Pizza Dough Hydration Made Simple

Hydration is the amount of water in dough compared with the amount of flour. A dough made with 1,000g of flour and 650g of water is 65% hydration.

That one number has a large effect on how dough feels, stretches, and bakes.

What changes as hydration rises

More water can produce a lighter, more open crust, but the dough also becomes softer and stickier. Lower-hydration dough is usually easier to shape and launch, though it can bake a little denser.

There is no universally perfect percentage. Your flour, oven, fermentation time, and confidence handling dough all matter.

A practical starting point

• Start around 60–62% for a standard home oven.
• Try 63–65% when you are comfortable stretching and launching.
• Increase by only 1–2% at a time.
• Give wetter dough extra folds during bulk fermentation.

If a dough is fighting you, do not assume it needs more water. It may simply need more rest.

Watch: Ooni explains hydration

The calculator on the home page is a useful way to compare hydration levels without changing the final dough weight.