Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust: A Step-by-Step Guide
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Here is my guide for making sourdough pizza crust at home. As far as sourdough pizza recipes are concerned, this one is as simple as it gets — it’s made with all-purpose flour and there is no autolyse or preferment. Everything gets mixed together at once and you are on your way! Ready? Wake up your starter! Let’s do this 🍕🍕🍕
One of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received these past few weeks is: “Have you ever replaced the yeast in “X” bread recipe with sourdough starter?”
And specifically: “Could I use sourdough starter in your pizza dough recipe?”
Yes! And today, I’m going to show you how. The process is very similar to how I make yeast-leavened pizza, and the resulting pies are similar: ballooned and blistered edges with crisp but pliable crusts. In the recipe below, there are instructions for making three favorite pizzas 🍕🍕🍕:
- Classic Margherita
- Kale and Crème Fraîche
- Naked Pizza with Spicy Scallion (or Ramp!) Oil … made this on Instagram over the weekend
Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust: The details
This sourdough pizza crust is …
- Basic! Given supply constraints, I didn’t get creative with the flour mix here. This dough is made with 100% all-purpose flour. You absolutely can use bread flour or tipo 00 flour (read more about tipo 00 flour here) if you can get your hands on either. If you have been having a hard time finding flour, Baker’s Authority is a great option — great prices, too, even with shipping tacked on.
- 75% hydration. This is a classic sourdough formula: 375 g water, 500 g flour. (Note: This calculation is not quite accurate, because I am not including the weight of the water and flour of the sourdough starter in the calculation.)
- Simple! As with all of the sourdough recipes on this site, there is no autolyse or preferment or levain. I do call for some stretches and folds, which build strength in the dough. I like to do 4 stretch and folds, but even if you can only perform one stretch and fold, your dough will benefit.
Can you Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough?
Yes. In my experience, the pizzas made from frozen dough do not spring as high upon being baked, but they still taste delicious.
Also, in my experience, the more time dough spends in the freezer, the more air bubbles the dough seems to lose. After 1 week in the freezer, my dough will bake up beautifully. After 3 weeks in the freezer, my dough will be less bubbly and will bake into a thinner and crisper crust.
To freeze sourdough pizza dough: make it through step 4 in the recipe below or until after you transfer the portioned rounds to quart containers. At this point, transfer the quart containers to the freezer. To thaw, remove a container (or more) and let thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day or thaw at room temperature for 8 hours. Then, proceed with the recipe.
5 Keys to Excellent Pizza Every Time
Regardless if you are using yeast or sourdough, these (for me) are the keys to making excellent pizza at home every time.
- High-hydration Dough: When handled properly, doughs with a high proportion of water relative to the flour bake into beautiful, ballooned-pocketed crusts.
- Refrigerator time: After the first rise, time (at least 6 hours, but up to 3 days) in the fridge further develops flavor and improves the texture of the pizza dough.
- 1 hour at room temperature: If time permits, letting the dough come to room temperature an hour before baking, allows for easier shaping — room temperature dough will more easily stretch into a round than cold dough.
- Minimal handling of dough: Using a delicate hand to shape the dough, preserves the air pockets created during the fermentation process. I learned this from Jim Lahey:
“As soon as I began really paying attention to how I shaped my pizza rounds by taking care to use a gentle hand, I noticed a difference in the finished product. The air pockets pervading the unbaked round really affect the texture of the baked pizza.”
- Baking Steel: As you might know, I am a huge fan of the Baking Steel. In sum: steel is a better conductor of heat than stone — i.e. it transfers heat to the dough faster — which promotes great oven spring which translates to glorious bubbles throughout the dough. (Read more about the Baking Steel here.)
To be clear, I do not think you need to use a sourdough starter to make excellent pizza at home. A high hydration dough + leavening of choice + proper handling will give you excellent pizza every time, including that baked in a skillet: How to Make Excellent Skillet Pizza.
Here’s my guide to making yeast-leavened pizza dough at home: How to Make Pizza
Pizza Night
My cookbook, Pizza Night, which includes 52 pizza and 52 salad recipes, one pair for every week of the year, as well as five simple desserts is now available for preorder 🍕🍕🍕
It’s organized seasonally and includes recipes for the home oven, outdoor oven, the grill, Sicilian-style, Detroit-style, grandma-style, skillet pizzas, gluten-free, and more. There are both yeast and sourdough recipes for every style of pizza in the book.
Get your copy here: Pizza Night.
New to Sourdough?
If you are intimidated by sourdough bread baking, I have a free email course that covers the basics: Sourdough: Demystified.
And if you are looking for other easy sourdough bread recipes, this simple sourdough focaccia recipe, as well as this simple sourdough bread recipe, are the recipes I suggest attempting first, both for their simplicity and flavor. Another great beginner’s bread recipe to try is this overnight, refrigerator focaccia, which requires minimal effort but yields spectacular results.
PS: Easy, Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
PPS: My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Every Make
Here’s the simple sourdough pizza crust play-by-play: As always, a scale is essential for best results. You need water, flour, salt, and a sourdough starter. I am a proponent of buying a starter (see recipe box for sources), but if you are up for it, you can build a starter from scratch in just about 1 week.
Combine 375 g water, 100 g sourdough starter, and 10 g salt in a bowl. (See notes in recipe box about using less water if you live in a humid environment.)
Stir to combine; then add …
… 500 g all-purpose flour.
Stir until you have a sticky dough ball.
Transfer to a straight-sided vessel (if possible) and let rest for 30 minutes. Then, “stretch and fold” the dough (see video for guidance) 4 times at 30 minute intervals. Cover the vessel. Let it rest for 6 to 12 hours (see recipe notes for timing) or until the dough…
… has about doubled in volume. (Note: This is a little bit more than double. Ideally you don’t want your dough to rise much beyond double. More recently, in fact, I stop the bulk fermentation when the dough has increased in volume by 50%.)
Turn dough out onto a work surface. Use flour here as needed.
Portion into 4 equal pieces, again using flour as needed.
Ball up and transfer to quart (or other similar-sized) containers (I love these deli quart containers). Transfer to the fridge, ideally for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.
An hour prior to baking, remove a round (or more) of pizza dough, and place it on a floured work surface. If you have a Baking Steel, place it in the upper third of your oven, and heat the oven to 550ºF. (See recipe for other options.)
Delicately stretch the dough into a round, trying as best you can to preserve those air pockets.
Top as you wish. This one is spread with tomato sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil, and sea salt.
Transfer pizza, parchment paper and all to a preheated Baking Steel or stone in a 550ºF oven. Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Slice and serve.
A little fresh basil is always nice.
This is the beauty of the Baking Steel: oven spring!
Another favorite: kale + crème fraîche:
Another favorite: “naked” + spicy scallion (or ramp) oil:
Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust
- Total Time: 1 day + 1 hour
- Yield: 4 pizzas
Description
**Attention Pizza Fans**: My pizza cookbook, Pizza Night, is now available for pre-order. Get your copy here: Pizza Night
What you need to make this recipe…:
- …a sourdough starter. Ideally, you want to use your starter 4 to 6 hours after you feed it, when it has doubled in volume and is very bubbly and active. You can build a starter from scratch in just about 1 week. Or you can buy one. Here are three sources:
- …time. Once your starter is ready to go, this recipe requires an initial 6 – 18 hour rise, followed by at least 6 hours in the fridge or up to 3 days.
Timing/Schedule:
The more I make sourdough, the more I realize that the timing of each bake depends so much on the time of year and the temperature of my kitchen. In the summer, because it is warm and humid, the first rise (bulk fermentation) of all my sourdoughs takes between 6 – 8 hours; in the winter it will take longer, 10 to 12 hours.
It is best to rely on visual cues. For the bulk fermentation, you want the dough to double or less than double: I now end my bulk fermentation when the dough has risen by 50% to 75% in volume. This is why I cannot recommend using a straight-sided vessel (as opposed to a bowl) enough. It makes gauging the first rise easier.
If at any point you are worried the dough will over-ferment — say, for example, the bulk fermentation is nearly complete but you are tired and want to go to bed — stick the vessel in the fridge and pick up the process in the morning. (Note: If your dough rises above double, don’t despair … my dough has tripled in volume during an overnight rise, and the resulting dough still had plenty of strength and spring.)
Schedule: I like mixing this dough in the evening, performing 4 stretch and folds before I go to bed (if time permits), then letting the dough complete its bulk fermentation at room temperature (68ºF) overnight or in the refrigerator (especially in the summer, when my kitchen is much warmer). In the morning, it’s typically ready to be portioned (if it rose at room temperature), transferred to quart containers, and stashed in the fridge. If I had let my dough spend time in the fridge for the bulk fermentation, I remove it in the morning, and let it complete its bulk fermentation at room temperature. Once complete, I portion the dough and stash it in the fridge. Sometimes I’ll use the dough that same evening; sometimes I’ll use it the following day or the next. I encourage using the dough within 3 days.
In short: If you want pizza for the weekend, mix your dough on either Wednesday or Thursday.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
Water: If you live in a humid environment or if you are making this on a particularly humid day, consider starting with less water, such as 335 grams of water, which will bring the hydration down to 70%. This amount of water will still produce a light airy crust but the dough will be more manageable.
Flour choice:
- Due to supply issues, I’ve been making this recipe with all-purpose flour, and it works beautifully. You absolutely can use bread flour or tipo 00 flour if you can get your hands on either. If you can’t, know that all-purpose (unbleached) flour works great here. If you use 00 flour, you’ll likely need to reduce the amount of water. I would start with 350 g, and adjust moving forward based on your results.
Favorite Pizza-Making Tools:
- Baking Steel
- Pizza Peel
- Parchment Paper: I bake my pizzas on parchment paper on my Baking Steel. Parchment allows for easy transfer from peel to steel.
- Cast Iron Skillet: If you do not have a Steel or stone, you can use a cast iron skillet. Rub a half teaspoon of oil over its surface, transfer a stretched dough round to the skillet. Top as desired. Bake at 450ºF for about 15 minutes.
- Quart Containers for storing dough
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 375 g water (or less, see notes above)
- 100 g sourdough starter, active and bubbly, see notes above
- 10 g salt
- 500 g all-purpose or bread flour
For each Margherita pizza:
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 to 2 oz mozzarella
- handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano (less than an ounce)
- drizzle olive oil
- pinch sea salt
For each kale and crème fraiche pizza:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- a couple handfuls of baby or Tuscan kale
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic
- Sea salt, such as Maldon
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup
For each naked pizza with ramp or scallion oil:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced scallions or ramps
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- handful grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- sea salt
Instructions
- Mix the dough. Place the starter, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine — it doesn’t have to be uniformly mixed. Add the flour. Mix again until the flour is completely incorporated. Transfer to a straight-sided vessel (if you have one.) Cover vessel with tea towel or cloth bowl cover and let stand 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: after 30 minutes have passed, reach into the vessel and pull the dough up and into the center. Turn the vessel quarter turns and continue this pulling 8 to 10 times. See video for guidance. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes; then repeat the stretching and folding. If possible, repeat this cycle twice more for a total of 4 stretch and folds. By the 4th cycle, you will notice a huge difference in the texture of the dough: it will be smoother, stronger, and more elastic.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover vessel with a tea towel or bowl cover and set aside to rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours (the time will vary depending on the time of year, the strength of your starter, and the temperature of your kitchen; see notes above) or until the dough has roughly doubled in volume. (UPDATE: In the past I have recommended letting the dough rise until it doubles in volume. If you’ve had success with this, continue to let the dough double. Recently, I have been stopping the bulk fermentation when the dough increases by 50% in volume, and I feel my dough is even stronger in the end.) Note: Do not use your oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation — it is too warm for the dough. When determining when the bulk fermentation is done, it is best to rely on visual cues (doubling in volume) as opposed to time. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly doubled.
- Portion and shape: Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape into a rough ball, using as much flour as needed — the dough will be sticky. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Sprinkle portions with flour. With floured hands, roll each portion into a ball, using the pinkie-edges of your hands to pinch the dough underneath each ball. Transfer each round of dough to a plastic quart container, cover, and store in fridge for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days or transfer to the freezer (see notes in post about thawing).
- Make the pizzas: Pull out a round (or more) of dough from the fridge one hour before you plan on baking. Dust dough with flour and place on a floured work surface. Let sit untouched for about an hour (a little longer or shorter is fine). Place a Baking Steel or pizza stone in the top third of your oven. Set oven to 550ºF. Heat oven for at least 45 minutes but ideally 1 hour prior to baking.
- Shape the dough: Gently shape dough into a 10-inch (roughly) round handling it as minimally as possible. (See video for guidance.) Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of a pizza peel. Transfer the dough round to the parchment-lined peel.
Top and Bake
- To make a classic Margherita-style pizza: Spread 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over the surface of the dough. Top with mozzarella to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan to taste. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Shimmy the pizza, parchment paper and all into the oven. Bake pizza until top is blistered, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with basil, if you have it. Cut and serve. Discard parchment paper.
- To make a kale and crème fraîche pizza: Place the kale in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt, and toss. Spoon crème fraîche over the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border or so—I use about a tablespoon per pizza. Sprinkle with minced garlic and a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Top with the kale. Shimmy the pizza, parchment paper and all into the oven. Bake pizza until top is blistered, about 5 – 6 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Cut and serve. Discard parchment paper.
- To make a naked pizza with scallion oil: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet with 1/4 cup of minced scallions (or ramps!) and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Keep it over low heat while you make the pizza. Spoon crème fraîche over the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border or so—I use about a tablespoon per pizza. Sprinkle with a handful of grated parmesan. Shimmy the pizza, parchment paper and all into the oven. Bake pizza until top is blistered, about 5 – 6 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. At this point, the scallions should be starting to “frizzle”. If they aren’t, crank up the heat until the oil is sizzling. Spoon a few tablespoons of the hot oil over the pizza (you’ll have extra oil). Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Cut and serve.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 5 to 6 minutes
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Keywords: sourdough, pizza, simple, margherita, mozzarella
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
967 Comments on “Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust: A Step-by-Step Guide”
Hello! This may be a silly question, but we have celiacs in our family, who thankfully can tolerate sourdough when it’s been long fermented – but I’m curious about adding all of the generous flour when shaping…will this added flour still ferment during the fridge time? Or should I perhaps use a GF flour for the shaping (as I do with any dusting in general) just in case? 🤔 Thank you! I’m trying this this week, and also think it would be great for calzones 😍
(Sorry, to clarify, I mean all the flour that’s added when the dough is first split into 4 pieces! Willl *that* added flour ferment during the fridge time?)
Hi! I’m not sure but I have a few thoughts. You could potentially use less water from the start: hold back 25 grams of water just to make the dough less sticky overall. Alternatively, use rice flour (or a GF flour) when diving and shaping. Good luck!
Made this last week and it was completely amazing. I didn’t have great results freezing it though, I didn’t get nearly as much rise as the first time when it was fresh. Can I half the recipe and make 2 dough balls?
★★★★★
Sourdough pizza dough unfortunately doesn’t freeze well. Yes, you can halve the recipe. Go for it!
Does this make a Neopolitan style pizza?
Yes, Neapolitan-ish: thin, but not paper thin, with a ballooned outer edge.
Hi, what happens if we don’t bulk ferment the recommended time? 😬 it’s literally after 1 am now and I had to call it and go to the next step and put the pizza balls in the fridge in plastic containers. I was nervous to leave it out while I slept because my house runs warm and I didn’t want it to rise too much. Anyway, in the short time it was out ( I think about one hour), it did raise a little bit but I’m not sure how much or if it was 50%. This is my first official sourdough recipe as my starter is 12 days old. Stretch and folds went well and my dough seemed to have structure (at least I think). I do plan on leaving it in the fridge longer so hopefully that makes up for the less bulk time?
Hi Cames,
Sorry for the delay here! I’m a little bit worried given that your starter is so young. How did the pizza turn out?
It’s fine to shorten the bulk fermentation, but at some point the dough needs some time at room temperature to ferment. Next time I would stick the dough in its bulk form in the fridge, then remove when you have time and let it ferment at room temperature until it increases by 50-75% in volume.
I have been making pizza for a very long time. And then my friend gifted me her sourdough starter due to her upcoming international move. I have tried your sourdough bread, foccaccia, and this pizza crust. All are very very good, but this pizza crust is incredible. It is perfect. My husband loves my pizza, but tonight he told me its the best pizza I’ve ever made. The only difference is your pizza crust. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes – the detailed instructions are very helpful.
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So nice to hear, Rae 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing.
Hi Ali,
I made this pizza last night (the kale one and some variations of it), and it was delicious. Question about the creme fraiche – what kind do you use? The one I bought (Vermont Creamery – bought from Safeway) was fairly thick, and thus, hard to spread around the delicate crust, so I ended up using quite a bit more than 2 tbsp. Do you use a thinner, more spreadable kind?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi! Great to hear! I have used that same Vermont brand but often I use a different brand that my co-op sells… it’s actually not as tasty, but it’s what they offer. It is definitely less thick. My suggestion would be to remove 2 tablespoons or even 3 tablespoons of creme fraiche from the tub and place it in a bowl. Beat with a fork to soften it and warm it up and make it more spreadable. You could even add a splash of cream or milk to make it more spreadable.
Hi there! I am going to be making this recipe tomorrow for a family trip this weekend! I will have to transport it in a cooler on Friday. Do you think the dough would be ok if I wrapped the portioned balls in plastic wrap or placed in freezer bags after the bulk ferments instead of quart plastic containers? Thanks in advance!
I do! I would be sure to rub the balls or the bag lightly with oil, so that you don’t have any trouble removing the balls from the bag.
My bulk fermentation took a very long time so I just threw the dough in the bowl covered in the fridge at about midnight. Now that it’s morning can I shape my dough balls and then put it back in the fridge until I’m ready to make pizza? Did I mess up badly?
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Yes, that should work! Sorry for the delay here. No, you did not mess up badly.
Hello! Do you think it would work to par bake and then freeze the crusts for later use? I’ve had great success doing that with your Detroit style pizza because it calls for a parbake but I’m not sure if it would work here.
Hi! And yes: I would parbake for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, remove, let cool, then freeze. Great to hear about the Detroit-Style pizza too 🙂
Is it ok to just mix the dough with a stand mixer in the beginning rather than all the stretch and folds?
Worth a shot! You might not get quite as open a crumb with this method.
hi 🙂 i live just above the equator, so my environment is very warm and humid (~30°C and 70% humidity). given that, i used less water as you recommended, but after bulk fermentation (and after the initial mixing) the dough was far runnier than yours in the video, and it was almost impossible to handle. the starter i used is about a year old, fed with high protein japanese bread flour(100g taken at its peak), and i used a scale for all measurements. i let it bulk ferment for about 12 hours/overnight. should i have added even less water initially? and after bulk fermentation, when it’s that sticky, could i mix it to add more flour, let it ferment at room temp for an hour to regain more structure, then put it in the fridge? i’m really unclear as to why it was so runny and difficult to shape, and i’d appreciate your feedback.
★★★
Hi! Yes, it sounds as though you need to use less water from the start. You could try holding back 50 grams or so of water. But, it also sounds as though your dough over-fermented during the bulk fermentation, which is why it was runny and difficult to handle. Given your environment, I think using less water and shortening the bulk fermentation is what you need to do. Next time, I would be sure to do the bulk fermentation in a straight-sided vessel so you can monitor the rise, and I would do it during the day (as opposed to overnight) to ensure it doesn’t go too far.
I would not add more flour after the bulk ferment if your dough has over fermented… it will be a waste.
Regarding the Japanese bread flour, is it stone milled or rolled milled? And what flour did you use for dough itself?
Hello, would it work well if the oven can bake up to 250 degree Celsius ?
I think you’ll just need to bake the pizza longer. It might take as long as 10 minutes.
By far one of the better guides to sourdough pizza I’ve seen online along with some very interesting and tasty cremé fraiche pizza recipes which are a hit to add to my repetoire. Thank you very much!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Ben! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi Ali! This recipe sounds amazing and really want to make this weekend! I only have a standard metal pizza pan. Do you think that would work, and how would you suggest to revise baking time/temp?
Thanks!
Hi! Regarding the pan, what size is it? Have you used it before? And if so, did you have any issues with it sticking? I ask bc I have had issues with dough sticking to metal pizza pans.
And if you have used it in the past, did you preheat it or assemble the dough right on the pan?
Thank you for this recipe. Have made it twice already, both times it worked beautifully!!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Chane!
We fell in love with this recipe!! Perfect pizza crust!!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Carrie! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi Ali,
first, let me say we love your easy sourdough bread and focaccia recipes! Wondering if you’ve used this pizza crust dough to make larger pizzas. I assume it would work fine, but I have a recipe I want to try that calls for 350 grams of pizza dough, and is baked in an oblong shape on a baking sheet. Seems that that would be close to a third of this dough (rather than a quarter) if I calculated that correctly. I started it last night, and it’s now double (in the fridge) so thinking of dividing it into thirds instead of quarters. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be fairly versatile for other sizes/shapes. Thoughts?
Hi and apologies for the delay here… I say go for it! What did you end up doing? I’m so curious to hear what you made and how it turned out.
Hi Ali,
Turned out amazing, beautifully puffy and it stood up well to toppings. ! I decided to just make the four 10-inch pizzas as in your recipe (generally like to follow a recipe pretty closely the first time) and I wasn’t sure about the size of container to use. I made one Marguerite pizza with some fresh tomato slices and dollops of pesto and another topped with roasted onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes, since I had a ton of tomatoes to use up. Absolutely delicious both ways. Highly recommend! I do wish I could get a crisper bottom on the crust. I have a pizza stone, but no steel yet. Do you think baking on a baking steel would make a difference? BTW, I still have one more portion of dough left in the fridge, and now on day three I’m shocked how much it’s still rising. Pretty much filled the quart container.
★★★★★
Hi Stacey! Great to read all of this. Yes, I do think a Steel makes a difference.
Questions: are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using?
I want to try this recipe! Do you think I could use self rising flour instead of all purpose??
I don’t think so. I worry the leavening agents in the flour might affect the sourdough starter? But I really can’t say for sure.
If using a cast iron skillet, do I preheat it and slide the pizza and parchment on to bake?
Yes!
I love all of your pizza recipes, I tried this sourdough crust for the first time. It’s a winner! Loved the flavor and texture. I split the dough into two instead of four. So I made two larger pizzas. Another one of your fabulous recipes made it into our family favorite rotation 😉
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Great to hear, Noelle! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Continues to be my favorite crust recipe! Have a Mockmill on the way, and wonder if there is anything I should consider when milling my own flour (sounds real weird typing that!).
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Hi Mark! I have long been eyeing a Mockmill but have not found the courage yet. I know the flavor/nutrition/aroma will be outstanding… I worry a little bit about the texture of the bread. My suggestion would be to start with maybe 50% milled flour (or less) and 50% commercial bread or ap flour. I think you will find your doughs to be wetter (though I really don’t know why I say this bc it’s possible your milled flour will be thirstier and may require more water) and perhaps with less strength. I am not a fan of the autolyse bc I don’t enjoy the actual process and I don’t find it to be necessary with commercial flour, but you may find that to be a beneficial technique to build some gluten strength with your freshly milled flours.
Good luck! I will be so curious as to how you like your mockmill if you feel like reporting back one day.
Great dough recipe , love how easy and the taste is excellent.
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Great to hear, Jim!
Help! I made the dough and got through the bulk fermentation stage and everything doubled as planned. When I went to turn it out onto the surface, my dough was a loose mess. It was leaking off my surface and my hands were covered in a mucky mess. Any idea what I did wrong? Or how I can fix this?
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It sounds as though your dough overfermented… unfortunately, you can’t really save it for pizza dough. You can use it to make crackers, but you’ll be disappointed if you try to turn it into pizza: Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers (Thin & Crispy)
Questions: How long was the bulk fermentation? Did you do it at room temperature or in a warm location?
Also: Are you using a scale to measure? What kind of flour are you using? Has this happened before?
Perhaps so. I started the bulk ferment at 7pm and dumped it out at 9am. It sat on the counter at room temperature. It was a raining day though if that affects anything. I did use a scale. My sourdough starter is of Atta flour and the flour I used in this recipe is all purpose. Thank you for your response!
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I think the bulk fermentation was simply too long. And yes, the rainy day could have affected the dough — added humidity makes for wetter doughs, so it’s possible your dough fermented even more quickly than normal. If your starter is very active, I’d keep a closer watch on your bulk fermentation. If you are not using a straight-sided vessel for the bulk fermentation, that will will with monitoring it as well.
This is a great recipe which I have used for years but I found that the perfect hydration for uncomplicated handling, needing less flour to avoid stickiness and perfect pizzas was 60%. I’d strongly recommended starting with this hydration and increasing once you’ve gained experience. Thanks a lot.
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Any suggestions if you are going to use an Ooni to cook the pizza? Should I reduce water to 325 gms? What is the best way to make sure dough doesn’t stick to the paddle since I can’t use parchment paper in the Ooni?
Any help appreciated!
Yes! I use 335 grams when I use my outdoor oven. I love rice flour on my peel but semolina works well, too.
Wow, the best we’ve tasted! My husband said we can’t go anywhere else for pizza after your sourdough pizza dough recipe. Thank you for this delicious dough recipe. We also love your sourdough boule recipe! 10 stars!
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So nice to hear this, Jane 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much.
Instead of a baking steel can I use my cast iron pizza pan? Have you done that before?
Hi Kay! Are you planning on preheating the cast iron skillet? And then shimming the pizza onto the hot skillet?
Yes. One other question regarding preheating your cast iron pot when baking sourdough bread. Do you preheat the lid with the pot?
Thank you so much for your website. I appreciate your step by step instructions, explanations and videos. I have had my best results baking sourdough bread since I recently discovered and followed your recipes!!
Great to hear, Kay!
I do preheat my cast iron pot with the lid on.
Regarding preheating the cast iron skillet, just be careful: use oven mitts that are good and very heat proof. I would remove it from the oven and shimmy or drop the dough into the hot pan, carefully top it, then proceed. Or if you are using it upside down, you could try to use a peel to shimmy the assembled pizza onto it, but just don’t overshoot it.
What size is the skillet?
Thanks for your advice and answering my questions.
My cast-iron, pizza pan is 15″ in diameter and has nice handles on each side.
I was thinking to put the dough on a round, 16″ aluminum pan topped with parchment paper then trying to slide the paper with dough on to the pre-heated cast iron pan.
Oh wow — nice! That sounds like a great pan. And I think your plan sounds great, too!
I used a cast iron pizza skillet and baked for 15-20 minutes and it turned out perfect! My family said it’s the best pizza they’ve ever had! I was nervous about making this because I’m newer to sourdough and have only made sandwich bread and cinnamon rolls but once I saw the bubbles as I was shaping the dough, I knew I was in business. Thank you for a great recipe!
★★★★★