📋 Pizza Dough Reference

What hydration should pizza dough be?

Pizza dough hydration ranges from 55% to 85% of flour weight, depending on the style.

Hydration is the weight of water divided by the weight of flour, times 100. It controls the crumb texture more than any other variable. Lower hydration gives a tighter, crispier crust that is easy to handle. Higher hydration gives an open, airy crumb but needs a hotter oven and more skill to shape.

For a home oven that tops out at 250C, 63-68% is the most forgiving range. Use the interactive hydration calculator to see exact water amounts and a style match.

How much salt goes in pizza dough?

Pizza dough uses 2.5% to 3% salt as a percentage of flour weight.

For 1000g of flour, that is 25-30g of salt. Neapolitan tradition leans toward 2.8-3%; most home recipes use a round 2.5%. Salt is measured against flour weight, not dough weight or water weight — a common mistake that leads to over-salting by roughly 50%. Salt also slows fermentation slightly, so doughs with less salt rise a little faster.

How much yeast for pizza dough?

Instant dry yeast ranges from 0.05% to 0.6% of flour weight, depending on how long and how warm the dough ferments.

The core rule: less yeast plus more time equals better flavour. The table below gives instant dry yeast amounts per 500g of flour. For fresh yeast, multiply by 3; for active dry yeast, use roughly the same amount as instant.

These numbers come from a calibrated grid covering 8 temperatures and 9 time points. See the fermentation timing tool to dial in any combination.

What temperature should a pizza oven be?

Neapolitan bakes at 450-485C; New York at 315-370C; Detroit and pan styles at 260-290C.

The hotter the oven, the wetter the dough it can handle and the faster it bakes. A true Neapolitan needs 60-90 seconds at 450C+, which a home oven cannot reach. Match the style to the heat you can deliver rather than forcing a style your oven cannot bake.

How long should pizza dough ferment?

Pizza dough ferments anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours.

A 4-8 hour room-temperature rise works for same-day pizza. A 24-72 hour cold ferment in the fridge at 3-5C develops the deepest flavour and makes timing flexible. The longer the ferment, the less yeast you use. Most experienced home bakers settle on a 24-48 hour cold ferment as the best balance of flavour and planning.

How big should a pizza dough ball be?

A Neapolitan dough ball is 250-280g; New York is 280-320g; Detroit and pan pizzas use 350-450g.

Ball weight sets the size and thickness of the finished pizza. Divide your total dough weight by the number of pizzas to get the ball weight. A 250g ball makes a 12-inch Neapolitan; a 320g ball makes a 14-16 inch New York slice pie.

What flour should I use for each style?

Neapolitan uses Tipo 00 at 11-13% protein; New York and Detroit use bread flour at 12-14%.

Protein content controls gluten strength and chew. Tipo 00 is finely milled for a tender Neapolitan crust baked hot and fast. Bread flour has more protein for the chewy, structured crust of New York and Detroit styles baked longer at lower heat.

What is the difference between poolish and biga?

Poolish is a liquid pre-ferment at 100% hydration; biga is a stiff pre-ferment at 50-60% hydration.

Both are made the day before by fermenting a portion of the flour with a little yeast. Poolish is equal weights of flour and water plus a pinch of yeast, fermented 8-16 hours; it adds extensibility and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Biga is stiffer, fermented 12-18 hours; it gives a stronger structure and a more pronounced, complex flavour. See the poolish and biga guides for ratios.

Related: Baker's math explained · Hydration calculator · Fermentation timing · Pizza styles compared · FAQ