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Pizza dough hydration by style: a cheat sheet
"Is 75% hydration crazy for Neapolitan?" depends entirely on the style. A Neapolitan and a Roman al taglio are both pizza dough, but their hydration differs by 20 points. Here's a quick-reference table so you can dial in — and sanity-check — your dough against where each style actually sits.
The cheat sheet
All figures are baker's percentages (percent of flour weight). Hydration is contested between sources, so these are ranges with named anchors, not single "correct" numbers.
| Style | Hydration | Salt | Oil | Ball (12") |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan (AVPN) | 55.5–62.5% | 2.5–3% | 0% | 200–280 g |
| Neapolitan (home oven) | 65–70% | 2.5–3% | 0–1% | 240–260 g |
| New York | 62–67% | 2% | 1–3% | 280–320 g |
| Detroit | 70–75% | 2% | 1–2% | 380–420 g* |
| Sicilian | 65–70% | 2% | 3–5% | ~700 g* |
| Roman al taglio | 75–82% | 2.5% | 5% | ~700 g* |
*Pan styles: Detroit ball is for a 10×14 pan; Sicilian and Roman al taglio are for a half-sheet.
How to read it
- Neapolitan splits in two. The AVPN spec runs ~55.5–62.5%, but home bakers without a 900°F oven commonly push to 65–70% (Marc Vetri's home-oven version goes to 70%) for a more open crumb at lower temperatures.
- Hydration climbs with pan styles. Detroit, Sicilian, and Roman al taglio are baked in oiled pans and carry far more water — Roman al taglio tops out around 80% (Vetri 80%, America's Test Kitchen 82%).
- Oil tracks the style's character. True Neapolitan uses none; NY adds a little for extensibility; pan styles use the most, plus oil in the pan itself.
Sicilian hydration, for instance, is cited anywhere from 57% to 70% depending on whom you ask. Pick a number inside the range, bake it, and adjust to your flour and oven rather than chasing one "official" figure.
Crust checks your hydration as you type
Set hydration to 75% for Neapolitan and Crust tells you, live, that AVPN runs 55.5–62.5% and Vetri's home version reaches 70% — so you know you're high before you mix. It works out flour, water, salt, yeast, and oil for any style and ball count, with a backtimer and troubleshooter built in. Pay once, no ads, no subscription, offline.
Sources
- AVPN — Neapolitan dough regulations
- Tony Gemignani, The Pizza Bible; Marc Vetri, Mastering Pizza
- Jeff Varasano's New York pizza recipe
- America's Test Kitchen — pizza al taglio · PizzaBlab — Sicilian
Ranges are starting points. Adjust to your flour, oven, and preference; don't treat any single number as definitive.