Pizza Dough Calculator
Calculate the exact amount of flour, water, yeast, and salt needed for pizza dough based on the number of people.
How to use this tool
- Enter number of people, dough per person and hydration in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your flour and the full breakdown beneath it.
Scale your pizza dough recipe perfectly for any number of guests.
⚠ This tool provides general estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures may not reflect your situation — verify with a qualified professional.
Formula
Total dough (g) = people × dough per person (g)
Flour (g) = total ÷ (1 + hydration + 0.02 + 0.003)
Water (g) = flour × hydration
Salt (g) = flour × 0.02
Dry yeast (g) = flour × 0.003
flour = round(total / (1 + h + 0.023))
How it works
This calculator uses baker's percentages to back-calculate ingredient weights from a target dough mass. Flour is the base (100%), with water set by the hydration percentage, salt fixed at 2% of flour, and dry yeast at 0.3% of flour. All ingredients must sum to the total dough weight, so flour is derived by dividing total dough by the sum of all percentage factors.
Baker's percentages are the professional standard for scaling dough recipes; they ensure consistent texture regardless of batch size. Results assume the standard ratios above — adjust hydration for a wetter (Neapolitan) or stiffer (New York) style dough.
Worked example
- 4 people × 250 g per person = 1,000 g total dough. Hydration: 65% (h = 0.65).
- Divisor = 1 + 0.65 + 0.02 + 0.003 = 1.673.
- Flour = round(1,000 ÷ 1.673) = 598 g.
- Water = round(598 × 0.65) = 389 g. Salt = round(598 × 0.02 × 10)/10 = 12.0 g. Yeast = round(598 × 0.003 × 10)/10 = 1.8 g.
Flour = 598 g, Water = 389 g, Salt = 12.0 g, Dry yeast = 1.8 g (total dough = 1,000 g)
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using volume measurements (cups of flour) instead of grams — flour density varies by 20-30% depending on how it is scooped, making weight the only reliable measure.
- Treating hydration as a percentage of total dough weight rather than a percentage of flour weight — 60% hydration means 60 g water per 100 g flour, not per 100 g dough.
- Adding yeast and salt to the same water — salt inhibits yeast activity; dissolve them separately or add salt to the flour before mixing.
Key terms
- Baker's percentage
- A system where each ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight, allowing consistent scaling of any batch size.
- Hydration
- The weight of water as a percentage of flour weight; higher hydration (e.g., 70%+) produces a wetter, more open-crumb dough.
- Dry yeast
- Dehydrated active yeast used as a leavening agent; approximately 0.3% of flour is a standard amount for a slow, flavour-developing fermentation.
- Dough weight per person
- The target weight of raw dough per serving; 230–280 g is typical for a personal pizza base.
- Salt percentage
- Salt is used at ~2% of flour by weight in most pizza doughs; it strengthens gluten structure and controls yeast activity.
Frequently asked questions
- How much pizza dough per person?
- A standard serving is about 200–280g of dough per person for a medium-sized pizza.