Work out how much pizza sauce you need for a batch of pizzas and how many cans that is.
Usage Tip
Spread sauce thinly to the edge of the cheese to avoid a soggy centre.
How much pizza sauce do I need?
A good rule is about 0.8 g of sauce per square inch of pizza for a standard layer – lighter for a Neapolitan, heavier for a pan pizza. That works out to roughly 3 oz on a 12″ and 5 oz on a 16″. The calculator above turns any size, style and pizza count into a sauce amount and a scaled homemade recipe.
sauce per pizza = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × sauce density
total sauce = sauce per pizza × number of pizzas
Pizza sauce amount by size
| Pizza size | Sauce (standard) |
|---|---|
| 10″ | 60–80 g |
| 12″ | 80–100 g |
| 14″ | 100–130 g |
| 16″ | 130–170 g |
| 18″ | 170–220 g |
Pizza sauce chart (ounces)
| Pizza size | Sauce |
|---|---|
| 10″ | ~2 oz |
| 12″ | ~3 oz |
| 14″ | ~4 oz |
| 16″ | ~5 oz |
| 18″ | ~7 oz |
Sauce style comparison
| Style | Density | 12″ pizza |
|---|---|---|
| Light | ~0.6 g/sq in | ~70 g |
| Standard | ~0.8 g/sq in | ~90 g |
| Heavy | ~1.0 g/sq in | ~115 g |
Pizza style sauce guide
Neapolitan
A light smear of crushed San Marzano tomatoes – raw, just salted, spread thin so the crust stays the star.
New York
A moderate, often lightly cooked and seasoned sauce spread to the edge of the toppings.
Thin crust
A thin, even layer; too much sauce makes a crisp thin base soggy.
Detroit / Sicilian
Generous sauce, often striped on top of the cheese after baking (“red top”).
Neapolitan vs New York sauce
Neapolitan sauce is traditionally uncooked – just quality canned tomatoes crushed by hand with salt – relying on the blazing oven to cook it in seconds. New York sauce is usually cooked, seasoned with oregano, garlic and a little sugar, and spread a touch more heavily for a longer, cooler bake.
Sauce consistency guide
Thicker sauce stays put and avoids a soggy base; thinner sauce spreads easily but needs a lighter hand. For a wetter canned tomato, drain some liquid or simmer briefly. A raw sauce should be on the thicker side since it will not reduce in the oven.
Homemade pizza sauce recipe
A simple sauce yielding about 400 g (enough for roughly four 12″ pizzas):
- 1 can (400 g) crushed or whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- A few fresh basil leaves; pinch of sugar to taste
For raw Neapolitan-style, simply crush the tomatoes with the salt. For a cooked sauce, simmer 15–20 minutes. The calculator scales this recipe to your total sauce automatically.
Canned tomato recommendations
The sauce is mostly tomatoes, so quality matters. San Marzano (or San Marzano-style) whole peeled tomatoes are the classic choice for their sweetness and low acidity. Good crushed tomatoes are the easiest shortcut. Avoid pre-seasoned “pizza sauce” if you want to control the flavour.
Seasoning suggestions
- Salt first – it makes the biggest difference.
- Dried oregano is the signature pizza herb.
- Fresh garlic, a little olive oil, and basil round it out.
- A pinch of sugar balances acidic tomatoes; chilli flakes add heat.
Sauce application tips
- Spoon sauce into the centre and spread outward in a spiral, leaving a border for the crust.
- Less is more – too much sauce steams the base soggy.
- For thin and Neapolitan, a thin even layer; for pan styles, be generous.
Sauce storage
Refrigerate leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Raw tomato sauce is best used within a day or two. Freeze in pizza-sized portions so you can thaw exactly what you need.
Pizza assembly tips
Sauce, then cheese, then toppings is the usual order (Detroit reverses it). Do not overload – a balanced pizza bakes evenly. Use the Pizza Calculator for dough and the toppings calculator to finish the build.
Printable pizza sauce chart
| Size | Light | Standard | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10″ | 47 g | 63 g | 79 g |
| 12″ | 68 g | 90 g | 113 g |
| 14″ | 92 g | 123 g | 154 g |
| 16″ | 121 g | 161 g | 201 g |