Pizza Dough Calculator
Work back from how many pizzas you want to the flour, water, salt and yeast — with the ball weight that suits your pan or peel.
Pizza dough is easiest calculated backwards: decide the number of balls and what each should weigh, and the total dough follows.
How the pizza dough calculator works
Pizza dough is easiest calculated backwards: decide the number of balls and what each should weigh, and the total dough follows. That total is then split by baker's percentage, where the flour is 100% and everything else is measured against it. Ball weight is what sets the size: about 250 g gives a 12-inch Neapolitan base, 300 g a generous 14-inch, and 180 g a personal pizza.
Hydration for pizza runs lower than for open-crumb bread — 58–65% is typical, because the dough has to be stretched thin without tearing.
Formula: total dough = balls × ball weight; flour = total ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast%)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Flour needed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 4 pizzas of 250 g | 606.8 | about 605 g flour, 375 g water |
| 8 personal pizzas of 180 g | 884.5 | about 887 g flour |
| Two large 300 g bases | 357.8 | about 354 g flour |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How much dough per pizza?
About 250 g for a 12-inch base, 180 g for a personal one and 300 g for a large or thicker crust.
What hydration for pizza?
58–65%. Wetter dough is harder to stretch thin without tearing, which is why pizza runs drier than ciabatta.
Why so little yeast?
Because good pizza dough is fermented slowly, often 24–72 hours in the fridge. Less yeast over more time builds flavour that a fast rize cannot.
Why work backwards from the ball weight?
Because that is the number that decides the pizza size. Choosing flour first means guessing at how many bases you will get.
Can I use plain flour?
Yes, though a strong bread or 00 flour gives more stretch and a better chew.
Where these figures come from
- US FDA — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures — the internal temperatures the roasting calculator targets
- NIST SP 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units — the exact weight and volume conversions used throughout
- US Food and Drug Administration — food safety and labelling standards
Last checked: September 2026. Baking ratios follow standard baker's percentage practice; roasting guidance follows published safe internal temperatures.