Sourdough Pizza Crust
This sourdough pizza crust is light and bubbly and crisps up beautifully around the edges during baking! It comes together easily using just water, salt, flour, honey and sourdough starter. I've included a sample baking schedule to help you time it perfectly for supper! This recipe makes approximately 2 large pizza crusts.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- proofing container
- baking dish or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 100 grams sourdough starter at peak activity
- 720 grams bread flour
- 500 grams water
- 20 grams salt
- 20 grams honey
Instructions
how to make a sourdough pizza crust (with schedule): Day 1
- For these steps I use a very large glass mixing bowl. Combine 100 grams of active sourdough starter with 500 grams of slightly warm water, around 78°. I use a dutch whisk to help incorporate the water and starter faster.
- Add 720 grams of bread flour and 20 grams each of salt and honey. I use the dutch whisk to mix it as much as possible, then finish with my hands using a pinching & kneading motion. This is a slightly dry dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- After the dough has finished resting, keep the dough in the bowl and do a series of folds to create a dough ball shape. The dough is now ready to rise overnight!
- Transfer the dough to a 2 quart square-sided plastic container that has been well greased with olive oil. Cover and let rise overnight (10-12 hours) at room temperature, around 70°. The dough is ready when it has nearly doubled in size, but it likely will not fully double. In a colder kitchen, the dough will take longer to rise. In a warmer kitchen, the dough could rise too quickly so keep an eye on it! The rest time is going to be different for every baker, every kitchen and change throughout the seasons.
how to make a sourdough pizza crust (with schedule): Day 2
- The next morning I check on my dough to make sure it has risen and almost doubled. If it has not, I will let it continue to rise for a few more hours. When the dough is ready, we will begin a process called stretching the dough. If you have made my sourdough focaccia, this will be a very familiar process! Coat the baking dish generously with olive oil. Use your hands to really coat the surface entirely.
- Remove the dough and divide it in half as evenly as possible to make 2 large pizzas. Divide it again to make four personal pizzas. The goal now is to stretch the dough to the corners of the pan gently and in a relaxed manner. If the dough feels loose and pliable, keep stretching it towards the edges. Once the dough feels tense, it's time to let it rest for ten minutes until it no longer resists. Do not force the dough!
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or an inverted baking sheet. The dough is ready to proof in a warm spot, ideally around 78 degrees. I have found that using a seed starting mat or an oven (turned off!) with the light on, or a food dehydrator with a proofing setting usually creates the perfect environment. Let it rest for thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, it is time to dimple the dough again! Just like the first time, gently lift and stretch the dough. Cover and rest for another thirty minutes. Now it is time to preheat the oven to 450°, so do not let the dough rest in the oven now!
Baking the sourdough pizza crust
- Place the baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the dough at 450° for 15-18 minutes, or until the surface is firm and the bottom crust is lightly browned. I use a spatula to gently lift a corner to peak underneath.
- Remove the par baked crust from the oven and assemble and make the pizza. Add room temperature sauce, crumbled mozzarella cheese and your favorite toppings! Bake at 450° in the middle or top rack position, until the cheese is melted and broiled in some spots. The pizza is generally done at 12-15 minutes, and can even be placed under the broil to brown it up a bit more. Just keep an eye on it!
Notes
When is my sourdough starter ready to bake?
This recipe requires an active sourdough starter. Most starters will reach peak activity around 4-6 hours after a feeding. In my kitchen, I will feed my sourdough starter around 3:00 pm. It will peak around 7:30 pm. For step-by-step instructions to make a sourdough starter, refer to my post How to Bake a Perfect Loaf of Sourdough. Instructions are in the beginning of the post.Can a pizza crust be frozen for later?
To save the crust for later, par bake the crust and let it fully cool. Vacuum seal the sourdough pizza crust or put it in a freezer bag and store it for up to three months.Can a homemade sourdough pizza crust be baked in a cast iron skillet?
Yes! The cast-iron skillet will cause the edges to become brown and crispy. In fact, dark pans in general are best for heat conduction and crust color.Can a sourdough pizza crust be grilled?
A sourdough pizza crust that has been par-baked can absolutely be finished off on the grill. In the past we have had varying levels of success getting the perfect bubbly cheese while the crust doesn't blacken too much. I recommend starting the pizza on a cast-iron grill griddle if you have one available, and then moving it to the grill area to crisp up during the last few minutes. Timing will vary, but it is generally going to take about the same time. Grills can be temperamental, so I'm not going to give you an exact time to follow.Nutrition
Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 325mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.004mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!