Calculating the cost price of a pizza base is crucial for your profitability. Many pizzeria owners only calculate flour and yeast costs, but forget oil, salt and energy costs. In this article you'll learn step-by-step how to calculate the exact cost price per pizza base.
Gather all ingredients and costs
A pizza base consists of more than just flour. For an accurate cost calculation you add up all the ingredients that go into the dough.
💡 Example pizza dough (1 kg):
- Flour (600g): €0.72
- Water (350ml): €0.01
- Olive oil (30ml): €0.18
- Salt (12g): €0.02
- Yeast (8g): €0.08
Total ingredient costs: €1.01 per kg dough
Calculate the number of pizza bases per kilo
How many pizza bases do you get from 1 kg of dough? This depends on the size of your pizzas and how much dough you use per base.
- Pizza Ø 25cm: 120-140 grams dough
- Pizza Ø 30cm: 180-220 grams dough
- Pizza Ø 35cm: 280-320 grams dough
💡 Example calculation:
For 30cm pizzas you use 200 grams of dough per piece.
Number of bases: 1000g ÷ 200g = 5 pizza bases per kg dough
Calculate the cost price per pizza base
Now you divide the total ingredient costs by the number of pizza bases you get from 1 kg of dough.
Formula: Cost price per base = Total costs per kg ÷ Number of bases per kg
💡 Example calculation:
- Total costs: €1.01 per kg
- Number of bases: 5 pieces per kg
- Cost price per base: €1.01 ÷ 5 = €0.20
Add energy costs (often forgotten)
Baking pizza bases costs energy. Include this in your cost calculation for a complete picture.
⚠️ Attention:
Many pizzerias forget energy costs. A pizza oven uses 3-6 kWh per hour. At 5 pizzas per hour and €0.30/kWh this costs an extra €0.18-€0.36 per pizza.
- Gas oven: €0.15-€0.25 per pizza base
- Electric oven: €0.20-€0.35 per pizza base
- Wood oven: €0.10-€0.20 per pizza base
Total cost price pizza base
Add ingredient costs and energy costs together for the complete cost price of your pizza base.
💡 Complete calculation:
- Ingredient pizza base: €0.20
- Energy costs baking: €0.22
- Total cost price base: €0.42
This is just the base. Toppings come on top of this.
Food cost calculation for complete pizza
The pizza base is usually 15-25% of your total ingredient costs. For a complete pizza you add all the toppings.
- Pizza base: €0.42
- Tomato sauce: €0.35
- Cheese: €1.20
- Toppings: €0.80-€2.50
A Margherita then costs approximately €1.97 in ingredients. At a selling price of €8.50 (excl. 9% VAT = €7.80) your food cost is: €1.97 ÷ €7.80 × 100 = 25.3%.
How do you calculate the cost price of a pizza base? (step by step)
Make a list of all ingredients
Write down all ingredients that go into your pizza dough: flour, water, olive oil, salt and yeast. Look up the purchase prices from your supplier and convert to costs per gram or milliliter.
Determine the weight per pizza base
Measure how many grams of dough you use per pizza. This varies by size: 25cm pizza uses 120-140g, 30cm pizza 180-220g, 35cm pizza 280-320g dough.
Calculate ingredient costs per base
Divide the total costs per kg dough by the number of pizza bases you get from 1 kg. Add energy costs for baking (€0.10-€0.35 per base depending on your oven).
✨ Pro tip
Weigh 10 random pizza bases that your team makes and check if the weight matches your calculation. Often there's a 20-30% difference between what you think you're using and what actually goes on.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
How many pizza bases do I get from 1 kg of dough?
That depends on your pizza size. With 25cm pizzas you get 7-8 bases, with 30cm pizzas 4-5 bases, and with 35cm pizzas 3 bases from 1 kg dough.
Should I include energy costs in the cost price?
Yes, energy costs are an important part of your cost price. Baking a pizza base costs €0.10-€0.35 in energy, depending on your oven type and energy prices.
What is a normal food cost for pizzas?
For pizzas the food cost is usually between 22-28%. Pizzas often have a lower food cost than other dishes because the ingredients are relatively cheap and you run large volumes.
How often should I update my pizza base cost price?
Check your cost price every 3 months or when your supplier raises prices. Flour and oil prices can fluctuate significantly, which directly impacts your margins.
Can I use different dough weights per pizza?
Yes, but keep this consistent per pizza size. Variation in dough weight leads to different cost prices and inconsistent quality. Train your team to always use the same weight.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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