Pizza Dough Calculator
Free pizza dough calculator. Compute exact flour, water, salt, and yeast for any number of pizzas, diameter, style, and hydration — uses baker's percentages.
Quick answer
Dough weight per pizza = π × radius² × thickness factor. For a 12-inch Neapolitan pizza, that's about 250 grams of dough. Hydration (water as % of flour) of 60-65% is standard for NY-style; 70%+ for Neapolitan; 80%+ for ciabatta-like pan pizzas.
Pizza Dough Calculator
Recipe
How it works
Uses baker's percentages — every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. Dough weight per pizza is calculated from the surface area (π × r²) times a thickness factor (g/cm²): 0.08 for cracker, 0.10 for Neapolitan/NY, 0.12 for standard, 0.16 for pan/deep dish.
When to use it
Scaling pizza night for any number of guests, dialing in a hydration level for a new flour, or converting an old cup-based recipe to gram weights for repeatability.
Common mistakes
Eyeballing flour by volume — even a confident baker varies by 10-15% scoop to scoop. Weigh everything for pizza. Also: too much yeast for a long cold ferment. For a 24-72 hour cold rise, drop yeast to 0.1-0.3%.
How the pizza dough calculator works
The math is built on baker's percentages — every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of flour weight. Dough weight per pizza is computed from surface area (π × r²) times a thickness factor in grams per cm². 0.08 for cracker thin, 0.10 for Neapolitan/NY, 0.12 for standard, 0.16 for pan/deep dish. Total flour solves the equation: flour × (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast%) = total dough weight. Water = flour × hydration%; salt = flour × salt%; yeast = flour × yeast%.
When to use it
Scaling pizza night for any number of guests. Dialing in a hydration level for a new flour or oven. Converting an old cup-based recipe to gram weights for repeatability. Adjusting yeast percentages for cold ferments — long ferments (24-72 hours) need only 0.1-0.3% yeast; short same-day ferments need 0.5-1%. Sizing dough balls for a specific pizza diameter.
Common mistakes
- Eyeballing flour by volume. Even confident bakers vary by 10-15% scoop to scoop. Weigh everything for pizza — small variances in hydration ruin the texture.
- Too much yeast for a long cold ferment. A 0.5-1% yeast dough cold-fermented 48 hours over-proofs and tastes boozy. For 24-72 hour cold rises, drop to 0.1-0.3%.
- Skipping the salt. Salt is mandatory at 2-3% of flour weight. It controls yeast activity, develops gluten, and flavors the dough. A no-salt pizza is bland and over-fermented.
Frequently asked questions
How much dough do I need for a 12-inch pizza?
About 250 grams for a Neapolitan/NY style (10 g/in² thickness factor). 200 g for cracker thin, 300 g for standard, 400 g for pan pizza. The calculator above computes exact weights based on diameter, style, and number of pizzas.
What hydration should I use for pizza dough?
60-65% for NY-style, 70-80% for Neapolitan, 80%+ for ciabatta-like pan pizzas. Hydration is water weight ÷ flour weight × 100. Higher hydration = more open crumb, harder to handle. Lower hydration = denser, easier to shape.
How long should pizza dough rise?
Same-day: 4-6 hours at room temperature with 0.5-1% yeast. Overnight: 8-24 hours in the fridge with 0.3-0.5% yeast. Cold ferment: 48-72 hours in the fridge with 0.1-0.3% yeast — produces deeper flavor and better browning.