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Why You Should Use a Pizza Dough Calculator (and Which One I Recommend)
- Tim (owner)
- Dec 9
- 3 min read
How to Calculate Pizza Dough Perfectly Every Time
If you bake pizza at home - especially on a pizza steel - you’ve probably discovered one simple truth: good pizza starts with great dough. And the easiest way to get consistent, professional-quality results is by using a pizza dough calculator.
One of the most accurate and widely praised tools is PizzApp+, a free mobile app that calculates your full dough recipe automatically. In this guide, I’ll cover what PizzApp is, how it works, how to use it, and why it makes such a big difference for home pizza makers.
What Is PizzApp+?
PizzApp+ is a free pizza dough calculator app that uses baker’s percentages and yeast activity formulas to create accurate dough recipes based on time, temperature, dough ball weight, and hydration.
It removes guesswork and gives you exact quantities of:
flour
water
salt
yeast
…for Neapolitan, New York, Roman, Detroit, and homemade pizza styles. If you’ve ever struggled with dough being too tight one week and too relaxed the next, PizzApp+ solves that.
Why Use a Pizza Dough Calculator?
Using a dough calculator offers several benefits:
✔ Perfect hydration
Hydration dramatically affects texture, oven spring and crumb structure. A calculator lets you fine-tune that.
✔ Accurate yeast calculation
The app gives you the exact yeast amount based on fermentation length and temperature.
✔ Consistent results
Your dough behaves the same every time.
✔ Saves time
No manual maths, no baker’s percentage spreadsheets. No homework.
✔ Better results on a pizza steel
Consistent dough = better browning, better rise, and better leopard spotting.
How to Use PizzApp+ (Step-by-Step for Beginners)
Open PizzApp+
Enter the number of dough balls.
Add the weight you want each ball to be (I aim for 245g - but it will lose weight during the ferment).
Set your hydration level (perfect for a carbon steel: 65%).
Add the salt percentage (I like 3%).
Choose your fermentation method (room temp / cold ferment / mixed).
Enter your environment temperate (you can pick up indoor digital thermometers on Amazon for next to no cost).
Enter your total fermentation time (I always go for 24hrs).
The app instantly displays the full quantities - you can save it, screenshot it, or tweak it and recalculate.
How Does PizzApp+ Actually Work to Calculate Dough?
The short answer:
PizzApp uses a mathematical model based on yeast activity curves to predict fermentation and calculate the correct amount of yeast. The app factors in:
number of doughballs
proving temperature
dough hydration
salt percentage
total fermentation time
It’s not simply a graph inside the app, but it is based on scientific fermentation curves - converted into formulas. The app estimates how fast your dough will rise based on the conditions - and adjusts yeast levels to give you perfectly timed fermentation.
This is why the yeast amounts are so precise, even for long cold ferments.
Is PizzApp+ Accurate?
Yes. For home bakers, PizzApp+ is extremely accurate because it:
uses proven yeast growth models
allows temperature control
adapts for long and short fermentation
uses proper baker’s percentages
A lot of professional pizza instructors consider it the best free tool available.
Why Dough Calculators Matter for Pizza Steel Baking
A pizza steel gives you:
high bottom heat
fast cooking
great colour and crispiness
But - to match that performance, your dough needs to be consistent. Uneven ferments lead to:
undercooked centres
tight crusts
flat cornicione
weak oven spring
A dough calculator ensures that your dough behaves predictably, so that the steel can deliver its full potential.
Final Thoughts
If you want consistent homemade pizza, a pizza dough calculator is essential. Amongst all of the tools out there, PizzApp+ is one of the easiest, most accurate, and most popular options for home pizza makers - and it’s FREE!
Whether you use a pizza steel, a stone, or an indoor/outdoor pizza oven, a calculator app helps you create dough with perfect hydration, fermentation, and yeast balance. If you haven’t tried it yet, download PizzApp and start calculating your dough like a pro. Your pizza steel (and your pizzas) will thank you.
