Guides

Pizza dough guides — Pizza Call

How to make better dough, explained clearly.

Guide · Planning

How many pizzas you need per person

One pizza per adult, half per child, one extra for the big eaters. Dough quantities and the full shopping list for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 people.

Guide · Preferments

Biga and poolish

Biga vs poolish for pizza: hydration, method and ratios, what each does to flavour and crumb, and when a preferment is really worth it.

Guide · Flour

Flour strength (W)

What flour strength (W) really means, how it ties to protein and gluten, and how to choose it by fermentation time. With a W-by-hours table.

Guide · Yeast

How much yeast for pizza dough

There is no fixed amount: yeast depends on hours and temperature. Charts for fresh and dry yeast, how to convert them, and the one mistake to avoid.

Guide · Maturation

Maturation vs fermentation in pizza dough

Fermentation is the yeast raising the dough; maturation is enzymes breaking starch and gluten down over time. Why cold fermentation is prized.

Guide · Hydration

Pizza dough hydration

Hydration is water as a percentage of flour. How it changes the crumb and the handling, the typical range for each style, and how to raise it safely.

Styles · Neapolitan

Neapolitan pizza dough

How real Neapolitan dough works, the AVPN way: 58% hydration, very little yeast, 12 hours. Exact quantities and the method, step by step.

Styles · Pala

Pala pizza dough

How pala pizza dough works: about 80% hydration, a long cold rise and a bake straight on the stone. Exact quantities, the flour W and the method.

Styles · Roman pan

Roman pan pizza dough

Roman pan pizza (teglia): 80% hydration, folds instead of kneading, a long cold rise. Exact weights, pan maths and the method.

Styles · Round Roman

Round Roman pizza dough

How round Roman pizza dough works: 56% hydration, olive oil in the dough for a friable crust, rolled thin to the edge. Exact quantities and the method.