Tools
Water temperature for pizza dough: the calculator
To get dough out of the mixer at 23–25 °C, I calculate the water temperature: three times the target dough temperature, minus the room temperature, the flour temperature and the heat added by kneading. This calculator does it for you, for a dough or for a biga.
Why I aim for 23–25 °C
Temperature drives the dough: it sets the speed of every reaction that happens while it rests. So the first temperature to master is the dough’s own, at the moment kneading ends.
Between 23 and 25 °C (73–77 °F), the gluten network holds best, the dough is less sticky and easier to handle. This temperature also decides how fermentation gets going. A cooler dough starts more slowly: an advantage for a very hydrated dough, much less so for a protocol whose bulk fermentation happens in the fridge.
The formula
Four temperatures are involved, and one calculation is enough. All values are in °C:
TW = 3 × TD − TR − TF − TK
| Abbreviation | What it is | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| TW | Water temperature | The result you are looking for |
| TD | Target dough temperature | 23 to 25 °C, 24 °C is a good choice |
| TR | Room temperature | A thermometer in the room |
| TF | Flour temperature | Often about 1 °C below room temperature, unless stored elsewhere |
| TK | Heat added by kneading | Depends on the method, see below |
The heat added by kneading
Kneading means transferring energy to the dough. Part of that energy warms it, and the faster the machine works, the warmer the dough gets.
| Method | Usual heat gain |
|---|---|
| By hand | 1 to 3 °C |
| Spiral mixer | 9 to 12 °C, depending on model and duration |
| Stand (planetary) mixer | 18 to 20 °C |
These values are starting points. Every machine behaves differently, which is why the calculator lets you change the kneading heat.
Calibrating with your own equipment
The formula is valuable, especially by hand, but I always prefer to confirm it through experience, season after season. The method is simple:
- Make your dough with the water temperature given by the calculation.
- Measure the dough temperature at the end of kneading.
- If it is above target, add the difference to the kneading heat: dough at 26 °C instead of 24 °C means 2 °C more.
- Keep that new value for next time, at the same kneading speed.
An example
In a kitchen at 20 °C, with flour at 19 °C and a target dough at 24 °C:
- by hand: 3 × 24 − 20 − 19 − 3 = 30 °C (86 °F);
- with a spiral mixer: 3 × 24 − 20 − 19 − 11 = 22 °C (72 °F).
On the same day, the same dough therefore needs much cooler water in a mixer than by hand.
The biga case
A biga is mixed in just a few minutes, and the flour can be assumed to be at room temperature. The calculation becomes: TW = 50 − TR (in °C). With a room at 21 °C, the water should be at 29 °C.
The aim is a biga at around 25–26 °C at the end of mixing. That slightly higher temperature matters when the biga ferments in the fridge: it lets it get going properly before it goes into the cold.
Frequently asked questions
Why calculate the water temperature instead of the dough temperature?
Because it is one of the few parameters you really control. Room temperature and the heat from kneading are imposed on you; water, and to a lesser extent flour, are the two levers that let you reach the right dough temperature.
What water temperature for dough kneaded by hand?
It depends on your kitchen. With a room at 20 °C, flour at 19 °C and a target dough at 24 °C, the formula gives 3 × 24 − 20 − 19 − 3 = 30 °C (86 °F).
My dough comes out warmer than planned. What should I do?
Measure it at the end of kneading and add the difference to your mixer’s heat value. If it comes out at 26 °C instead of 24 °C, raise the kneading heat by 2 °C: the next calculation will give you cooler water.
How do I work out the water for a biga?
A biga is mixed very briefly and the flour is usually at room temperature. Simply use 50 minus the room temperature (in °C) to get a biga at around 25–26 °C.