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Direct answers
- What is hydration in pizza dough?
- Hydration is the percentage of water relative to flour weight: hydration % = (water g / flour g) × 100. A 62% hydrated dough means 620g of water per 1000g of flour. It is always expressed relative to flour (not total dough weight), which is the baker's percentage convention used by Italian pizzerias.
- What hydration is best for Neapolitan pizza?
- The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) specification calls for 55–62% hydration using type 00 flour. Most Neapolitan pizzerias in Naples use 58–62%. Lower hydration gives a denser, chewier crust; higher gives more extensibility. Home bakers can start at 60% and adjust from there.
- Why does teglia (sheet pan) pizza need such high hydration?
- Pizza in teglia uses 75–85% hydration because it's baked in a pan (not on a stone), stretched rather than spun, and benefits from a very open, bubbly crumb. The high water content creates steam during baking, producing the characteristic crunchy exterior and airy interior. It requires a high-protein flour (W 300+) to handle the extra water.
- How does hydration affect handling and fermentation?
- Higher hydration dough is stickier and harder to shape by hand but develops flavour faster. At 60% hydration, dough is manageable for beginners. At 70%+, you need a stand mixer, bench scraper, and a well-floured surface. Fermentation speed also increases with hydration — wetter doughs tend to proof faster at the same temperature.
- Does the type of flour affect how much water I can add?
- Yes, significantly. Absorption capacity depends on protein content and flour strength (W value). Weak 00 flour (W 150–200) absorbs 55–60% water. Strong 00 flour (W 300+) absorbs 65–75%. Manitoba (W 350–400) can absorb 75–85%. Whole wheat and ancient grain flours can absorb even more due to bran content.
- Can I use this calculator for bread and other doughs?
- Yes. The hydration formula is universal across all baked goods using baker's percentages: ciabatta (75–85%), focaccia genovese (80–90%), grissini (55–65%), sourdough country bread (70–80%). Just enter your flour weight and target hydration and the calculator gives you the exact water amount.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hydration in pizza dough?
Hydration is the percentage of water relative to flour weight: hydration % = (water g / flour g) × 100. A 62% hydrated dough means 620g of water per 1000g of flour. It is always expressed relative to flour (not total dough weight), which is the baker's percentage convention used by Italian pizzerias.
What hydration is best for Neapolitan pizza?
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) specification calls for 55–62% hydration using type 00 flour. Most Neapolitan pizzerias in Naples use 58–62%. Lower hydration gives a denser, chewier crust; higher gives more extensibility. Home bakers can start at 60% and adjust from there.
Why does teglia (sheet pan) pizza need such high hydration?
Pizza in teglia uses 75–85% hydration because it's baked in a pan (not on a stone), stretched rather than spun, and benefits from a very open, bubbly crumb. The high water content creates steam during baking, producing the characteristic crunchy exterior and airy interior. It requires a high-protein flour (W 300+) to handle the extra water.
How does hydration affect handling and fermentation?
Higher hydration dough is stickier and harder to shape by hand but develops flavour faster. At 60% hydration, dough is manageable for beginners. At 70%+, you need a stand mixer, bench scraper, and a well-floured surface. Fermentation speed also increases with hydration — wetter doughs tend to proof faster at the same temperature.
Does the type of flour affect how much water I can add?
Yes, significantly. Absorption capacity depends on protein content and flour strength (W value). Weak 00 flour (W 150–200) absorbs 55–60% water. Strong 00 flour (W 300+) absorbs 65–75%. Manitoba (W 350–400) can absorb 75–85%. Whole wheat and ancient grain flours can absorb even more due to bran content.
Can I use this calculator for bread and other doughs?
Yes. The hydration formula is universal across all baked goods using baker's percentages: ciabatta (75–85%), focaccia genovese (80–90%), grissini (55–65%), sourdough country bread (70–80%). Just enter your flour weight and target hydration and the calculator gives you the exact water amount.