Dough quality is the single biggest factor in pizza quality, and the four building blocks are flour, water, salt, and yeast — sometimes joined by sugar, oil, and malt. Flour determines texture above all else: high-protein flours yield a chewy, structured dough, while lower-protein flours produce a more tender, crisp result. Pizza flours typically run 11 to 14 percent protein, expressed in Italian milling as a "W" rating, where higher numbers indicate stronger gluten development. Tipo 00 flour is a finely milled Italian flour; the "00" refers to grind size, not protein content, so 00 flours span a range of strengths. For Neapolitan pizza, pizzaiolos often reach for Caputo 00 Pizzeria or a stronger Manitoba flour, while New York-style pies typically use high-gluten bread flour like King Arthur or All Trumps. Home bakers can substitute all-purpose flour for NY-style if bread flour is unavailable, though results will be less chewy. Because mills and brands yield different results, grading your flour — and even your specific bag — is a useful habit.
Water hydrates the flour and unlocks gluten development, and water quality can subtly influence flavor. Hydration is expressed as a percentage of flour weight and varies dramatically by style: Neapolitan dough sits at 58 to 62 percent, while high-hydration pizzas at 70 percent or more produce a softer, more open crumb. Around 62 percent is a sweet spot for beginners. Salt — usually 2 to 3 percent of flour weight — provides flavor and tightens gluten structure. Yeast leavens the dough, and for long ferments, just 0.1 to 0.3 percent of flour weight is enough. Sugar, common in New York-style dough, encourages browning during longer bakes and feeds the yeast. Olive oil adds tenderness and flavor in many styles, though AVPN rules forbid it in true Neapolitan dough; it appears in NY-style doughs, which often use olive oil or a blend both in the dough and brushed on the crust, sometimes as an infused garlic oil in pizzerias. Diastatic malt, which contains active enzymes that break starches into sugars, is included in some flours to aid browning and flavor.
The takeaway is that each ingredient is a lever, and the art of pizza making lies in adjusting these levers to match the style you want. As the saying goes, "the dough is everything" — toppings are merely the accent.