Recipe hydration
Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) — Hydration Guide
Target 65%. Workable range 60–70%.
Why this hydration for Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough)?
AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizza uses 00 flour, 60-65% hydration, lower levain percentage (because salt is higher at 2.8% and proof is extended), 24-48h cold fermentation. Bakes in 60-90 seconds at 900°F in wood-fired oven. At home: 550°F with baking steel gets acceptable results in 4-6 min. Thin center, puffy cornicione (raised edge), charred spots. Minimal toppings: crushed tomato, fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil.
Flour mix: 100% type 00.
What 65% hydration does for Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough)
At its 65% target, Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) bakes up with a moderately open, structured crumb with a crisp crust — enough water for a good rise without slack, sticky handling. That's why the style sits where it does on the scale — push it much drier and it tightens toward a sandwich loaf; push it much wetter and it slackens past what the lean structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 325 g (65%) |
| Salt | 14 g (2.8%) |
| Levain | 60 g (~12%) |
The levain already carries some of that flour and water. The calculator below subtracts its contribution so the numbers you actually weigh at the bench hit 65% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) uses 100% type 00. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 65% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 65%
Mix dough, short 2h bulk at room temp. Divide into 230g balls. Cold retard 24-48h in sealed containers. Take out 2h before baking. Stretch by hand to 12-inch round on floured surface (no rolling pin). Top minimally, launch onto pizza steel/stone at maximum oven temp. Bake until edges charred and cheese melted (2-6 min depending on heat).
Calculator pre-set to 65%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 275 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 835 g
- Effective hydration
- 65%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.
Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) meant to be?
Target 65% — that's 65 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 60–70% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough)?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.65. For a 500 g flour batch that's 325 g water, plus about 14 g salt (2.8%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) at a lower hydration?
Down to about 60% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 60% the open, characteristic Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) texture is largely lost.
Can I make Neapolitan Pizza (Sourdough) at a higher hydration?
Up to about 70% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 70% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.