Detroit Pizza Dough Calculator
Written by Mustapha B. · Updated August 13, 2026
Detroit pan pizza uses higher ~70% hydration for an airy crumb. Calculate your dough below.
Total dough
Flour
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Water
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Salt
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Yeast
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A Detroit pizza dough calculator sizes the wetter, pan-style dough that bakes into a thick, airy square with crispy, cheese-fried edges. Enter your pan setup as dough balls and weight plus your hydration, and it returns flour, water, salt and yeast in grams. Detroit dough is typically higher hydration than New York or Neapolitan, often around 65 to 75%, because the slack dough relaxes into the corners of the pan and bakes up light and open inside.
Match the dough weight to your pan: a classic rectangular Detroit pan needs enough dough to spread to the edges without being dense, so dial the ball weight to your pan's footprint. The calculator scales cleanly when you bake several pans for a party. A practical tip is to oil the pan well and let the stretched dough proof right in it, pressing it gently toward the corners between rests so it fills the pan without fighting back.
How baker’s percentages work
Professional bakers size recipes by baker’s percentage: flour is always 100%, and everything else is a percentage of the flour weight. That makes a recipe easy to scale to any batch, set your total dough weight and hydration, and the flour, water, salt and yeast fall out automatically. Weigh ingredients in grams for the best results.
Pizza hydration by style
| Style | Typical hydration |
|---|---|
| Neapolitan | 62% |
| New York | 60% |
| Detroit | 70% |
| Sicilian | 68% |
| Roman (thin & crispy) | 75% |
Lower hydration is easier to handle; higher hydration gives an airier, more open crumb but is stickier to work.
Frequently asked questions
What hydration is Detroit-style pizza dough?
Detroit dough is usually on the wetter side, often around 65 to 75% hydration. The higher water content helps the dough spread into the pan and bake into a light, open, focaccia-like crumb.
What pan do you use for Detroit-style pizza?
Traditionally a rectangular steel pan with tall sides, which lets cheese reach the edges and caramelize. Any sturdy, well-oiled metal pan with a similar depth will give you the signature crispy border.