How To Make Sourdough Pizza Dough
It is really easy to make homemade Sourdough Pizza Dough with your sourdough starter discard.
If you are finding it hard to figure out easy meals during this trying time here is a very easy sourdough recipe you can make using your sourdough starter.
Baking with sourdough starter
Soughdough starter is a natural leavening that can be used to make sourdough bread, sourdough biscuits, easy sourdough focaccia, White Cheddar Cheese Focaccia, and sourdough pizza dough.
You can also make things like breadsticks and cheesy breadsticks.
Sourdough starter is a natural leavening that has been used for thousands of years to bake with before anyone could buy store-bought yeast.
When you don't have store-bought yeast you can still bake many of your favorite recipes when you use an active sourdough starter.
NOTE: It takes about a week to feed and grow an active sourdough starter with just flour and water. And many sourdough bread recipes take hours to make.
We are talking 12 to 24 hours or more to allow a loaf of sourdough bread dough to rise properly.
But after about 4 days of feeding a new sourdough starter, you can use it or the sourdough discard to make homemade pizza dough.
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Pizza dough doesn't need to have a very high rise when you make it. Unlike a loaf of homemade bread that needs to get a very high rise.
Scroll down below for the recipe card where you will find the ingredient amounts, directions and for one-click printing or to Pin the recipe.
What is sourdough discard?
A sourdough discard is what you would pour out of your sourdough container each time you feed it.
Many people pour the discard down the drain as they make room in their jar or container to add more flour and water to feed the starter.
I have always hated pouring the sourdough discard down the drain because I feel like after all the work involved it is such a waste. Pizza dough is a good way to use it.
If you feel the same way you can make pizza dough or even a flatbread with the discarded sourdough starter.
After 3 or 4 days of sourdough feedings, you will start to see many active bubbles forming on the top of the starter. These bubbles are proof that your starter is active enough to make pizza dough with.
Homemade Pizza Dough
This pizza dough recipe is easy to make with your new sourdough starter or some of the sourdough starter discard as you are developing your fresh batch of sourdough starter for the first time.
How many pizzas can you make?
This sourdough pizza dough recipe will make enough dough to make two 9 x 13-inch thin-crust pizzas or two 8 or 9-inch thick crust personal pan pizzas.
The pizza dough can be refrigerated for a couple of days before making pizza.
You can also freeze the pizza dough if you don't plan on baking with it immediately.
How To Freeze Pizza Dough
After you mix the sourdough pizza dough allow it to rise or rest for one hour. Dived the dough into two equally sized balls and place each ball into a freezer bag.
Place the bags of dough into the freezer. Use the pizza dough within the month. To bake with frozen pizza dough remove the ball of dough from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.
Once the dough has thawed place it into a bowl and coat with olive oil. Place the bowl in a warm area and allow the dough to rise for 1 to 3 hours before making pizza.
Prep
Sourdough pizza dough needs an active sourdough starter to make. You can learn how to make a sourdough starter here.
Tips
Finding a warm area to let your dough rise might be difficult. Here are a couple of places that are perfect for rising dough. Do not expect the pizza dough to have a huge amount of rise. The more active of a starter you use the more rise you will have. The dough will rise more when you bake it.
- If your oven has a proofing setting follow the manufacturer's directions and place the bowl in the oven.
- Turn your oven on to the lowest setting before beginning the recipe. Turn the oven off when it has reached the lowest temp and crack the oven door open. Put the bowl of dough into the warmed oven and close the door to rise.
- Place a bowl of water into the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. Quickly open the door, remove the bowl of water and place the bowl of dough inside the heated microwave to rise. Do not open the door for at least an hour.
- Turn the light on in your oven. Place the bowl of dough into the oven to rise.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sourdough starter
- 4-5 tablespoons olive, divided
Directions
- In a medium-size bowl mix the salt, into the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Add the sourdough starter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it forms into a shaggy ball.
- NOTE: If the dough seems very wet sprinkle with a little flour until it comes together and holds its shape. If the dough seems very dry and powdery drizzle 1 teaspoon more of olive oil and knead the oil into the dough.
- Knead the pizza dough using the heel of your hand in the bowl until it is soft and forms a ball, 5 minutes or so.
- Drizzle olive oil into the bowl and flip the ball of dough around so all sides are covered with oil. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area to rest.
- Allow the dough to rest and slightly rise for an hour for quick pizza dough or up to 8 hours before forming into your pizza crust.
- At this point in the recipe, you can place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. The dough will rise slowly overnight and the sourdough flavor will have more time to develop. You can leave the dough refrigerated for up to three days before baking with it. You can also slip the dough into a freezer bag and freeze it to use at a later time.
How To Make a Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. degrees.
- Cut the ball of dough into two equal-sized pieces. If making deep dish pizza grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pan with olive oil.
- Place the ball of pizza dough into the center of the pan. Flatten the dough ball and using the heel of your hand to push the dough out to the edges of the round pan. If the dough springs back let the dough rest for about 5 minutes and then work the dough to the edges of the pan again. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce over the pizza dough and top with shredded cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
- To make a 9 x 13-inch thin-crust pizza grease a low rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet with olive oil. Place one dough ball into the center of the baking sheet. Use your hand and fingers to work the dough into a rectangle shape. Spread sauce and pizza toppings over the top and bake in the preheated oven.
- Bake the deep dish pizza for 9 to 12 minutes until golden brown on the bottom and the thick dough is cooked through the center. Bake the thin crust pizza for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly so the cheese firms up enough to cut the pizza into slices.
More Pizza Recipes
- Pepperoni Pizza Bombs
- Single Serve Personal Pan Pizza made with a yeast dough
- Freezer Pizza Dough made with a yeast dough
Print the Recipe
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sourdough starter
- 4 tablespoons olive divided
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl mix the salt, into the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Add the sourdough starter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it forms into a shaggy ball.
- NOTE: If the dough seems very wet sprinkle with a little flour until it comes together and holds its shape. If the dough seems very dry and powdery drizzle 1 teaspoon more of olive oil and knead the oil into the dough.
- Knead the pizza dough using the heel of your hand in the bowl until it is soft and forms a ball, 5 minutes or so.
- Drizzle olive oil into the bowl and flip the ball of dough around so all sides are covered with oil. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area to rest.
- Allow the dough to rest and slightly rise for an hour for quick pizza dough or up to 8 hours before forming into your pizza crust.
- At this point in the recipe, you can place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. The dough will rise slowly overnight and the sourdough flavor will have more time to develop. You can leave the dough refrigerated for up to three days before baking with it. You can also slip the dough into a freezer bag and freeze it to use at a later time.
How To Make a Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. degrees.
- Cut the ball of dough into two equal-sized pieces. If making deep dish pizza grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pan with olive oil.
- Place the ball of pizza dough into the center of the pan. Flatten the dough ball and using the heel of your hand to push the dough out to the edges of the round pan. If the dough springs back let the dough rest for about 5 minutes and then work the dough to the edges of the pan again. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce over the pizza dough and top with shredded cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
- To make a 9 x 13-inch thin-crust pizza grease a low rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet with olive oil. Place one dough ball into the center of the baking sheet. Use your hand and fingers to work the dough into a rectangle shape. Spread sauce and pizza toppings over the top and bake in the preheated oven.
- Bake the deep dish pizza for 9 to 12 minutes until golden brown on the bottom and the thick dough is cooked through the center. Bake the thin crust pizza for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly so the cheese firms up enough to cut the pizza into slices.
- 2 pizza crusts,
Video
Notes
- Proofing ovens: If your oven has a proofing setting follow the manufacturer's directions and place the bowl in the oven.
- Warmed oven: Turn your oven on to the lowest setting before beginning the recipe. Turn the oven off when it has reached the lowest temp and crack the oven door open. Put the bowl of dough into the warmed oven and close the door to rise.
- Rising: Place a bowl of water into the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. Quickly open the door, remove the bowl of water and place the bowl of dough inside the heated microwave to rise. Do not open the door for at least an hour.
- Turn the light on in your oven. Place the bowl of dough into the oven to rise.
- Nutritional value is for 1 slice of pizza without sauce or topping.
- Refrigerated dough: You can place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. The dough will rise slowly overnight and the sourdough flavor will have more time to develop. You can leave the dough refrigerated for up to three days before baking with it. You can also slip the dough into a freezer bag and freeze it to use at a later time.
