Pizza tools
Neapolitan pizza dough calculator
Pick a style, how many pizzas, and when you want to bake. We do the grams for you. No baker's math required.
Advanced (flavor, timing, sourdough)
This free Neapolitan pizza dough calculator gives you the exact flour, water, salt, and yeast in grams for a Neapolitan base. It works in baker's percentages around 62% hydration and scales the yeast to your rise, from a same-day dough to a two or three day cold ferment. Pick a size and when you want to bake, and skip the math.
How the pizza dough calculator works
Every amount is a baker's percentage of flour weight. Hydration is water divided by flour, so 65% hydration means 650 g of water for every 1000 g of flour. Salt, oil, and sugar are percentages of flour too. You choose how many pizzas and a size, the calculator sets each dough ball to the right weight, then adds up the totals.
How much yeast, and when to bake
Yeast is scaled to your schedule. A warm same-day rise needs more yeast; a two or three day cold ferment in the fridge needs very little. Traditional Neapolitan runs on almost nothing: the AVPN standard is 0.1 to 3 g of fresh yeast per liter of water, so a 24 hour or longer dough comes out with a pinch, well under half a percent of the flour weight. The tool starts from fresh yeast, the Neapolitan standard, and you can switch to active dry or instant under Advanced, where poolish, biga, and sourdough are also optional.
Flour and hydration
Stronger flour holds more water and a longer rise. A 00 flour like Caputo Pizzeria suits Neapolitan dough; a regular bread flour suits New York and most pan styles. You can blend flours, for example 50% Caputo Nuvola, 40% Caputo Pizzeria, and 10% whole wheat, and the calculator splits the total flour across them.
The oven matters as much as the dough
Heat sets the style. Neapolitan wants 430 to 480 C (800 to 900 F) for a 60 to 90 second bake, hotter than most home ovens reach; New York and the pan styles bake lower and longer. If the crust is the goal, the oven is half the recipe, so see which pizza ovens hit real Neapolitan heat.
Neapolitan dough: the numbers that matter
| Hydration | 62% (workable range 55 to 68%) |
|---|---|
| Salt | 2.8% of flour weight |
| Yeast | a pinch of fresh yeast, scaled to your rise |
| Bake | 480 C (900 F) |
For Neapolitan, reach for Caputo Pizzeria, and remember the oven is half the job: this style bakes at 480 C (900 F), so the right pizza oven matters as much as the flour. See Neapolitan pizzerias on the map for the places that set the standard.
Making a different style? Switch it at the top, or start from the full pizza dough calculator.
How the greats do it
Traditional Neapolitan pizzerias like da Michele use a plain dough, type 00 flour, water, and salt, on a long rise with very little yeast, then a blistering wood oven. Here is how a few of the greats do it in practice:
- L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Naples. Open since 1870 and strict about it: flour, water, salt, and a small amount of yeast, kneaded by hand and left to rise at least 24 hours, then baked in a wood oven around 480 C (900 F). Two pizzas only, marinara and margherita. (da Michele history)
- Una Pizza Napoletana, New York. Anthony Mangieri leavens naturally, a sourdough starter and no commercial yeast at all, then bakes over wood. It sits at the long, patient end of the Neapolitan spectrum. (Una Pizza Napoletana)
- Roberta's, Brooklyn. The published Roberta's dough is a 50/50 blend of Italian 00 and all-purpose flour at about 65% hydration, rested cold overnight or longer before it meets the wood oven. (The Kitchn)
Common questions
How many grams should a pizza dough ball be?
It depends on the style and the size you want. A 28 cm Neapolitan runs about 260 g, a 36 cm New York slice pie about 300 g. You do not need to know the number: pick a size and the calculator works out the grams for you.
How much yeast do I need?
Less than you think, and it depends on time and temperature. The AVPN standard for Neapolitan is 0.1 to 3 g of fresh yeast per liter of water, a pinch, not a packet. A same-day dough uses more; a two or three day cold rise uses very little. The calculator sets the amount from when you want to bake.
What is hydration?
Hydration is the amount of water compared to flour, written as a percentage. Sixty percent means 600 g of water for every 1000 g of flour. More water gives an airier, chewier crust but a stickier dough to handle.
Can I make pizza dough ahead of time?
Yes, and it usually tastes better. A slow rise in the fridge over one to three days builds flavor. Pick Tomorrow or This weekend and the calculator adjusts the yeast so it is ready when you are.
What flour should I use?
A strong Italian 00 like Caputo suits Neapolitan; a regular bread flour suits New York and most pan styles. If you are not sure, leave it on Not sure and the calculator uses safe middle-of-the-road numbers.
Do I need a poolish, biga, or sourdough starter?
No. The default is plain packet or fresh yeast, which is all most pizza needs. Poolish, biga, and sourdough are optional flavor upgrades under Advanced, each with a short explanation.