Pizza Dough Compass

How the calculations work

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1. Quantities

Percentages refer to the flour weight. The dough weighs the flour plus water, salt and oil.

dough = flour × (1 + hydration/100 + salt/100 + oil/100)
water = flour × hydration/100
from balls:  flour = balls × ball weight ÷ (1 + hydration/100 + salt/100 + oil/100)
from flour:  balls = floor(dough ÷ ball weight)    leftover = dough − balls × ball weight

2. Time and temperature

Yeast works faster when it is warm. Every hour is converted into equivalent hours at 20 °C, with the speed doubling every 10 °C. In the fridge the speed is limited to between 8% and 35% of the speed at 20 °C.

rate(T)     = 2 ^ ((T − 20) / 10)
coldRate(T) = clamp(rate(T), 0.08, 0.35)

Optionally, you can enter the temperature of the dough after mixing. The dough is then assumed to move linearly toward room temperature before dividing (with the no-knead method, during the folds and the bulk), taking the same time estimated for cooling and warming, and the average speed over that period replaces the room-temperature speed. A warmer dough ferments faster, so it needs less yeast; the durations do not change.

bulk eff = average of rate(T(t)) for t from 0 to the time before dividing at room temperature
T(t) = room T + (dough T − room T) × max(0, 1 − t ÷ time)

3. Cooling and warming

Dough needs time to change temperature: the bigger the temperature gap and the mass, the longer it takes. A whole dough is slower than a single ball.

time (h) = clamp( |T1 − T2| / 10 × 1.2 × clamp(√kg, 0.5, 2), 0.5, 6 )

Cooling takes place inside the fridge hours, so it is already counted there. Warming after the fridge is a separate phase.

Bulk fermentation and final proof are not chosen by hand. The bulk lasts until the dough has grown by a target that depends on the type of pizza (true Neapolitan +20–30%, contemporary +30–50%, Roman 0–20%, pan pizza and focaccia +50–100%; the middle of each range is used), whatever the mixing method; the final proof starts from a base time adjusted for hydration. You choose the total time and, with the fridge, the fridge takes what is left, from 1 h up to a maximum that guarantees a good maturation and depends on the flour strength, the type of pizza and the hydration; if more time would be needed, the fridge stops at the maximum and the total time is shortened. You can also change the fridge hours: if you shorten them the total time stays and the room-temperature phases take the extra time (first the final proof, up to 6 h, then the bulk); if you lengthen them beyond what the total time allows, the total time grows. The temperatures do not change these durations: they change the yeast dose.

folds + bulk + fridge + warming + final proof = total time
growth of the bulk by type:        verace 0.25 · contemporary 0.40 · Roman 0.10 · pan 0.75 · focaccia 0.75
total growth of the whole plan: ×2.5       s = ln(1 + growth) ÷ ln(2.5)
base final proof with fridge (h):  verace 3 · contemporary 3 · Roman 2.5 · pan 3 · focaccia 3
hydration factor = clamp(1 − (hydration − reference) × 0.02, 0.7, 1.3)    reference = default hydration of the type
final proof = clamp(base × hydration factor, 1.5, 6)      rounded to 0.25 h
with the fridge (the fridge hours are what is left of the total time, or are chosen by you; every term in equivalent hours at the reference 20 °C):
   divide before the fridge:  bulk = s ÷ (1 − s) × (fridge + warming + final proof) − folds
   divide after the fridge:   bulk = s ÷ (1 − s) × (warming + final proof) − folds − fridge
   total time = folds + bulk + fridge + warming + final proof      (the bulk is at least 0.5 h)
   if you shorten the fridge hours, the total time stays: the extra time goes to the final proof (up to 6 h), then to the bulk
   fridge hours: at least 1 h and at most  max = clamp((12 + 0.3 × (W − 200)) × type × hydration factor, 12, 96)
   type: verace 0.6 · contemporary 1 · Roman 0.9 · pan 1.1 · focaccia 1.1      (if more time is needed, the fridge stops at max and the total time is shortened)
without the fridge (you choose the total time):
   bulk = s × (folds + total) − folds      final proof = what is left, between 1.5 and 6 h

4. Direct dough: yeast

All phases are added up as equivalent hours at 20 °C. A reference dose of 0.1% fresh yeast for 24 equivalent hours is then scaled to the equivalent hours of your dough.

eff = bulk × rate(room)
    + cooling × rate(mid)
    + (fridge − cooling) × coldRate(fridge T)
    + warming × rate(mid)
    + final proof × rate(room)
    + folds × ((1 − q) × rate(room) + q × coldRate(fridge T))
mid = (room T + fridge T) / 2      q = share of the folds spent in the fridge
fresh yeast = flour × 0.001 × 24 ÷ max(eff, 1) × hf × sf × wf
limits: between 0.025% and 0.4% of the flour

Three small corrections adjust the dose. The model gives a little more yeast to stiffer doughs, saltier doughs and stronger flours.

hf (hydration) = clamp(1 + (65 − hydration) × 0.02, 0.82, 1.18)
sf (salt)      = clamp(1 + (salt − 2.5) × 0.12, 0.90, 1.12)
wf (flour W)   = clamp(1 + (W − 260) × 0.0005, 0.90, 1.12)

5. Preferment (biga and poolish)

The preferment has its own equivalent hours and its own yeast dose, based on the flour it contains. The yeast already in the preferment is subtracted from the final dough.

preferment flour = total flour × share/100
preferment water = preferment flour × preferment hydration/100
ePf = time × (cold ? pfCold(T) : rate(T)) + start × rate(room) + acclimatization × rate(room)
pfCold(T) = clamp(1.6 × rate(T), 0.3, 0.7)        (a cold preferment ferments less slowly than the dough in the fridge)
biga yeast %    = clamp(13.5 ÷ max(ePf, 1), 0.35, 1.8)    (on the preferment flour)
poolish yeast % = table, in equivalent hours → % on the preferment flour:
   1.5 → 2.5    4.5 → 1.5    6.5 → 1    8.5 → 0.5    11 → 0.3    13.5 → 0.2    16 → 0.1
   (values in between are interpolated; beyond 16 h: 0.1 × (16 ÷ ePf) ^ 2.1, minimum 0.01)
final dough yeast = max(0, dough yeast − preferment yeast)

Reference hydrations are 44% for biga and 100% for poolish, and the app only allows values close to them. The preferment share is limited so that its water never exceeds the water of the whole dough.

6. Other estimates

dry yeast = fresh yeast ÷ 3   (also for the preferment)
water held back = 15% of the water of the mix, rounded to 5 g   (hydration 65% or more)
tolerance (h) = (k − 1) × eff ÷ rate(room)
   k = 1.10 (W up to 220), 1.15 (up to 280), 1.20 (up to 330), 1.25 (above)
water temperature = clamp( min(room T, 72 − 2 × room T − friction), 2, 30 )
   friction: by hand 0 °C, stand mixer 6 °C, spiral mixer 8 °C

The tolerance is the extra time, after the planned end, before the dough is estimated to be overproofed. It is only a rough guide: always check the dough.

7. Worked examples

Contemporary Neapolitan pizza, 1 kg of flour (W 270), 70% hydration, 2.4% salt, stand mixer, room at 22 °C, fridge at 4 °C, total time 24 h (the fridge takes what is left):

dough = 1000 × (1 + 0.70 + 0.024) = 1724 g  →  6 balls of 270 g
s = ln(1 + 0.40) ÷ ln(2.5) = 0.37
final proof = clamp(3 × 0.96, 1.5, 6) = 2.88 → 3 h
cooling = clamp(18/10 × 1.2 × √0.27, 0.5, 6) = 1.12 h (inside the fridge hours)
warming = 1.12 h
fridge hours = 14.88 h  (what is left of the 24 h; maximum 32 h)
equivalent hours: fridge 1.12×0.574 + 13.76×0.330 = 5.18      warming + final proof 1.12×0.574 + 3 = 3.64
bulk = 0.58 × (5.18 + 3.64) = 5.12 → 5 h
total = 5 + 14.88 + 1.12 + 3 = 24 h
eff = 5×1.149 + 1.12×0.616 + 13.76×0.330 + 1.12×0.616 + 3×1.149 = 15.1
hf = 0.90   sf = 0.99   wf = 1.00
fresh yeast = 1000 × 0.001 × 24 ÷ 15.1 × 0.90 × 0.99 × 1.00 = 1.42 g

The same dough with a poolish of 300 g of flour (30%), 16 h at 20 °C and 1 h of acclimatization:

preferment flour = 1000 × 30% = 300 g      water = 300 g (100%)
ePf = 16 × 1 + 1 × 1.149 = 17.1
poolish yeast % = 0.1 × (16 ÷ 17.1) ^ 2.1 = 0.09%  →  300 × 0.09% = 0.26 g
final dough yeast = 1.42 − 0.26 = 1.16 g

8. Clock times and oven

With a baking time, the start is the baking time minus the total time; with a start time, the baking time is the start plus the total time. Every step shows its clock time, and the oven is switched on its preheating time before baking.

Oven settings and bake times are indicative ranges for each type of pizza, taken from common practice: ceiling and stone temperature for performance ovens (up to about 450–500 °C), temperature above and below and oven mode for home ovens (usually up to about 250–300 °C). They are not calculated.

9. Limits

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