Field manual · Dough science
Pizza hydration guide
Control the water-to-flour ratio. Match it to your flour, oven and handling method—not to the largest percentage on the label.
Hydration is a baker’s percentage
Hydration = water weight ÷ flour weight × 100. Flour is always 100%. With 500 g flour and 325 g water, hydration is 65%. Salt and oil are separate percentages; oil does not count as water.
Include the flour and water in a poolish or sourdough starter in the totals. A 100 g starter at 100% hydration contributes 50 g flour and 50 g water. The calculator below uses total flour and total water, not additional flour alone.
Starting percentages by pizza style
| Style | Hydration | Practical target |
|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan | 58–65% | Rapid, very hot baking; start near 60% for manageable dough. |
| New York–style | 60–65% | Strong flour and a longer bake for a foldable, crisp base. |
| Home-oven pizza | 62–68% | A steel or stone helps set the base; extra water needs enough baking time. |
| Pan / Roman-style | 70–80% | Strong flour, folds and pan support for an open crumb. |
These are starting ranges, not fixed standards. Flour strength, fermentation duration and oven performance change the workable range. Higher hydration does not automatically produce better pizza.
Water absorption: calibrate the flour
- Check the flour, not just “00”. Tipo 00 describes refinement, not gluten strength. Protein content is a useful clue; the flour’s W rating and manufacturer’s absorption guidance are more specific.
- Allow hydration time. Mix until no dry flour remains, then rest for 20–30 minutes before judging consistency. Wholegrain flour usually absorbs more water, but bran can interrupt gluten structure.
- Hold back water. Reserve a small part of the measured water and add it gradually after the dough begins to develop strength. Track what actually enters the dough.
- Adjust in small steps. Change hydration by 1–2 percentage points per trial. For 500 g flour, one point is 5 g water. Keep flour, fermentation and bake conditions constant.
- Do not correct every sticky dough with flour. Rest and folds can improve handling. Extra bench flour changes the ratio; excessive fermentation can weaken dough even at moderate hydration.
Pizza dough calculator
- Flour
- 500 g
- Water
- 325 g
- Salt
- 12.5 g
- Oil
- 0 g
- Subtotal before yeast
- 837.5 g
Weights are rounded for display only. Yeast is not included: dose it for the fermentation time, dough temperature and yeast type. Use a precision scale; small salt and yeast quantities remain in grams.
Record the result, not just the formula
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