough |
| Tipo 00 (Caputo Chef's) | 13% | High-heat ovens (Naples wood fire); strong gluten |
| All-purpose (AP) | 10–11% | Home ovens; easier to handle; slightly less chew |
| Bread flour | 12–13% | New York style; more chew and structure |
| Whole wheat (partial) | 13–14% | Blend 10–20% for nutty flavor without compromising rise |
Bakers' percentage explained
In baking, all ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. Flour is always 100%. This means if a recipe uses 1,000 g of flour and 600 g of water, the hydration is 60% regardless of batch size. Benefits:
- Scale any recipe up or down without recalculating ratios
- Compare recipes objectively: 65% hydration is always 65% hydration
- Spot errors easily: most pizza doughs fall in 55–80% hydration range
Yeast types and substitution
| Type | Water needed? | Weight compared with instant |
|---|---|---|
| Instant / rapid-rise | No - add dry to flour | 1:1 base ratio |
| Active dry | Activate in warm water first | Use 1.25× the instant amount |
| Fresh / cake yeast | Crumble into dough | Use 3× the instant amount |
Frequently asked questions
What hydration should I use?
Use 55–60% hydration as a Neapolitan or VPN-style starting range and 60–65% as a New York-style starting range, matching the style table on this page. These are starting ranges rather than fixed rules because flour strength, oven heat, and handling technique affect how a dough feels. Higher-hydration doughs around 70% and above can bake up airier, but they are usually stickier and harder to handle.
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