Pizza Dough Ball Calculator
Pizza dough by baker’s percentages: flour, water, salt, yeast (instant, active dry, fresh or sourdough starter), oil and sugar for any number of balls, sized by ball weight or by pizza diameter or pan with a thickness factor, plus poolish or biga splits and bowl-residue allowance.
How it works
Baker's %: total dough = balls × ball weight × (1 + residue%) · flour = total ÷ (1 + hydration% + salt% + yeast% + oil% + sugar%) · each ingredient = flour × its % · ball weight from size = area (in²) × thickness factor (oz/in²) · starter flour = starter ÷ (1 + starter hydration)
Pizza dough is scaled with baker's percentages: every ingredient is a percentage of the flour weight (flour = 100%). From the dough you need, divide by 1 plus all the other percentages to get the flour, then apply each percentage back. You can size the dough by ball weight, or by the pizza's diameter or pan size, using a thickness factor — the ounces of dough per square inch of pizza, which is how pizzerias keep crusts consistent. A sourdough starter is part flour and part water, so its flour and water come out of the totals and only the rest is added. A poolish or biga moves part of the flour, water and a pinch of yeast into a preferment mixed the day before. Yeast is entered as instant yeast and converted to active dry (× 1.25) or fresh (× 3).
Worked example
Four 250 g balls is 1,000 g of dough. At 62% hydration with 2.5% salt and 0.3% yeast the factor is 1.648, so flour is 1000 ÷ 1.648 = 607 g, water is 376 g, salt is 15.2 g and yeast is 1.82 g. Sizing by diameter instead, a 12-inch New York pizza at a thickness factor of 0.085 is 113.1 in² × 0.085 = 9.6 oz, or about 273 g per ball.
Sources: PizzaBlab — pizza dough calculator guide (thickness factor, residue, preferments) · Pizza Making Forum — expanded dough calculator (thickness factor method)
Frequently asked questions
How big a pizza does each ball make?
Roughly 250 g gives an 11–12 inch Neapolitan, 270–280 g a 12-inch New York pie, and 450–500 g a 16–17 inch New York pie. Pick the style and the calculator shows the size each ball makes, or switch to pizza diameter and it gives the ball weight.
What is a thickness factor?
The ounces of dough per square inch of pizza. Multiply the pizza area by it to get the ball weight: 0.06–0.07 makes a thin crust, 0.08–0.09 a Neapolitan or New York crust, and 0.11–0.14 a pan, Detroit or deep-dish crust. It lets you scale the same crust to any size.
What hydration should I use?
Around 60–65% is forgiving and easy to shape for home ovens. Neapolitan doughs run 62–70%, pan and Detroit doughs 70–75%, and cracker-thin crusts 45–55%. Higher hydration gives an airier crust but sticks more and needs a lighter touch.
Can I use active dry or fresh yeast instead?
Yes. Enter the amount as instant yeast and choose your yeast type: the calculator uses 25% more for active dry and three times the weight for fresh. Proof active dry in a little warm water first.
How do I make pizza dough with a sourdough starter?
Choose sourdough starter and enter how much you use as a percentage of the flour (10–20% is typical) and its hydration. The calculator takes the starter’s own flour and water out of the totals, so the overall hydration stays where you set it.
What is the bowl residue setting for?
Some dough always stays on the bowl, the hook and your hands. Adding 1.5–3% makes a little extra so every ball still reaches its full weight.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.