Guide · Hydration
Pizza dough hydration
Water as a percentage of flour: the lever that sets crumb, handling and crunch.
Hydration is how much water is in the dough, written as a percentage of the flour weight: 1 kg of flour with 700 g of water is 70%. More water gives a lighter, more open crumb but a stickier, harder-to-handle dough. A napoletana sits near 58%; a Roman teglia climbs to 80%.
If yeast is the engine of the dough, water is the frame. It decides whether the pizza comes out tall and airy or low and crisp, whether the dough is easy under your hands or a glue that won't let go of the bench. It's also the number that confuses beginners, because "high hydration" has turned into a kind of magic word. Here's what it actually means, and when it's worth chasing.
What hydration is
Hydration is the water written as a percentage of the flour. It's the first of the baker's percentages, the system pizzaioli use to write every dose: flour counts as 100, and every other ingredient is measured against it. Put 600 g of water into 1 kg of flour and you're at 60%. Simple. You count the free water: the water inside a biga or a poolish is part of the total, while salt and oil aren't, since they carry their own separate percentage.
What it changes, in the crumb and in the hand
The more you raise the water, the more the crumb opens up. A very wet dough traps more gas, builds large uneven holes and bakes lighter: that's the secret of the Roman teglia and of good bread. You pay the price in handling. Above 70% the dough turns sticky, spreads on its own, won't hold a shape and needs folds rather than a mixer. A low hydration does the reverse, giving a firm dough that's easy to roll and easy to move, and that stays compact and crunchy in the oven: think of Roman scrocchiarella, rolled thin and dry. Neither high nor low is "better": it depends on the pizza you want.
Typical hydration by style
Every style has its own window of water, and it's almost always hydration, more than the flour, that defines it. These are the ranges we use in the calculator, checked against the Italian specifications and against the Bonci method for pan doughs.
| Style | Hydration | Salt (of flour) | Oil (of flour) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan | 56–62% | 2.5–2.9% | 0% | AVPN |
| Round Roman | 55–60% | 2.2–2.5% | 2–3% | Associazione Pizza Romana |
| Roman pan (teglia) | 70–90% | 2–2.2% | 3–4% | Roman practice |
| Pala | 70–90% | 2–2.2% | 2–3% | Associazione Pizza Romana |
Ranges from the Italian standards: AVPN (Neapolitan), Associazione Pizza Romana (round Roman and pala), established Roman bakery practice (pan).
Two things jump out. The napoletana, which you picture as the softest of all, sits relatively dry at 56-62%: its softness comes from time and a screaming-hot oven, not from water. And the round Roman, the crispiest, is the driest of the lot at 55-60%, precisely because the oil and the low water want it short and crumbly. The doughs that really fly are teglia and pala, from 70 up to 90%, where water is the ingredient that builds those huge holes.
North American flours drink more water than Italian 00 at the same percentage, so a dough that reads 65% on paper can feel like 62% in the bowl. Expect to add 2-3% more water, and add it at the end, once you can see how the gluten is holding.
How to raise hydration without a disaster
Going from 60 to 75% isn't a matter of pouring in more water and hoping. The dough has to be walked up, or you end up with a batter that never comes together. Four moves that work:
- Stronger flour. The extra water needs gluten to hold it. Below W 260 a high hydration collapses: for 75-80%, aim for W 300 or more. This is flour strength, the real limit on how much water you can carry.
- Add the water in two or three goes. Start with the bulk, bring the mass together, then work in the rest a little at a time. The last water goes in only once the gluten already holds.
- Folds instead of kneading. At high hydration you build strength with sets of folds in the bowl: three sets in the first hour, with wet hands, and the dough tightens up without any added flour.
- Wet hands and bench, not floured. Extra flour throws off the ratio and dries the crust. Wet your hands, keep semola (the coarse durum flour sold as semolina outside Italy) for shaping only, and handle with quick touches.
More water doesn't automatically mean a better pizza. A well-handled 65% beats an 80% you can't stretch. Raise the hydration once your current dough comes out right every time, not before.
Frequently asked questions
What is dough hydration?
It's the ratio of water to flour, as a percentage of the flour. At 65% it means 650 g of water for 1 kg of flour. More than any other number, it sets what the crumb is like and how easy the dough is to stretch.
What is the right hydration for pizza?
It depends on the style: napoletana around 58%, round Roman 55-60%, teglia and pala anywhere from 70 to 90%. If you're finding your feet, 60-62% is the most forgiving band.
What does high hydration pizza mean?
Usually a dough above 70% water. It gives a very open, light crumb, but it wants strong flour, folds and a bit of skill. Below that threshold you're in medium or low hydration.
Does more water mean a lighter pizza?
Only up to a point. More water helps the crumb open, but real lightness also depends on the rise and the bake. A high hydration stretched and baked badly still comes out gummy.
How do I handle a very sticky dough?
Wet hands, no flour on the bench (a dusting of semola at most), and folds instead of kneading. If it stays impossible, drop two or three points of hydration next time.