There’s something magical about the combination of sourdough and pizza that elevates this beloved dish to new heights. The depth of flavor, chewy texture, and perfect crispiness make sourdough pizza crust a game-changer. In this blog post, we’ll dive into a delightful sourdough pizza crust recipe that incorporates the tangy goodness of sourdough starter discard, fine sea salt, olive oil, all-purpose flour, and water. Let it ferment on your counter overnight and then pop it in your refridgerator until you are ready to cook. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey to pizza perfection!
7:00 PM Mix ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave on the counter overnight.
7:00 AM Preform stretch and folds then place dough in the refrigerator.
5:30 PM Pull dough out of the refrigerator.
6:00 PM Cook Pizzas.
- Cast Iron Skillet: A cast iron skillet works best, but you can use a baking sheet if you do not have one. I prefer the baking sheet if we are making larger pizzas. It will change how long you cook them in the oven because you will not be preheating them to jumpstart the cooking process.
- Make sure your cast iron skillet is hot. It will help to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Do not be afraid to use lots of flour when shaping the dough. It will not hurt it at all and will make it very easy to transfer from the counter to the skillet.
- Have your ingredients prepped before you put the dough in the skillet. It will begin cooking immediately in the hot skillet so you want to get your ingredients on and in the oven as soon as possible so everything cooks evenly.
- This recipe makes one 16″ pizza crust or two 8″ crusts.
- You can precook the crusts and freeze them for later use.
- If you over-ferment your dough, don’t toss it, and don’t just cook with it. Check the next section for how to fix over fermented doughs.
- Pizza Sauce Recipe Here. Non-Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe Here.
- Don’t spend money on a sourdough starter. Make your own here with my step-by-step guide.
So you put your dough out overnight and in the morning it is a super sticky mess that won’t hold its shape no matter how many stretch and folds you do. I do it all the time. Why? Because I live in a farmhouse that was originally built in the 1860s with stuff updated in the 1920s and it just doesn’t spread heat evenly. So combine that with oversleeping, I have over-fermented more dough than I can count. So The question is how do I fix it?
The answer is to add flour. From my understanding, the reason the dough turns into an extra sticky, unworkable mess, is because it has run out of food to eat. So by adding flour, you are giving it food and helping it to rebuild its structure. Start by mixing in 1/4 of flour at a time until the dough comes together and becomes a smooth ball. You will just mix it in by hand, folding the dough into itself. It will be very sticky at first but the more flour you add the easier it will get.
It may take more flour than you think, but it will make your food edible and save you from throwing away ingredients.
- Shape your crust and place it in a cast iron skillet.
- Pop it in the oven at 500° for about 10 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler and finish off the crust for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure you do not overcook or burn them.
- Pop the crust out of the skillet and place it on a cooling rack. Once cooled completely store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- ½ cup (100 g) sourdough starter discard
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cups (350 g) water
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave on the counter overnight to ferment.
- Wet your hands to prevent sticking and perform a set of stretch and folds. Pull one side of the dough up out of the bowl and fold it back onto itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you sping the bowl all the way around. (About 5 turns)
- Cover the bowl back up and place it in the refrigerator until you are about to cook. (Up to 36 hours, after that it may start to taste too sour)
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest on the counter until it comes up to room temperature. About 30 minutes or so.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and shape into balls. Let it rest on a floured surface covered for about 30 minutes.
- Turn on your Oven to 500° and place your cast iron skillet in it to preheat.
- Shape your dough by pressing it out into a circular shape. Once it is about 4-6 inches place your fists together and place dough across them. Slowly move your fists apart stretching the dough. Rotate the dough on your hands to keep it circular-shaped.
- When the oven is preheated pull the skillet out and place on stove top. Be careful, it will be hot. Place the dough in the castiron skillet and then add toppings.
- Put the skillet back into the oven for 13-15 minutes.
- To finish it off, broil on high for 1-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on this step, it is easy to burn the pizza depending on how hot your oven gets.
- Pop the pizza out of the skillet and onto a cutting board. Wait 3-5 minutes before slicing to avoid the toppings from sliding off.
- If using a sheet pan, Line the pan with parchment paper and shape the pizza dough out. Add toppings and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Finish with broiler on high for 1-2 minutes.
With this sourdough pizza crust recipe, you’re not just making pizza – you’re creating a culinary masterpiece. The combination of sourdough starter discard, fine sea salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water results in a crust that’s flavorful, chewy, and downright delicious. So, gather your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to savor the joy of homemade sourdough pizza. Your taste buds will thank you!
