Pizza Dough Calculator

Flour, water, salt and yeast for any number of dough balls.

Flour

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Water

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Salt

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Yeast

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Total dough

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Weights use baker’s percentages relative to the flour. Yeast percentage assumes instant dried yeast.

Dough by baker’s percentage

Pizza dough is wonderfully scalable once you think in percentages of the flour. Decide how many balls you want and how heavy each should be, and the rest follows from your hydration, salt and yeast figures.

flour = total dough ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast%)

The calculator works out the flour first, then derives water, salt and yeast as their percentages of it. Change the ball count or weight and everything rescales perfectly.

Worked example

Four 250 g balls at 65% hydration, 2.5% salt and 0.3% yeast need about 596 g flour, 387 g water, 15 g salt and 1.8 g yeast — 1,000 g of dough in total.

Dialling in your dough

Hydration is the big flavour-and-texture lever: more water gives a lighter, more open crumb but stickier handling. Salt sharpens flavour and steadies fermentation, while a small amount of yeast plus a long, cool rise builds the best taste.

Baker’s notes

Weigh everything. Percentages only work with a scale.
Low yeast, long rise. A slow cold ferment deepens flavour.
Adjust hydration to skill. Start nearer 60% if the dough feels unmanageable.

Frequently asked questions

What is baker’s percentage?

A way of expressing ingredients relative to the flour, which is always 100%. So 65% hydration means water weighing 65% of the flour, and 2.5% salt means salt at 2.5% of the flour.

What hydration should I use?

Around 60–62% suits beginners and crisp bases; 65–70% gives an airier, more open crumb but is stickier to handle. Neapolitan styles often sit near 60–65%.

How much does a ball weigh?

Roughly 250 g makes a typical 10–12 inch pizza; 280–320 g suits larger or thicker bases. Adjust to your pan and appetite.

Fresh or dried yeast?

The percentage here suits instant dried yeast. For active dry use a little more, and for fresh yeast roughly three times as much — see the yeast converter for exact amounts.