Flour: The total weight of bread flour needed. This is the base ingredient that all baker's percentages reference — every other amount is a fraction of this number.
Water (62% hydration): The liquid volume at 62% of flour weight, producing a moderately sticky dough that balances workability with an open crumb. Higher hydration (65–70%) yields a wetter, more Neapolitan-style dough.
Salt: At 2.5% of flour weight, salt controls fermentation speed and strengthens gluten. Too little and the dough rises too fast with bland flavor; too much inhibits yeast activity.
Yeast: The 0.3% ratio assumes instant (bread machine) yeast with an overnight cold ferment. For a same-day rise at room temperature, you may need roughly double the yeast.
Olive Oil: At 5% of flour, oil adds tenderness and helps the crust brown. Traditional Neapolitan recipes omit oil; this recipe leans more New York–style.
How This Calculator Works
You select the number of pizzas and size (10–16 inches). The tool assigns a target dough ball weight per size, multiplies by count to get total flour, then applies baker's percentages — 62% water, 2.5% salt, 0.3% instant yeast, and 5% olive oil — to compute each ingredient. It assumes bread flour and a cold overnight ferment. Adjustments for different flour types, ambient temperature, or same-day baking are not included.
Quick Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes, but the dough will be slightly less chewy because all-purpose flour has lower protein (10–11% vs 12–14%). You may want to reduce hydration by 2–3% to compensate for the weaker gluten network.
What if I want a same-day dough?
Double the yeast amount and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours. Flavor development won't be as complex as an overnight cold ferment, but the texture will still be good.
How do I adjust for Neapolitan-style pizza?
Increase hydration to 65–70%, remove the olive oil entirely, and use Italian-style 00 flour. Neapolitan dough is traditionally just flour, water, salt, and yeast — no oil.
How long should I cold ferment the dough?
Most home bakers get the best flavor with 24–72 hours in the refrigerator. At 0.3% yeast, 24 hours is the minimum for adequate rise. Beyond 72 hours the dough may over-ferment and become slack.