Neapolitan poolish pizza dough calculator

Great pizza starts yesterday.

≈ 30 cm each when stretched
Pizzas
1–12 · one ball, one pizza
4
Ball weight
220–320 g · bigger ball, bigger pizza
275 g
Yeast
either works · fresh needs 3×

Your recipe

1
Poolish
Day 1 · tonight
Flour195 g
Water195 g
Instant dry yeast≈ 1 tsp3.3 g
Honey≈ ½ tsp3.3 g
Sleep time — fridge, 16–24 h
2
Final dough
Day 2 · dough day
Poolishall of it
Flour460 g
Water235 g
Salt≈ 2¾ tsp16.3 g
Total dough 4 × 275 g = 1100 g

The plan

Day 1
Mix the poolish · 10 min
→
Counter · 1 h
→
Fridge · 16–24 h
Day 2
Bring it together · 30 min
→
Rest · 15 min
→
Ball up
→
Proof · 2–3 h
→
Stretch & launch

The method

Day 1 — Wake the poolish

Pour the water into a large container. Add the yeast and honey, stir until dissolved. Add the flour and mix until no dry spots remain. It should look like a thick pancake batter, not a dough. Cover.
Tip — use a container at least 3× the poolish volume. It will grow.
Leave it covered on the counter until the first bubbles appear on the surface.
Cover tightly and refrigerate. It's ready when the surface is covered in bubbles and it smells sweet and slightly boozy.
In a hurry? — skip the fridge and leave it 3–4 h at room temperature until bubbly and doubled. Fridge version tastes better.

Day 2 — Dough day

Pour the water into a large bowl, add all the poolish and squeeze it into the water until mostly dissolved. Add the flour, then the salt on top. Mix until shaggy, then knead 10–15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Tip — sticky dough? Wet your hands instead of adding flour. Use slap-and-fold on the counter.
Cover the dough and walk away. Gluten relaxes, kneading finishes itself.
A few strong folds, then shape into one smooth ball.
Divide into 4 pieces of 275 g each. Shape tight balls, seam side down. Place in a covered tray with room to double.
Tip — tight surface tension now = easy stretching later.
At room temperature, until puffy and roughly doubled. Poke test: a gentle poke springs back slowly.
Flour the ball generously, press from the center outward, never touch the outer 2 cm — that's the crown. Stretch to 28–30 cm, thin center, puffy rim.
Pizza oven: 430–480 °C, 60–90 seconds, turn often. Home oven: pizza steel or stone, highest temperature, preheat 45–60 minutes, then broiler on — 4–7 minutes per pizza.
Drowning the dough in bench flour. It burns and tastes bitter. Flour the ball, not the whole counter.
Pressing out the crown. The rim is where the magic lives. Hands off the outer 2 cm.
Baking on a half-preheated stone. 45–60 minutes preheat is not optional. A cold stone makes crackers.
Overproofed poolish. Flat, smells like nail polish, gray liquid on top. Too warm or too long. It still works, but sour; next time shorten the room-temp phase.
Adding flour to sticky dough. This dough is meant to be sticky. Wet hands beat extra flour every time.
What flour? A strong 00 or bread flour, ~12–13 % protein (W280–320). Weak all-purpose will tear.
No honey? Use sugar 1:1 or skip it. Honey feeds the poolish and helps browning, it's not structural.
Can I cold-proof the balls? Yes — after balling, up to 24 h in the fridge. Take them out 2 h before stretching.
Can I freeze dough balls? Yes, right after balling. Thaw overnight in the fridge + 2–3 h at room temp.
Why no yeast in the final dough? The poolish carries all the leavening. That's the whole point — flavor from long fermentation.