Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe

Introduction

Sourdough pizza crust offers a delightful tangy flavor and a satisfyingly chewy texture that elevates any homemade pizza. Using your sourdough starter discard, this recipe creates a versatile dough perfect for cooking in a cast iron skillet or on a pizza stone. Enjoy crafting your own artisan-style pizza with this simple method.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sourdough starter discard (or 1/4 cup active starter, about 50 g)
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour or 00 flour can be used)
• 1 1/3 cups + 1 teaspoon water
• Pizza sauce (as needed)
• Homemade pesto (optional)
• Your choice of toppings

Instructions

1. Step 1: The night before baking, mix the sourdough starter discard, fine sea salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water in a large bowl by hand until combined. Cover and let ferment at room temperature overnight.
2. Step 2: The next morning, perform a stretch and fold: wet your hand to prevent sticking, gently pull one side of the dough up and fold it over itself, then rotate the bowl and repeat until a full circle is completed. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 8 to 36 hours. Cold fermentation is optional but enhances flavor.
3. Step 3: When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Divide into 4 equal balls, shape on a floured surface, cover with a tea towel, and rest another 30 minutes.
4. Step 4: To cook in a cast iron skillet, preheat your oven’s broiler to HIGH and heat the skillet on medium to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Lightly oil if necessary.
5. Step 5: Press a dough ball into an 8-inch circle on a floured surface. If shaping is difficult, let dough rest an additional 15 minutes to relax gluten.
6. Step 6: Place the dough in the hot skillet and press edges gently to cover the bottom. Add sauce and toppings immediately. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the crust bottom chars lightly. For a thicker dough, cook longer on lower heat or briefly broil before toppings.
7. Step 7: Transfer the skillet to the broiler and bake for 2-4 minutes until the top is cooked. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove, slice, and serve hot.
8. Step 8: To bake on a pizza stone, place the cold stone in the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Shape the dough, add toppings, and use a pizza peel to transfer onto the stone quickly to maintain shape.
9. Step 9: Bake on the stone for 15-20 minutes until toppings are cooked and crust is done through. Remove carefully and serve.

Tips & Variations

• Use bread flour or 00 flour for a chewier, more traditional pizza crust texture.
• If your dough is sticky, flour your hands and surface generously when shaping.
• For extra flavor, try adding fresh herbs or garlic powder to the dough.
• Cold fermenting the dough in the fridge develops more complex flavor but is not necessary.

Storage

Store any unused dough tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze dough balls wrapped in plastic wrap and placed inside airtight bags for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before shaping and baking. Leftover cooked pizza can be refrigerated for 2-3 days and reheated in a hot oven to maintain crispness.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use active sourdough starter instead of discard?

Yes, you can substitute active starter by reducing the amount to 1/4 cup (about 50 grams). This may slightly change the fermentation timing, so watch your dough accordingly.

What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet or pizza stone?

You can bake the pizza directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the sheet in the oven for a crispier crust, but a cast iron skillet or pizza stone will yield better texture and browning.

Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 126 reviews

This Sourdough Pizza Crust recipe offers a flavorful and chewy base made with a fermented sourdough starter, whole wheat and all-purpose flours, and olive oil. Designed to be baked either in a cast iron skillet or on a pizza stone, it yields a crispy, slightly charred crust with a tangy depth that elevates any pizza toppings of your choice. The dough is prepared with an overnight fermentation and an optional cold ferment for enhanced flavor and texture, making it a perfect choice for homemade artisan pizza.

• Author: Sana
• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus overnight fermentation and resting times)
• Cook Time: 10 minutes (5-6 minutes stovetop + 2-4 minutes broiler) or 15-20 minutes if using pizza stone
• Total Time: Approximately 12 hours (includes overnight and resting periods)
• Yield: 4 personal-sized 8-inch pizzas 1x
• Category: Pizza
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dough Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sourdough starter discard (reduce to 1/4 cup active starter, approx. 50 g)
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour or 00 flour can be substituted)
• 1 1/3 cups + 1 teaspoon water

Additional Ingredients for Serving

• Pizza sauce
• Homemade pesto
• Your choice of toppings (e.g., cheese, vegetables, meats)

Instructions

1. Mix Dough: The night before baking, in a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter discard, fine sea salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water. Mix thoroughly by hand until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment overnight at room temperature.
2. Stretch and Fold: The next morning, perform stretch and folds to strengthen the dough. Wet your hand with water to prevent sticking, gently lift one side of the dough, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat for all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 36 hours to cold ferment for enhanced flavor. Cold ferment is optional but recommended.
3. Shape Dough Balls: Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. On a floured surface, shape each into a ball, cover with a tea towel, and rest for another 30 minutes.
4. Preheat Skillet and Oven: Turn on the oven broiler to HIGH. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Lightly oil the skillet if needed to prevent sticking.
5. Shape Pizza Base: On a floured surface, press one dough ball into an 8-inch circle using your hands. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. If dough resists shaping, let it rest an additional 15 minutes to relax gluten.
6. Cook Base on Skillet: Place the dough circle carefully into the hot skillet. Use fingers to press dough edges to cover the skillet bottom. Immediately add pizza sauce and toppings. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the bottom crust develops a charred, brown finish. For thicker dough, cooking time can be extended at lower heat or short pre-broiling used.
7. Broil Pizza: Transfer skillet to the oven broiler to finish cooking the toppings and crust top for 2 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning as broiler heat varies by oven.
8. Serve: Remove pizza from oven, slice, and serve hot.
9. Alternative Baking on Pizza Stone: Place pizza stone in a cold oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Press dough into crust shape and add desired toppings. Using a pizza peel, transfer dough quickly onto the hot pizza stone (or use parchment paper to transfer). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crust is cooked through and toppings are done.

Notes

• If using a different type of salt than fine sea salt, adjust quantity accordingly.
• Bread flour or 00 flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour for variation in crust texture.
• Water quantity can be adjusted slightly based on flour hydration and ambient humidity.
• Cold fermenting dough in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours develops greater flavor complexity.
• Resting dough balls before shaping helps gluten relax, making shaping easier.
• When cooking on the skillet, ensure the pan is hot before adding dough to get a crispy crust.
• Broiler temperatures vary; monitor pizza closely during broiling to avoid burning toppings.
• For thicker crusts, cook longer on the stovetop at lower heat before broiling to avoid a doughy center.

Keywords: sourdough pizza crust, sourdough starter pizza, cast iron skillet pizza, pizza stone recipe, homemade pizza dough, fermented pizza dough