Recipe hydration
NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) — Hydration Guide
Target 62%. Workable range 58–65%.
Why this hydration for NY Style Pizza (Sourdough)?
NY-style pizza uses bread flour (not 00), slightly lower hydration than Neapolitan, includes 2-3% olive oil and 2-3% sugar for a crispier, more structured crust. Larger pies (14-18 inch). Baked at lower temperature (500-550°F) for longer (6-10 min). Typical home oven territory. Cold retard 24-48h for flavor. Topped with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, oregano.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 62% hydration does for NY Style Pizza (Sourdough)
At its 62% target, NY Style 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 | 310 g (62%) |
| Salt | 12.5 g (2.5%) |
| Levain | 65 g (~13%) |
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 62% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 62% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 62%
Same as Neapolitan but higher hydration and add 2% olive oil + 2% sugar. Bulk 2h, cold retard 24-48h. Stretch to 14-16 inch round. Bake on preheated steel at 550°F for 7-9 min until cheese bubbly and crust golden-brown.
Calculator pre-set to 62%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 260 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 820 g
- Effective hydration
- 62%
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.
NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) hydration — FAQ
What hydration is NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) meant to be?
Target 62% — that's 62 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 58–65% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for NY Style Pizza (Sourdough)?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.62. For a 500 g flour batch that's 310 g water, plus about 13 g salt (2.5%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) at a lower hydration?
Down to about 58% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 58% the open, characteristic NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) texture is largely lost.
Can I make NY Style Pizza (Sourdough) at a higher hydration?
Up to about 65% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 65% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.