Hydration is a crucial factor that significantly impacts pizza dough, and it plays a central role in achieving the desired texture and characteristics of your pizza crust. In the world of pizza dough, hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in your recipe. The higher the hydration level, the more water you use relative to the amount of flour. This affects the dough's consistency, making it wetter and stickier with a greater ability to develop gluten. A higher hydration wetter dough typically results in a lighter, airier, and chewier crust with those sought-after crisp and airy pockets, perfect for Neapolitan-style pizza. Conversely, lower hydration levels in a drier dough yield a firmer, denser, and crunchier crust, ideal for thicker styles like Sicilian or deep-dish. Understanding and adjusting hydration in your pizza dough calculator allows you to tailor your dough to the specific pizza style you crave, giving you full control over your pizza-making experience.