Chris, are you using volume measurements( cups, tablespoons,etc.) or do you measure with a scale? (weight measurements) Also, do you eyeball the orange size chunk or weigh it on a scale? Do you see where I am going? No a scale is not necessary to make good pizza, but it does help a new person (and old persons) replicate their results easily. Time after time. An inexpensive digital scale was a great help to my pizza game.