What baker's percentage for pizza dough?

By Paulo de VriesLast verified 2026-05-215 sources~4 min readhigh consensus

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.

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The full answer

Why pizza dough has multiple styles + percentages

Different pizza traditions use different ratios for different textures: - Neapolitan (Naples-style): low hydration, very high oven temp, fast bake = chewy, charred exterior, soft interior - New York-style: medium-high hydration, lower oven temp, longer bake = foldable, crisp-chewy - Sicilian/Detroit/focaccia: high hydration, baked in pan = airy, thick, light interior

Neapolitan-style (canonical European)

Ingredient	%	For 500g flour
00 flour	100%	500g
Water (warm 95°F)	58-60%	290-300g
Salt	2%	10g
Yeast (instant)	0.3-0.5%	1.5-2.5g
OR sourdough starter	20%	100g
Sugar	0%	(no)
Oil	0%	(none — traditional)

Method: 1. Mix; bulk ferment 8-24 hours at 65°F (or room temp 4-8 hr) 2. Divide into balls (200-250g each) 3. Ball-proof 6-24 hours 4. Stretch + bake at 800-900°F (425-485°C) for 60-90 seconds 5. Result: thin charred crust, chewy lift, classic San Marzano + mozzarella topping

New York-style (NYC standard)

Ingredient	%	For 500g flour
Bread flour	100%	500g
Water	65%	325g
Salt	2%	10g
Yeast (active dry)	0.5%	2.5g
Sugar	1%	5g
Olive oil	2%	10g

Method: 1. Mix; ferment 24-72 hours in fridge 2. Divide into balls (300g each) 3. Stretch + bake at 500-550°F for 8-12 min 4. Result: foldable wedge slice, slight crispness, more chew, NYC tradition

Sicilian/Detroit-style + focaccia (high hydration)

Ingredient	%	For 500g flour
Bread flour OR 00	100%	500g
Water	70-80%	350-400g
Salt	2%	10g
Yeast	1%	5g
Olive oil	5%	25g

Method: 1. Mix; bulk ferment 1-2 hours 2. Stretch into well-oiled pan; ferment in pan 30-60 min 3. Bake at 475-500°F for 15-25 min 4. Result: thick, light, oily-crisp bottom, airy interior

Critical: high heat is non-negotiable for Neapolitan

Home 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: - Pizza steel + broiler on high (gets to ~650°F) - Outdoor wood-fired oven - Restaurant-grade pizza ovens at home (Roccbox, Ooni, etc.)

Long ferment matters

Pro pizzaiolos ferment 24-72 hours in fridge (cold retard). This: - Develops gluten without overworking - Creates complex flavor (lactic acid + alcohol byproducts) - Improves digestibility (long ferment partially breaks down gluten) - Produces airy, light crumb

Same-day pizza is OK but visibly less complex than 48-72-hour ferment.

00 flour vs bread flour

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).
Bread flour (US, 12-14% protein): chewier, more tolerant of medium heat. Standard for NY-style + most home ovens.
AP flour (10-12%): produces tender but less chewy crust. Works in a pinch.

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.

Time ranges by condition

Condition	Duration	Note
Neapolitan (500g flour)	8-24 hr ferment + 60-90 sec bake at 800°F+	BP: 100/60/2/0.5
NY-style (500g flour)	24-72 hr ferment + 8-12 min bake at 500-550°F	BP: 100/65/2/0.5/2/1 (oil + sugar)
Sicilian/focaccia (500g flour)	1-2 hr ferment + 30-60 min pan-proof + 15-25 min bake at 475-500°F	BP: 100/75/2/1/5
Same-day pizza (NY-style)	4-6 hours total	Reduce ferment to 2-4 hours; less flavor but workable

What changes the time

Pizza style. Neapolitan = 60% hyd. NY = 65%. Sicilian = 75%. Each requires different oven temp + bake time.
Oven temperature. 800°F = 90 sec bake (Neapolitan). 550°F = 8-12 min (NY style). Lower temp = longer bake = less char.
Flour type. 00 (low protein, tender) for Neapolitan. Bread flour (high protein, chewy) for NY. AP flour acceptable but less ideal.
Ferment duration. 24-72 hr cold ferment = best flavor. Same-day = OK; significantly less depth.
Hydration. Higher hydration = airier, more open crumb. Lower = denser, more chew.

Common questions

My home oven only goes to 500°F — can I still make pizza?

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+).

Why is my pizza dough not crispy on the bottom?

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.

Can I freeze pizza dough?

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.

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

Tier 1 · peer-reviewed / governmentalTier 2 · editorial referenceTier 3 · named practitioner

T2Ken Forkish, "The Elements of Pizza" — Authoritative published reference for all pizza styles with BP
T2Anthony Falco, "Pizza for Everybody" — Practical home + restaurant pizza techniques
T1Modernist Pizza (Myhrvold) — Comprehensive scientific exploration of pizza dough
T2Vincenzo Capuano, traditional Neapolitan methodology — Italian master pizzaiolo published techniques
T2King Arthur Baking — Pizza Dough Guide — Authoritative home-baker reference

Verify this answerEvery number, range, and recommendation on this page traces to a cited source listed above. Click any source to read the original. See how we verify for the full source-tier discipline, or browse the citation graph to see every source we cite across 188 answers.

What could change this answer

honest uncertainty

We don’t know your specific equipment, ingredient batch, or environment. This answer is the best directional estimate from cited sources. Here’s where it’s less certain:

5 factors shift the answer. Your specific pizza style, oven temperature, flour type (and more) can move this estimate in either direction. The table below shows the documented ranges.
Range spans 4 documented conditions. Pick the row that matches your scenario; halfway between two rows is your best estimate. The widest condition you can imagine is the safer upper bound.
Treat as a directional starting point. Real-world equipment, ingredient batch, and ambient conditions cause natural variance the table cannot capture. Use sensory checks (sight, smell, touch, internal temperature when relevant) alongside this answer — not instead of it.
Backed by 5 cited sources — verify if precision matters. See the Sources section for primary references. Cross-check the cited materials when stakes are high: commercial production, food safety, allergens, dietary or medical considerations.
Verified today. If you found a better-sourced answer or our answer no longer matches reality, tell us — corrections are public and dated. The page exists to be accurate, not to be unchanged.

Cite this page

de Vries, P. (2026). What baker's percentage for pizza dough?. AskedWell. Retrieved 2026-05-21, from https://askedwell.com/pages/what-ratio-of/pizza-dough-baker-percent

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Last verified: 2026-05-21 · Published 2026-05-21

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