Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust: A Step-by-Step Guide
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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. But, in my experience, the pizzas made from frozen dough do not spring as high upon being baked, but they still taste delicious as long as the time spent in the freezer is relatively short: the more time sourdough spends in the freezer, the more air bubbles it loses. After 1 week in the freezer, my dough will bake up fairly well. 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.
What is a Pizza Peel?
A pizza peel is a long-handled tool used to transfer pies into and out of the oven. Simply shape your pizza dough on the peel, then slide it onto your preheated baking steel. I prefer wooden peels to metal because they tend to be more nonstick and easier to use, and my favorite peel is the Epicurean Pizza Peel, which is lightweight, incredibly nonstick, and easy to maneuver. It sells for around $46.
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 here 🍕🍕🍕
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 everywhere books are sold. 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 for up to 1 week. (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.)
- 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
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
1,260 Comments on “Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust: A Step-by-Step Guide”
I’m SO excited to try out your recipe! I’ve made sourdough pizza a few times but it’s never knock-your-socks-off, like a sourdough loaf or focaccia. Have you tried freezing the dough once you put it in the quart containers? I’ve been buying dough from a local Italian market that sells it frozen since I haven’t been able to nail a dough recipe, and have come to love the convenience of having dough on hand in the freezer for an ad-hoc pizza night.
Hi Michelle! Frozen pizza dough is so nice to have on hand. I have successfully frozen my yeasted pizza dough but I have not tried yet with sourdough … I will soon and will report back ASAP.
My process for freezing is as follows: after I ball-up the dough and transfer to quart containers, I immediately transfer to the freezer. You can thaw the dough ball at room temperature — this takes about a day — or in the fridge, which takes about 2 days.
I have sourdough pizza dough in the fridge right now … I might transfer one to the freezer. Will report back!
First, I would like to say that I ADORE this recipe. You take so much time and detail every single step which is so much appreciated! I also have a question on the subject of freezing the dough.
I don’t have much room in my small freezer. Can I wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in zip lock freezer bags?
So nice to hear this, Gina!
Yes! When you thaw it, you may want to transfer the plastic-wrapped dough to a larger container, as it might expand a bit when it thaws.
Thank you!! I’m finally getting around to trying this recipe and will test out the freezing, too.
Hi Michelle! I have experimented with the freezing and added notes in the post. Here they are:
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, I find the longer the time in the freezer, the more air bubbles the dough seems to lose. After 1 week in the freezer, my dough baked up beautifully. After 3 weeks in the freezer, the dough was less bubbly and baked 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 for as long as 3 months. 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.
This looks so delicious!! I love making my own pizza dough but have never tried sourdough pizza before. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yay 🍕🍕🍕 Let me know how it turns out.
Hi! I’m trying this recipe and I appreciate you breaking it out. Unfortunately, when I tried yesterday, my dough didn’t rise so I’m trying again today. My starter seems to be active and I followed the directions exactly, so any help you can give me, I would greatly appreciate! I’m trying again tonight to let it rise on the counter.
Hi Raidee!
Questions:
Have you made other sourdough breads? Or is this your first?
How old is your starter?
Where were you letting it rise yesterday?
H
Letting it rise on my counter. I revived my starter from the fridge for a few days before mixing up the dough. It’s probably a few weeks old at this point. And this is my first time, so I’m definitely a newbie!
OK, good to know all of the background! Given that your dough didn’t rise, it sounds as though your starter isn’t quite where it needs to be. Before you give this or any other sourdough breads a try, I would advise strengthening your starter.
This is the advice I always give when people want to strengthen their starter:
• Be aggressive with how much you are discarding: throw away most of it, leaving behind just 2 tablespoons or so. Feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water. Start with 40 g of each or so.
• Use water that you’ve left out overnight to ensure any chlorine has evaporated. (This isn’t always necessary, but it might make a difference.)
• If you can find some organic flour — my store carries small bags of KAF organic flour … they’re a little more expensive ($3.49 for 2 lbs) but I use it exclusively for feeding my starter. Organic flour or a little bit of rye flour or some stone milled flour (fresh or locally milled if possible) can make a difference.
Repeat this feeding process till you see your starter doubling in volume within 6-8 hours. Test it by dropping a spoonful of it into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s likely ready 😍
Did you use any metal utensils or containers when you made the recipe? Make sure that you do not use metal when working with sourdough. Metal will cause it to fail. Use plastic, ceramic or glass.
I have allowed my sourdough bulk fermentation in the fridge in the metal mixing bowl of my stand mixer without beautiful results. Every time.
Many thanks for this recipe—making it now!
Oops, I meant with beautiful results! 🙂
So great to hear this, Kelli 😍😍😍
Interesting, I’m happy it worked for you anyway! I have always heard that metal is a big no no but maybe it depends upon the type?
As usual, you knew exactly what I wanted to make! I’ve had just looked for a recipe this week for sourdough pizza but didn’t any recipes online that were as simply explained as this (THANK YOU!).
You mention in the blog post that if during the bulk rise you need to go to bed, you can stick it in the fridge. Is this true of bread too? I’m constantly getting stuck with my bread rising or ready when I’m not. I often do the second rise in my fridge but found very inconsistent information on whether the bulk rise could be retarded in the fridge as well.
P.S. Also in your blog post you state 500 grams of water and 375 grams of flour but you indicate the reverse in the actual recipe. I assume the recipe is correct as it’s consistent with your other sourdough recipes. 🙂
Thank you Andrea!! I just edited the text in the post… eesh.
As for your question: YES. The bulk absolutely can be retarded in the fridge. The refrigerator is your best friend with sourdough. Whenever I need to go to bed and my dough has maybe risen 75% but I know it will over-ferment if I leave it at room temperature, I stick my vessel in the fridge, and I pick up where I left off in the morning. Sometimes I slick the top of the dough with oil to prevent a crust from forming before sticking it in the fridge.
Hello, I was hoping you could clarify for me the measurements. In the part when you go over sourdough hydration, you state 375g flour and 500g water for 75% hydration dough. But in the recipe you ask for 375g water and 500g flour. Just wanted to double check!
Hi Michelle! Thank you!! I just edited the post … I had reversed the two 😩 It is 75% hydration and, yes, I do call for 375 g water and 500 g flour. Sorry and thank you!!
This sounds really yummy.
I am new to sourdough.
Do I use the sourdough after I feed it or is this the discarded sourdough?
Hi Jeannie! You want to use your starter several hours after you feed it, ideally when it has doubled in volume. Typically, I take my starter out of the fridge, discard most of it, and feed it with 60 g each flour and water. I stir it up and let it sit. Within 4-6 hours, it has doubled. The timing of when your starter doubles will vary depending on its strength and the temperature of your kitchen. To test if your starter is ready, drop a spoonful of it into a glass of water. It should float. Let me know if you have other questions! Also, I do have a free email course that covers the basics: Sourdough: Demystified!
Thank you!! I am signing up!!
Yay!
I will definitely try this soonest. I have some sourdough starter bubbling on the counter. (My last jar of it shattered….so sad. Bye Bruce.)
Yay! And oh no re Bruce … so sad!!
thank you for this recipe AND detailed walk through, I don’t make pizza often enough to remember some of the finer points of baking and prep, so much appreciated
Sure thing Sabrina 😍😍😍😍
When I clicked on Amazon for the baking steel, it said, “We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.” Do you happen to know of any other places that carry it?
Oh bummer! Try ordering directly from Baking Steel itself: https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/steels/products/baking-steel
Hi there. Love all of your recipes! What type of mozzarella do you find works best on this style of pizza?
Such a good question, and I feel I’m still searching for the best option. I love a bufalo style mozzarella, but it does make the dough wetter/soggier so it’s a little bit of a trade-off. Most often these days I’m using the Trader Joe’s mozzarella. It’s not stored in a brine. If you can find a whole milk mozzarella not stored in brine, that is what I would recommend. Bufalo mozzarella is definitely the tastiest, but again, it can be a little wet. Maybe the solution is to use a mix? I’ll experiment and report back 😍😍😍
Noob question- with the parchment paper, how’s the bake on the bottom of the crust? I don’t have a pizza peel, so this would be the perfect solution, just curios if it affects the bottom in any significant way.
The bake is great! Nicely crispy & golden … the parchment does adversely affect the crust. Using parchment makes the transfer from peel (or board or hands or whatever you are using) to Steel effortless. You also can remove the parchment halfway through the bake or even a minute after the pizza enters the oven.
Brilliant. I made your dough yesterday and it turned out amazing today. Currently chilling and excited to make it tonight. Thank you for all the photos and videos you’ve made, they are ridiculously helpful to the beginning (and others, I’m sure.)
So nice to hear this, Nicole! Enjoy your 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕 Thanks for writing.
At optimum thickness, how wide are these pizza rounds?
I would say 9 to 10 inches.
Thank you! I have a pizza maker that isn’t very large so that should work perfectly.
Wow! I am so happy! Finally a sourdough pizza recipe that works! Just the perfect blend of crispy And chewy and tang! My kids loved it! My hubby said it’s the best pizza he’s ever had! And me? Well! I am just so darned pleased with myself! Thank you so very much! This is definitely a keeper!
Oh Yay! Neetu, I am so, so happy to hear this. My family has been loving this pizza, too. So glad your family approves, too. 🍕🍕🍕🍕
Thanks for the recipe! Super tasty dough but mine didn’t rise or form bubbles like your photo. Is this a problem with the starter or my method? I followed the recipe exactly but the dough did seem very relaxed when I took it from the fridge. Thanks so much!
Hi Louise! Do you mean it didn’t rise or form bubbles during the baking? Or during the bulk fermentation? When you removed the portioned dough ball from the fridge, is this when it felt very relaxed?
Made this today for the first time. Very good! Mine ended up kinda, um, rustic shaped, but delicious!
So nice to hear this, Karen! Shaping definitely can be tricky. Honestly, my biggest tip is to be aggressive when you are balling the 4 portions up before you store them — if you are aggressive at that step in terms of creating tension and getting as best a round shape as possible, you’re more likely to get a round shape in the end.
But also: rustic is great! 🍕🍕🍕🍕
Hi Ali,
Q, after the portion & shape step, is it completely necessary to let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours? Would, say, 3 hours be OK or what would the difference in the crust be?
Hi Megan! I think you could go for it at 3 hours and be fine. Do let it sit for an hour at room temperature before baking, even if that means it’s only in the fridge for 2 hours.
I think the crust will still taste delicious, and I think you should still see some nice bubbles. I think more than flavor, the texture improves with longer time in the fridge — you get more bubbles throughout the crust. The flavor of this crust is very subtly sour, and it doesn’t to me ever taste especially sour even after 3 days in the fridge. This may be mostly bc the dough is overshadowed by the flavor of the toppings.
Hi! I tried this today, the dough is super sticky up to the point of putting it in the fridge. It rose beautifully. Can I expect it to turn out even being so sticky? I’m afraid to add much more flour.
Hi Jen! It definitely is a sticky dough. Did you use flour while you were balling up the portions? You absolutely can use as much flour as needed during the shaping process.
Thanks for the reply, I did use flour during the balling up stage. It was still pretty sticky. Planning to cook tonight.
OK, great. When you take the dough balls out, place them on a well-floured surface and sprinkle the surface of the dough balls with flour, too.
Can’t wait to make it. Do you HAVE to put the dough in 6 quart containers? I have small glass Pyrex 2 cup containers. Would that work? I don’t have any. Does the pizza still rise in the fridge?
Hi! Any container is fine! I am so used to using quart containers because that’s what I do for my yeasted pizza dough, and yeasted dough does grow considerably in the fridge. Sourdough does not grow much at all, so I think a 2-cup container of any material will be just fine.
Just wanted to follow up for others. Small containers do not work! My containers blew up and spit out the dough in the fridge lol. Hope the pizza still says good.
Susanna!! I am so sorry 😩 I hope you were able to salvage the dough. I will make a note in the recipe regarding storage containers.
I stopped making homemade pizza a long time ago because I could never get the crust right. Pulled out my peel and stone for another try, because I am up to my ears in pandemic sourdough starter & we had needed a change of pace.
THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE I HAVE EVER TRIED. The crust was very thin, but sturdy and light. You have restored my faith in 550° pizza! 🥰
Hooray 🎉🎉🎉 I am so, so happy to hear this, Lumi 😍😍😍
This is the first time I have made the sourdough re ole. I made your simple pizza dough and it was good. I made 3 multiples of this recipe tonight for an event Saturday. It was a LOT of work! Can I make multiples of this recipe in a kitchen aid with a dough hook? Instead of stretching and folding can I stir with food hook?
I will let you know how it turns out!!
Wow, Kathleen, Amazing! I think you probably can … I haven’t tried, but I imagine that is what bakeries do. Are you using one large container for the bulk fermentation? or are your dividing it up? It doesn’t really matter, but I’m thinking if you could get some stretch and folds in there during the bulk fermentation, that would be great. In other words, I don’t think the stand mixer should replace the stretching and folding phase, but I think it absolutely can replace the initial mixing phase.
Cooked 2 of the 4 crusts tonight for my roommates and they were terrific! We all loved them! First time trying any kind of homemade crust (and a pretty new baker–sourdough or otherwise) and I was so impressed! We had a pizza stone but were only able to heat to 500F in our oven. Took about 10-12 mins for the first one, but the second one was faster and cooked better, so I’ll definitely pay attention to preheating the stone longer next time.
My one issue was transferring the dough from the floured counter onto the parchment w/o it tearing/stretching out. Any tips? Or did I just have it too thin? Thanks again! Can’t wait to make the other 2 pizzas!
So great to hear this, Gwen! The shaping part definitely is tricky. A few tips: I find there’s a sweet spot between 45 minutes and an hour when the dough has been sitting at room temperature, and it’s ideal for shaping — it’s not so room temperature that it’s completely fragile; and it’s not too cold so that it’s too stiff. This is just something to keep in mind/observe, which will help you with future shaping. Also, one technique I like to use is to just pick up the dough with two hands and let gravity stretch it downward; then I move my hands along to a different part of the edge and again let gravity help stretch, and repeat until it’s a rough round … this happens very quickly… then I use the back of my hands to get it to the parchment.
I will try to make a shaping video soon to help with this step. One final thought: if you found the dough to be to soft/unmanageable, next time you could try reducing the water a bit. Even reducing it by 20 g might help without compromising flavor/texture.
This was the best pizza EVER! Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it the other night, and yes, the dough was sticky (looked stickier than the video) but it worked out perfectly, and I felt like a rock star.
One question – I am new to sourdough and my starter maintenance, and I just used my starter discard for this (I guess I was googling discard recipes and must have assumed I could use it for this). It worked amazingly well, so did I just get lucky on the timing of my starter? I want to make the pizza dough again today and want to have the same luck 😉
Thank you again for the amazing recipe and video guidance.
So great to hear this Molly! It sounds as though you have a very active starter. When you say you used discard, were you discarding it after removing the starter from the fridge? Or had you fed it relatively recently but left it at room temperature too long so that the starter peaked and fell?
Ideally, you use a starter that has peaked, 4-6 or so hours after it has been fed. But it sounds as though your starter is pretty vibrant, which means you have a little more leeway with the timing.
Now that I am thinking about it, I am not sure what I did! Argh. I have so much discard saved in the fridge, I think I used that.
But my starter is very vibrant (I attempted making starter 3 times before this one and thankfully was successful – the trick for me and my environment was using pineapple juice to start). I use Tehachapi Rye and Organic AP (50/50) and it’s very active and predictable.
I haven’t done a loaf of bread yet, and I’ve been a bit confused as to what time in the feeding process to use the starter, so thank you for answering above. 4-6 hours after feeding during peak. I’ll be able to start the pizza dough tonight! I’m hoping it will turn out the same – the crust was unbelievable – pockets of air and perfectly crunchy. We are pizza snobs and it rivaled our favorite joints in L.A. 🙂
I’m going to sound like my mother here: get a journal! I keep one right in the kitchen and make the simplest notes, but they’re so helpful, because if I don’t, I never remember. Note the date, the time, and the weights of your ingredients … and any other little notes. So helpful.
This is brilliant: “the trick for me and my environment was using pineapple juice to start.” I’m going to suggest that to people having trouble.
Regarding using the starter: typically 4-6 hours after feeding is what I do, but again, it sounds as though you may have more flexibility given the strength of your starter.
Ha! Mothers rock, so, yes to any of that advice 🙂
So funny, my poor kid asked me a couple of days ago to stop doodling weights on the back of his journal. And it never occurred to me to just keep one myself!
The thing with my previous starters is that they would gather mold or bad bacteria and in one instance smelled like vomit. I was trying to do a very natural yeast starter but realized the pineapple juice was a must in order to keep the balance.
Update – I made my second batch of pizza dough last night and this morning opened my fridge to a magnificent rise.
Thank you!!!
Oh yay! So great to hear all of this, Molly 😍😍😍 The only trouble I run into with keeping my journal is that my kids have been running off with ALL of the pens and pencils … ridiculous 😂😂😂
Hi Ali,
I made this dough last night. I used the exact measurements as stated in your recipe and used bread flour. I did my 4 stretches and folds before placing it in the oven with the light on. (Our A/C was running so I feared it would be to chilly) I feel this may have been where I went wrong. In the morning when I took the dough out I discovered two things, it was just about double, but it almost looked as if it had deflated and when I went to turn the dough out, it was beyond just being sticky that it almost poured out. Do you think I had it under too much heat overnight? Or maybe because I used bread flour, I should have reduced the water amount? I’m hoping to give this recipe another try so, any advice would be much appreciated 🙂
Hi Tiffany, Bummer, yes, the oven with the light on is too warm. When your dough becomes pourable/beyond sticky after the bulk fermentation, it is a sign that the dough has over-fermented. I would give it another go leaving the dough on the counter, even if you have the a/c on. Bread flour is great … no need to reduce the water. I added a note to the recipe saying: Do not use the oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation as a precautionary note to others … again, such a bummer this happened. I have tried to do the same in the past, and it just doesn’t work. Sourdough is just a little more fragile than yeast-leavened dough.
Thanks so much Ali! I’m going to give it another go this weekend. Love the details you provide for this recipe. Can’t wait to see how it comes out.
Great, Tiffany! Keep me posted.
Oh. My. God. Ever since I spent a year in Italy I have been searching for a pizza that would come close to theirs. Some restaurants have come close. The dough from the grocery store was alright. But I haven’t been able to get the dough in this quarantine situation. This recipe though is taking me back. My husband is over here commenting between each bite…”the sourdough did that?!?!….It enhances all the topping flavors… Sorry I’ve fed you such crap pizza in the past.” Truly a great recipe and great tutorial!
Oh my gosh I love this so much Genell 😂😂😂 Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this.
Amazing. We made 4 (one for each family member) and by the fourth, we had perfected it. We added grilled portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers and fresh organic spinach, with a mozzarella, parmeson, asiago cheese mix. Seriously the best pizza experience in recent memory.
https://i.imgur.com/aeZ4p9u.jpg
That looks absolutely amazing, Aaron!! Thanks so much for sending the pic. So great to hear all of this. 😍😍😍
This recipe was amazing. My Bf says it was the best homemade pizza crust I’ve ever made. The dough was so sticky (more than in your video) so I was really nervous that it wouldn’t turn out but I just kneaded in some flour after removing it from my straight-sided container and when shaping it into 4 balls and it still turned out fine. I’ll be making this over and over again. I just procured some 70+ year old sourdough starter from a gentleman in Sonoma, CA so I’m super excited to have a great recipe to use it in. My oven doesn’t go up to 550 so I heated it up to 500 and cooked each pizza for 11-12 minutes. Delish and beautiful – Thank-you!
So wonderful to hear this, Elea! And how exciting about that starter?? Would love to hear how it works out.
Hi Ali, I am new to sourdough starter and have been making your easy Focaccia bread for the past 2-3 weeks (which I love!!). In this pizza dough recipe, can I use discard in place of regular starter? Thanks! Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! So nice to hear all of this. One of the other commenters successfully made this with discard, but she has a very active starter. My recommendation is to use bubbly, active starter (ideally 4-6 hours after you’ve fed it or when it has doubled in volume and passes a float test).
I made this and it was the best pizza! Better than eating out. Taste like a stone pizza.YUMMY!
Wonderful to hear this, Melissa 😍😍😍😍
Any feedback on how to brown the crust? Living it in for 15 min and crust still ain’t browning.
Hi Macy! Do you know how hot your oven truly gets? As in, do you have an oven thermometer that lets you know its true temp? My oven typically runs 50 degrees cooler than what it registers on the screen. Are you using a baking stone or a Baking Steel?
Hi Ali,
I have made your focaccia many times and loved it every time!! However, this pizzadough, I don’t know what I am doing wrong but it is so sticky, I followed the recipe to a tee. I made it yesterday evening at about 10PM and did the four stretch and folds, this morning I tried to divide it but I couldn’t really make 4 dough balls from it. I added a generous amount of flour to form the balls anyway but when I baked the pizza It doesn’t really rise in the oven and it stays really doughy even after 11 minutes in the oven. Do you know what I am doing wrong?
Thanks a lot!!!
Kind regards from Belgium xxx
Hi Lauren! It sounds as though it over-fermented during the bulk fermentation. Is your kitchen warm right now? When the dough loses all strength and goes totally slack after you turn it out, there’s no salvaging it unfortunately. It sounds as though you need to reduce the bulk fermentation and keep an eye on it — as soon as it doubles or approaches the doubling point, it’s ready to be shaped.
I’m a beginner sourdough maker and made my starter during the quarantine times. I was overwhelmed by all the complicated recipes I found on the Internet and so I did a search for easy sourdough or beginners sourdough and that is how I came upon your website. The first recipe I tried was your focaccia which turned out well. I made that one a few times. After a few tries I moved on to your beginner sourdough boule and your sourdough pizza crust which turned out very well. This morning I finished making your sourdough loaf recipe, and it was the first time I was able to shape it without adding any flour. It was so satisfying to do it that way. The loaf turned out amazingly and I think it was the first time I really understood how a starter works. Your video instructions have been so so helpful. Thank you for helping me with the beginning of my sourdough journey!
Oh Deborah, it is so nice to hear all of this 😍😍😍 Thank you so much for taking the time to write. Means a lot. There is SO much information out there, and even today I find myself getting lost in the rabbit hole at times. Happy happy baking to you 🍞🍞🍞🍞