Pizza dough is just flour, water, salt, and yeast — the magic is in the ratio and the time. Bakers express the recipe in baker’s percentages, where flour is 100% and everything else is a percentage of the flour’s weight, making it trivial to scale.
A reliable starting ratio
| Ingredient | Baker’s % | For 500 g flour |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 100% | 500 g |
| Water | 62% | 310 g |
| Salt | 2% | 10 g |
| Yeast (instant) | 0.5% | 2.5 g |
The method
Mix until no dry flour remains, then rest 15–20 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic, then let it rise. A slow, cold rise in the fridge for 24–72 hours develops far more flavor than a quick room-temperature rise — the single biggest upgrade for homemade pizza. Divide into balls (~250 g for a 12″ pizza), bring to room temperature, then stretch — don’t roll — to keep the airy edge.
Frequently asked questions
What hydration should pizza dough be? Around 60–65% for a home oven; higher suits very hot ovens.
Can I make it same-day? Yes, but a 1–3 day cold ferment tastes noticeably better.
Why stretch instead of roll? Rolling presses out the gas that gives a light, bubbly crust.
If the dough fights back and snaps when you stretch it, let it rest 10–15 minutes so the gluten relaxes, then try again — patience beats force every time. A pizza steel or stone, preheated as hot as your oven goes, is the other half of a crisp, well-risen crust.