Stage one: poolish
- Flour
- 217g
- Water
- 217g
- Instant yeast
- 0.6g
Liquid preferment
Poolish Pizza Dough Calculator
This poolish pizza dough calculator separates the preferment from the final mix according to how much flour you place in the preferment. Poolish uses equal weights of flour and water, so its hydration is set to 100% by default.
Calculate your doughYour dough
Set the formula
Preferment: Poolish
How are the percentages applied?
All baker's percentages use the total flour in the complete dough. The prefermented-flour setting decides how much of that flour moves into the poolish; its own hydration then sets the water in that stage.
Calculated recipe
Mix in two stages
1,040g4 dough balls at 260g each
Stage one
Make the poolish — 12 hours before the final mix
- Flour
- 217g
- Water
- 217g
- Instant yeast
- 0.6g
Stage two
Complete the dough
- Remaining flour
- 403g
- Remaining water
- 186g
- Salt
- 16g
Matched to your plan
Equipment and ingredients for this bake
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Choose your oven type to see products matched to this batch.
Check the dough, not only the clock. The time shown is your planning input. Flour, yeast condition and temperature determine when the preferment is actually ready.
Follow the flour
Three percentages answer three different questions.
Finished-dough hydration compares all water with all flour. Prefermented flour says how much of the total flour goes into stage one. Poolish hydration then sets the water used there.
At 100% hydration, the poolish contains equal flour and water. The calculator subtracts both from the totals and shows what remains for the final mix.
In plain languagePoolish flour = total flour × prefermented-flour percentage; poolish water = poolish flour × poolish hydration
Worked example
A 35% poolish for four 260g balls
The output separates stage one from the final mix while preserving the requested 1,040g batch.
- Batch
- 4 × 260g balls
- Finished hydration
- 65%
- Flour in preferment
- 35%
- Poolish hydration
- 100%
Stage two: final mix
- Remaining flour
- 403g
- Remaining water
- 186g
- Salt
- 16g
Two-stage workflow
Ripen the poolish, then complete the dough.
Twelve hours is the planning default, not a universal readiness test.
- 01
Mix stage one
Combine the calculated poolish flour, equal water and displayed yeast.
- 02
Look for readiness
Use the source method to judge aroma, bubbles and expansion; do not proceed solely because the entered time has elapsed.
- 03
Add the final ingredients
Mix in the remaining flour and water with the salt, then follow the method chosen for the complete dough.
When the split fails
Fix the formula before mixing
The poolish uses more water than the dough contains
Lower the flour share or poolish hydration, or raise finished hydration. The calculator flags this combination.
Thirty-five per cent is read as batch weight
The control refers only to the share of total flour in the poolish.
A timer replaces observation
A poolish can mature early or late because temperature and yeast activity also matter.
Preferment choice
Poolish stays fluid; biga starts stiff.
Poolish puts equal flour and water into the preferment by default. Biga uses much less water in stage one. A direct dough skips the separate preferment.
Method sources
Definitions and ranges, not a guaranteed timetable
These sources support the definition and working context. Pizza Preacher performs the scaling maths and keeps every percentage editable.
- King Arthur Baking preferment referencePoolish as a liquid preferment made with equal flour and water.
- Ooni poolish and biga guideA practical comparison and prefermented-flour ranges.
Related calculators
Choose the method you are actually making
Useful answers
Poolish calculator questions
What does 35% prefermented flour mean?
It means 35% of all the flour is placed in the poolish, not that the poolish is 35% of the finished dough.
Is poolish always 100% hydration?
Poolish is conventionally made with equal flour and water. The control remains editable for a specifically documented variation.