Pizza Dough Guides

Short, practical reads on the ideas behind the calculator. No fluff — just what changes in your dough when you change a number.

How to Tell If Your Yeast Is Alive or Dead
A simple 10-minute test for active dry or instant yeast, what healthy foam looks like, and why dough can be slow even when the yeast is fine.
Pizza Dough Hydration, Explained
What hydration actually means, how 55% dough differs from 70% dough in your hands and in the oven, and how to pick a number.
Cold Fermentation: Why 2–4 Days in the Fridge Makes Better Pizza
The science and the schedule behind cold-fermented dough, plus a day-by-day plan from mixing bowl to oven.
How Much Dough Per Pizza? Ball Weights by Size
Why dough should scale with surface area, a weight chart from 8 to 18 inches, and how thin vs. regular crust changes the math.
Pizza Stone vs. Pizza Steel in a Home Oven
Why steel's faster heat transfer usually wins in a 500°F home oven, where a stone still makes sense, and how to use either well.
Pizza Dough Hydration by Style
Typical hydration for every major style — cracker-thin to Roman al taglio — and why pan pizzas run wetter than hand-stretched rounds.