Pizza Dough Calculator
Scale pizza dough flour, water, salt, and yeast by ball count.
What it does
Pizza dough is a ratio more than a recipe. Once ball weight and hydration are set, flour and water follow by arithmetic, and the same batch scales from two pies to twenty without new testing.
The tool above starts from ball count and one ball weight. Four balls at 8 oz give 32 oz of dough, which at 62 % hydration and 2 % salt needs 19.5 oz flour and 12.1 oz water, plus 0.4 oz salt and 0.1 oz yeast.
Hydration sets the crumb. Near 60 % gives a crisp thin base that stretches with ease, near 62 to 65 % gives open rims with light chew, and high shares above 68 % need strong flour and calm handling.
Salt and yeast balance flavor and timing. Salt near 2 % seasons without slowing the rise too far, while 0.5 % instant yeast suits a same day dough at room temp. Cold overnight dough uses less yeast and more time.
Weighing beats scooping. An ounce scale or gram scale holds hydration steady from batch to batch, while cups can swing flour by a fifth and turn the same recipe sticky or stiff.
How to use
- Pick imperial (oz) or metric (g).
- Enter dough ball count.
- Enter one ball weight: 8 oz or 227 g suits a 12 in pie.
- Enter hydration: 62 suits most home ovens.
- Enter salt: 2 suits most pies.
- Read flour, water, salt, and yeast in order.
Formula
- balls
- Count of dough balls.
- ball weight
- Weight of one balled pizza.
- hydration
- Water as percent of flour weight.
- salt
- Salt as percent of flour weight.
Yeast is fixed at 0.5 % of flour for a same day dough. For cold overnight dough, mix the same batch, then cut yeast to about half and lengthen the rest.
Worked example
Example: 4 balls at 8 oz
Imperial defaults: 4 balls at 8 oz each, 62 % hydration, 2 % salt. These are also the default values, so the page opens on this answer.
- Balls: 4, each 8 oz, so total dough is 4 x 8 = 32 oz.
- Shares: 62 % water, 2 % salt, 0.5 % yeast, so divisor is 1 + 0.62 + 0.02 + 0.005 = 1.645.
- Flour: 32 / 1.645 = 19.5 oz.
- Water: 19.5 x 0.62 = 12.1 oz.
- Salt: 19.5 x 0.02 = 0.4 oz. Yeast: 19.5 x 0.005 = 0.1 oz.
- Tool shows 19.5 oz, 12.1 oz, 0.4 oz, 0.1 oz.
Reference table
| Batch | Total dough | Flour | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 x 8 oz | 16 oz | 9.7 oz | 6 oz |
| 4 x 8 oz | 32 oz | 19.5 oz | 12.1 oz |
| 4 x 227 g | 908 g | 552 g | 342 g |
| 6 x 227 g | 1362 g | 828 g | 513 g |
Limits
- Same day yeast share only. Overnight cold dough needs less yeast.
- Assumes white wheat flour. Whole grain drinks more water.
- Ignores oil and sugar. Enriched styles need their own shares.
- Ball weight fits 10 to 14 in pies. Very small or large pies need new ball sizes.
Common mistakes
- Scooping flour cups and shifting hydration by points.
- Adding all water at once to thirsty flour and over mixing.
- Salting above 3 % and stalling the rise.
- Proofing in a cold kitchen and blaming the yeast.
- Flouring the peel with too much raw flour, which burns.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
6 balls at 8 oz, 62 %, 2 % salt?
Total is 6 x 8 = 48 oz. Flour is 48 / 1.645 = 29.2 oz. Water is 29.2 x 0.62 = 18.1 oz. Salt is 0.6 oz, yeast 0.1 oz.
6 balls at 227 g, 62 %, 2 % salt?
Total is 6 x 227 = 1362 g. Flour is 1362 / 1.645 = 828 g. Water is 828 x 0.62 = 513 g.
Questions
How much flour for 4 x 8 oz balls?
Divide total dough by 1 plus the shares. For 32 oz at 62 % water, 2 % salt, and 0.5 % yeast, flour is 32 / 1.645 = 19.5 oz.
How much water at 62 % hydration?
Water weight equals flour times hydration. Here 19.5 x 0.62 = 12.1 oz.
What hydration should I pick?
Use 55 to 60 % for crisp thin pies, 62 to 65 % for airy rims, and above 68 % only with strong flour and gentle hands.
How much salt?
Salt near 2 % of flour weight suits most pies. Below 1.5 % tastes flat, above 2.8 % slows yeast and tastes sharp.
How much yeast?
Near 0.5 % instant yeast of flour weight for a same day dough at room temp. Cut to 0.2 % or less for a cold overnight rise.
Should I weigh or use cups?
Yes. Weigh flour and water in grams for repeat pies. Cups shift with scooping and can move hydration by several points.