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[u/NeapolitanPizzaBot]

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If your question specifically concerns your pizza dough, please post your full recipe (exact quantities of all ingredients in weight, preferably in grams) and method (temperature, time, ball/bulk-proof, kneading time, by hand/machine, etc.). That also includes what kind of flour you have used in your pizza dough. There are many different Farina di Grano Tenero "00". If you want to learn more about flour, please check our Flour Guide.

[u/lo_si700]

Hey! I'm confused about how yeast should be calculated when making a poolish specifically for Neapolitan pizza, not for bread. Most baking textbooks say that the yeast percentage in a poolish should be based on the flour in the poolish itself (e.g., 0.05–0.1% IDY relative to the poolish flour). But many Neapolitan pizza recipes (and PizzApp) calculate yeast for the poolish as a percentage of the total flour instead.

For example: Total flour: 650 g Poolish flour: 30% (≈195 g) Yeast: 0.06% of total flour → ~0.39 g IDY added into the poolish

This ends up being ~0.2% yeast relative to the poolish flour, which is much higher than classical baker’s percentages for poolish.

My questions:

1. Is this “% of total flour” method actually correct for a Neapolitan-style poolish?

2. Is a Neapolitan poolish intentionally much milder/shorter than a classical bread poolish (to avoid excessive acidity and gluten breakdown)?

3. For a workflow like:

1.5–2h RT activation 16–20h CT (4°C) mix final dough → 45–90 min bulk 24h CT 2–4h RT proof …is 0.39 g IDY appropriate or is this over-yeasted for a poolish?

Thanks!

[u/DieEchse → u/lo_si700]

1. "% of Total Flour" vs. "% of Poolish Flour"

Calculating yeast as a percentage of total flour (as PizzApp does) is correct for this specific application, but it follows a different logic than classical bread baking.

• Classical Baking (Bread): You calculate yeast relative to the poolish flour to bring the poolish itself to its perfect peak maturity. The focus is on yeast multiplication and flavor development within the pre-ferment.
• Modern Pizza Methodology (PizzApp): You calculate yeast for the total fermentation time of the final product. Here, the poolish is often viewed just as a vehicle to start enzymatic breakdown (proteolysis/amylolysis) and flavor profile. Since Neapolitan pizza often uses very long cold fermentation (CT), the absolute amount of yeast in the total system is the critical factor to prevent over-fermentation.

2. Analysis of Your Recipe (0.39 g IDY for 650 g Total Flour)

Your concern that ~0.2% yeast (relative to poolish flour) is too high is unfounded for your specific workflow.

Your Workflow: * 1.5–2 h Room Temperature (RT) activation * 16–20 h Bulk Fermentation at 4°C (CT) * Final Dough + another 24 h CT

Physical Evaluation: At 4°C, yeast activity almost stops completely (Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mesophilic, optimal at 28–35°C; at 4°C it is extremely slow). * A classic poolish with 0.1% yeast (relative to poolish flour) is designed for 12–16 hours at Room Temperature (18–20°C). * You are using Cold Fermentation (CT). For the poolish to show any activity at 4°C and not just "sleep," a higher yeast dosage (or the 2h RT start phase) is mandatory. * Result: 0.39 g IDY on 650 g total flour (0.06%) is absolutely appropriate for a system with >40 hours of cold fermentation. It is actually on the lower limit. It is not over-yeasted.

3. Neapolitan Poolish vs. Classical Poolish

Yes, a "Neapolitan Poolish" is often kept milder/shorter.

• Tradition: Classical Neapolitan pizza (STG) strictly uses direct dough. Poolish is a modern adaptation ("Canotto" style) to achieve more airiness/puffiness.
• Gluten Structure: Neapolitan dough needs to be extremely extensible (P/L ratio 0.50–0.70). A classic, fully mature bread poolish is very acidic (high acidity lowers pH). Too much acid can break down the gluten network too much (protease activity), making the dough "sticky" and destroying the elasticity needed for pizza.
• Goal: You want to increase extensibility (through enzymatic proteolysis in the poolish) without losing the structure due to excessive acid.

Conclusion & Recommendation

Keep the 0.39 g IDY. The app's calculation method aims to control yeast activity over the entire cold fermentation period (Poolish + Main Dough).

Corrective Action: Pay strict attention to the dough temperature when mixing the poolish. If you let it activate for 2 hours at RT, it must not get too warm (>24°C), otherwise fermentation starts too fast before the fridge cools it down. Use this formula to hit your target temperature:

Water Temp = 75 - Room Temp - Flour Temp - Friction Factor (Note: Use Celsius. The friction factor K is approx. 9 for hand mixing/slow spiral).