{"schema":"askedwell-answer-v1","url":"https://askedwell.com/pages/what-ratio-of/pizza-dough-baker-percent","question":"What baker's percentage for pizza dough?","short_answer":"Neapolitan pizza: 100% 00 flour + 60% water + 2% salt + 0.5% yeast (or 20% starter). New York style: 100% bread flour + 65% water + 2% salt + 0.5% yeast + 2% olive oil. Sicilian/focaccia-style: 100% bread flour + 75% water + 2% salt + 1% yeast + 5% olive oil.","long_answer":"**Why pizza dough has multiple styles + percentages**\n\nDifferent pizza traditions use different ratios for different textures:\n- **Neapolitan** (Naples-style): low hydration, very high oven temp, fast bake = chewy, charred exterior, soft interior\n- **New York-style**: medium-high hydration, lower oven temp, longer bake = foldable, crisp-chewy\n- **Sicilian/Detroit/focaccia**: high hydration, baked in pan = airy, thick, light interior\n\n**Neapolitan-style (canonical European)**\n\n| Ingredient | % | For 500g flour |\n|---|---|---|\n| 00 flour | 100% | 500g |\n| Water (warm 95°F) | 58-60% | 290-300g |\n| Salt | 2% | 10g |\n| Yeast (instant) | 0.3-0.5% | 1.5-2.5g |\n| OR sourdough starter | 20% | 100g |\n| Sugar | 0% | (no) |\n| Oil | 0% | (none — traditional) |\n\n**Method**:\n1. Mix; bulk ferment 8-24 hours at 65°F (or room temp 4-8 hr)\n2. Divide into balls (200-250g each)\n3. Ball-proof 6-24 hours\n4. Stretch + bake at 800-900°F (425-485°C) for 60-90 seconds\n5. Result: thin charred crust, chewy lift, classic San Marzano + mozzarella topping\n\n**New York-style (NYC standard)**\n\n| Ingredient | % | For 500g flour |\n|---|---|---|\n| Bread flour | 100% | 500g |\n| Water | 65% | 325g |\n| Salt | 2% | 10g |\n| Yeast (active dry) | 0.5% | 2.5g |\n| Sugar | 1% | 5g |\n| Olive oil | 2% | 10g |\n\n**Method**:\n1. Mix; ferment 24-72 hours in fridge\n2. Divide into balls (300g each)\n3. Stretch + bake at 500-550°F for 8-12 min\n4. Result: foldable wedge slice, slight crispness, more chew, NYC tradition\n\n**Sicilian/Detroit-style + focaccia (high hydration)**\n\n| Ingredient | % | For 500g flour |\n|---|---|---|\n| Bread flour OR 00 | 100% | 500g |\n| Water | 70-80% | 350-400g |\n| Salt | 2% | 10g |\n| Yeast | 1% | 5g |\n| Olive oil | 5% | 25g |\n\n**Method**:\n1. Mix; bulk ferment 1-2 hours\n2. Stretch into well-oiled pan; ferment in pan 30-60 min\n3. Bake at 475-500°F for 15-25 min\n4. Result: thick, light, oily-crisp bottom, airy interior\n\n**Critical: high heat is non-negotiable for Neapolitan**\n\nHome ovens max out at 500-550°F. True Neapolitan needs 800°F+ (wood-fired or specialized pizza oven). At 550°F: the bake takes 6-8 min vs 60 seconds at 800°F. Resulting crust is more \"American\" (less charred + chewier) than authentic. Workarounds:\n- Pizza steel + broiler on high (gets to ~650°F)\n- Outdoor wood-fired oven\n- Restaurant-grade pizza ovens at home (Roccbox, Ooni, etc.)\n\n**Long ferment matters**\n\nPro pizzaiolos ferment 24-72 hours in fridge (cold retard). This:\n- Develops gluten without overworking\n- Creates complex flavor (lactic acid + alcohol byproducts)\n- Improves digestibility (long ferment partially breaks down gluten)\n- Produces airy, light crumb\n\nSame-day pizza is OK but visibly less complex than 48-72-hour ferment.\n\n**00 flour vs bread flour**\n\n- **00 flour** (Italian): very finely milled, low protein (10-12%) — produces tender, less chewy crust. Good for Neapolitan (high heat allows protein to develop quickly).\n- **Bread flour** (US, 12-14% protein): chewier, more tolerant of medium heat. Standard for NY-style + most home ovens.\n- **AP flour** (10-12%): produces tender but less chewy crust. Works in a pinch.\n\n**Cross-reference:** see /pages/what-ratio-of/baker-percentage-flour-base for general BP + /pages/how-long-does/pizza-dough-rise for pizza-specific ferment + /pages/what-temperature-for/pizza-oven for oven temps.","ranges":[{"condition":"Neapolitan (500g flour)","duration":"8-24 hr ferment + 60-90 sec bake at 800°F+","note":"BP: 100/60/2/0.5"},{"condition":"NY-style (500g flour)","duration":"24-72 hr ferment + 8-12 min bake at 500-550°F","note":"BP: 100/65/2/0.5/2/1 (oil + sugar)"},{"condition":"Sicilian/focaccia (500g flour)","duration":"1-2 hr ferment + 30-60 min pan-proof + 15-25 min bake at 475-500°F","note":"BP: 100/75/2/1/5"},{"condition":"Same-day pizza (NY-style)","duration":"4-6 hours total","note":"Reduce ferment to 2-4 hours; less flavor but workable"}],"variables":[{"name":"Pizza style","effect":"Neapolitan = 60% hyd. NY = 65%. Sicilian = 75%. Each requires different oven temp + bake time."},{"name":"Oven temperature","effect":"800°F = 90 sec bake (Neapolitan). 550°F = 8-12 min (NY style). Lower temp = longer bake = less char."},{"name":"Flour type","effect":"00 (low protein, tender) for Neapolitan. Bread flour (high protein, chewy) for NY. AP flour acceptable but less ideal."},{"name":"Ferment duration","effect":"24-72 hr cold ferment = best flavor. Same-day = OK; significantly less depth."},{"name":"Hydration","effect":"Higher hydration = airier, more open crumb. Lower = denser, more chew."}],"sources":[{"label":"Ken Forkish, \"The Elements of Pizza\"","note":"Authoritative published reference for all pizza styles with BP","tier":2},{"label":"Anthony Falco, \"Pizza for Everybody\"","note":"Practical home + restaurant pizza techniques","tier":2},{"label":"Modernist Pizza (Myhrvold)","note":"Comprehensive scientific exploration of pizza dough","tier":1},{"label":"Vincenzo Capuano, traditional Neapolitan methodology","note":"Italian master pizzaiolo published techniques","tier":2},{"label":"King Arthur Baking — Pizza Dough Guide","url":"https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/guides/pizza","note":"Authoritative home-baker reference","tier":2}],"faq":[{"question":"My home oven only goes to 500°F — can I still make pizza?","answer":"Yes — NY-style and Sicilian style are home-oven friendly at 500°F. For better results: invest in a pizza steel ($60-80) which holds heat better than stone. Place on top rack with broiler on high for last 1-2 min. Crust will be more \"NY foldable slice\" than charred Neapolitan, but still excellent. Avoid attempting Neapolitan at home unless you have a specialty pizza oven (800°F+)."},{"question":"Why is my pizza dough not crispy on the bottom?","answer":"Three causes: (1) Oven not hot enough — preheat to max temp (500-550°F) for 1+ hour. Most home ovens take 30+ min to reach + stabilize temperature. (2) Skipping pizza stone/steel — direct oven floor or thin baking sheet doesn't transfer heat fast enough. (3) Topping moisture — too much sauce or wet toppings (fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes) wets the crust. Reduce topping moisture + add toppings minimally for best crisp."},{"question":"Can I freeze pizza dough?","answer":"Yes — freeze in pre-portioned balls. Mix dough, bulk ferment, divide + shape into balls. Wrap each ball tightly in plastic + freeze. To use: thaw in fridge 12-24 hours OR room temp 2-3 hours. Continue ferment + stretch + bake normally. Frozen dough holds 2-3 months. Some pizzaiolos argue 24-48 hours of frozen aging actually improves flavor."}],"keywords":["pizza dough baker percentage","pizza dough ratio","Neapolitan pizza dough","NY pizza dough","pizza hydration percent"],"category":"baking","date_published":"2026-05-21","date_modified":"2026-05-21","license":"CC-BY-4.0","attribution":"https://askedwell.com"}