This pizza dough calculator gives you the exact weights you need (in grams) for flour, water, salt and yeast for Neapolitan or New York style pizza. Ideal for UK measurements. Simply choose your style, how many pizzas you want and when you plan to bake, and it works out the rest.
Neapolitan dough is sized by dough ball weight. New York dough is sized by the diameter of the pizza and how thick you want the crust.
Both include a fermentation plan ranging from same day to three days in the fridge.
Pizza dough calculator loading…
How to use the pizza dough calculator
- Pick a style. Neapolitan for a soft, puffy crust baked in 60 to 90 seconds in a pizza oven. New York for large, thin, foldable slices baked in a home oven or a pizza oven.
- Set the number of pizzas. For Neapolitan, set the dough ball weight. For New York, pick the pizza size (12 to 18 inches) and the crust thickness.
- Adjust hydration and salt if you want to. The shaded band on each slider shows the usual range for that style.
- Choose a fermentation plan. This sets a suggested yeast amount for your timings. You can switch between fresh, instant and active dry yeast and the amount converts automatically.
- Weigh everything in grams. Copy the recipe to your phone, or copy a link that reopens the calculator with your exact settings.
Leave "Add 2% for dough left in the bowl" switched on. Some dough always sticks to the bowl and your hands, and the extra 2% means every ball still reaches its target weight.
Neapolitan pizza dough calculator
Neapolitan pizza dough is made from just four ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast. The calculator's defaults are 62% hydration, 2.8% salt and 250g dough balls, which sit inside the AVPN rules and suit a home pizza oven.
What is the AVPN?
The AVPN, or Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza Association), is the body that defines and protects authentic Neapolitan pizza. It was founded in Naples on 3 July 1984 by 17 of the city's leading pizza makers, to stop the name being used for pizza that wasn't made the Neapolitan way.
The AVPN sets rules for ingredients, dough, shaping and baking, and certifies pizzerias around the world that follow them. Only two pizzas are officially recognised: the Margherita and the Marinara. In 2017, UNESCO added the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo (pizza maker) to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
AVPN rules and the EU specification
There are two sets of rules, and they don't quite match. Pizza Napoletana is also registered with the EU as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), with its own written specification. The AVPN's current international rules allow a wider range than the TSG document, which is why you'll see different figures quoted online.
| AVPN rules | EU TSG specification | |
|---|---|---|
| Flour per litre of water | 1.6 to 1.8kg | About 1.8kg |
| Hydration | 55.5% to 62.5% | About 55.5% |
| Salt per litre of water | 40 to 60g | 50 to 55g |
| Dough ball weight | 200 to 280g | 180 to 250g |
| Flour strength | W 250 to 320 | W 220 to 380 |
| Oven temperature | About 430 to 485°C | 485°C |
| Bake time | 60 to 90 seconds | 60 to 90 seconds |
| Oil or sugar | None | None |
The calculator marks the AVPN ranges on the hydration and ball weight sliders. Many home pizza makers go a little above 62.5% hydration, to 63% to 66%, because a softer dough rises better in a pizza oven that runs cooler than a wood-fired one. It won't meet the AVPN rules, but it's a sensible choice at home.
Flour and oven for Neapolitan pizza
Use a Tipo 00 pizza flour, such as Caputo Pizzeria. A true Neapolitan bake needs a floor temperature of around 430 to 485°C, which means a pizza oven such as an Ooni, Gozney or Woody. A domestic oven can't get hot enough, so for a kitchen oven, New York style is the better choice.
Sources: AVPN history, EU TSG specification for Pizza Napoletana, Neapolitan pizza on Wikipedia
New York style pizza dough calculator
New York style dough adds a little oil and sugar to a strong bread flour dough. That helps the crust brown and stay tender at home oven temperatures. The calculator's defaults are 62% hydration, 2% salt, 2% olive oil and 1% sugar.
How dough ball weight is worked out
New York pizzerias size dough by thickness factor: the weight of dough per square inch of pizza. The calculator multiplies the area of your pizza by that factor, so a bigger pizza gets proportionally more dough.
| Pizza size | Thin (0.075) | Classic (0.085) | Thicker (0.095) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 inch (30cm) | 240g | 273g | 305g |
| 14 inch (36cm) | 327g | 371g | 415g |
| 16 inch (41cm) | 428g | 485g | 542g |
| 18 inch (46cm) | 541g | 613g | 685g |
Thickness factor is in ounces of dough per square inch, the unit US pizzerias use. Classic is the default.
Flour and oven for New York pizza
Use strong white bread flour, ideally 12.5% to 14% protein, for the chewy, foldable crust. Bake on a preheated steel or stone at your oven's highest setting, usually 250 to 290°C, for 6 to 10 minutes. In a pizza oven at 300 to 350°C, it takes 2 to 4 minutes.
Pizza dough fermentation and yeast
The longer the dough ferments, the less yeast it needs and the more flavour it develops. Each plan in the calculator sets a suggested yeast amount, shown below as instant (fast action) dried yeast. Fresh yeast is about 3 times that weight, and active dry about 1.25 times.
| Plan | Neapolitan | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | 0.07% (about 8 hours at 20 to 22°C) | 0.6% (about 4 to 5 hours) |
| 24 hours | 0.15% (rest, then fridge) | 0.4% (fridge) |
| 48 hours | 0.10% (rest, then fridge) | 0.3% (fridge) |
| 72 hours | 0.2% (fridge) |
Percentages are of the flour weight. Temperature matters more than anything else: in a warm kitchen, use a little less yeast, and in a cool one, a little more. If your dough balls are slack and over-risen before you bake, cut the yeast next time. If they're tight and barely risen, add more or give them longer.
Weighing very small amounts of yeast
Neapolitan dough often needs under 1g of yeast, which most kitchen scales can't weigh accurately. Either use a 0.01g jewellery scale, or dissolve 1g of yeast in 100g of the recipe's water and use part of that liquid. The calculator tells you how much to use when your yeast amount falls under 1g.
Pizza dough calculator FAQs
How do you calculate pizza dough?
Start with the total dough you need, then divide by the sum of your baker's percentages to get the flour. For 4 Neapolitan balls of 250g at 62% hydration, 2.8% salt and 0.15% instant yeast: 1,000g ÷ 1.6495 = 606g flour. Then 376g water, 17g salt and 0.9g yeast.
How much dough do I need for a 12 inch pizza?
For a New York style pizza, about 273g with a classic crust. A 250g Neapolitan ball also stretches to roughly 30cm (12 inches), with a thicker, puffier rim.
What hydration is best for Neapolitan pizza?
The AVPN rules allow 55.5% to 62.5%. At home, 60% to 65% works well, because a softer dough rises better in pizza ovens that run cooler than a wood-fired oven in Naples.
Can I make Neapolitan pizza in a normal oven?
Not a true one. A Neapolitan pizza needs around 430 to 485°C to bake in 60 to 90 seconds, and most home ovens top out at 250 to 290°C. In a kitchen oven, New York style dough with oil and sugar browns better.
Can I use plain flour for pizza dough?
You can, but the crust will be softer and tear more easily. UK plain flour is usually around 9% to 10% protein. Strong white bread flour suits New York style, and Tipo 00 pizza flour suits Neapolitan.
What's the difference between Neapolitan and New York pizza dough?
Neapolitan dough is just flour, water, salt and yeast, made into small balls and baked very hot for under 2 minutes. New York dough adds oil and sugar, uses strong bread flour, and is stretched into a larger, thinner pizza that bakes for longer at a lower temperature.
How long can pizza dough stay in the fridge?
Up to about 3 days. The calculator's longest plan is 72 hours for New York dough. Beyond that, the dough can turn slack and sour. If you're baking later than planned, use less yeast from the start