📐 How Our Calculator Works

The methodology and baker\'s math behind every calculation. Open, transparent, and backed by baking science.

Our mission

Jordos Pizza Dough Calculator is a free tool built for home pizza makers who want consistent, professional-quality results. Every calculation is based on established baker\'s math principles used by professional pizzerias worldwide.

Baker\'s math: how we calculate ingredients

All ingredients are expressed as a percentage of total flour weight. This is the universal system used by professional bakers and ensures recipes scale perfectly from 1 to 100 pizzas.

Core formulas

Flour = (number of balls x ball weight) / (1 + hydration%/100)
Water = flour x hydration%
Salt = flour x 2.5%
Yeast = flour x 0.3% x yeast type multiplier
Oil = flour x style oil% (0% Neapolitan, 3% NY, 4% Chicago)

Pizza style defaults

Each pizza style has scientifically calibrated defaults based on traditional recipes and professional standards:

StyleBall weightHydrationOilTemperature
Neapolitan250g58-65%0%450-500°C
New York300g60-68%3%290-370°C
Vito\'s Double250g65-72%0%250-300°C
Detroit400g70-78%2%250-290°C
Chicago Deep350g58-65%4%220-250°C

Yeast calculations

We support four yeast types with scientifically accurate multipliers:

Yeast typeMultiplierWhy
Instant (default)1.0xBaseline. Most reliable for home bakers
Active dry1.3xLower cell count per gram, needs more
Fresh3.0xHigh moisture content, lower concentration
SourdoughN/AUses starter at 20% of flour (100% hydration)

Pre-ferment calculations (poolish and biga)

Our calculator supports two pre-ferment methods:

Poolish uses 100% hydration (equal flour and water) with 0.1% yeast. Default 30% of total flour. Ferments 8-12 hours at room temperature.

Biga uses 50% hydration with 0.1% yeast. Default 30% of total flour. Ferments 12-16 hours. The pre-ferment flour and water are subtracted from the main dough so total recipe amounts stay consistent.

Fermentation timeline

Our timeline engine works backwards from your desired bake time:

Room temperature: Mix, knead, bulk rise, shape 90 minutes before bake, stretch and bake.

Cold proof: Mix, knead, shape into balls, refrigerate for 24+ hours. Remove 2 hours before bake for room temperature warmup. This is the method professional pizzerias use for maximum flavor development.

Double fermentation: Two separate rise periods for complex flavor, used by Vito Iacopelli\'s method.

Temperature compensation

Rise time is automatically adjusted based on room temperature using the formula: baseTime x (22 / actualTemp). At 18°C dough rises slower; at 28°C it rises faster. This ensures consistent results regardless of season or kitchen temperature.

Sourdough support

When sourdough is selected, commercial yeast is replaced by a sourdough starter at 20% of total flour. The calculator automatically accounts for the flour and water already present in the starter (assuming 100% hydration starter) so that the final dough hydration remains accurate.

Data sources and validation

Our formulas are based on established baking science references including the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) guidelines, professional baker\'s percentage systems, and validated against recipes from recognized pizza educators. The calculator is continuously tested with an automated test suite of 392+ tests covering every combination of style, yeast type, fermentation method, and pre-ferment option.

Open and free

Jordos Pizza Dough Calculator is free to use, has no account requirement, works offline via PWA, and does not sell user data. The calculator is maintained by Jordy from the Netherlands and is updated regularly with new features, styles, and guides.

Try it yourself

Calculate your perfect pizza dough in seconds.

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