Eating healthier? Saving money? You don’t have to give up everyone’s favorite food. Follow these tips for the best sourdough pizza ever.
Pizza is an absolute must in our household. A few years ago I thought up and drew our family crest on a homemade card for my husband and a pizza slice was front and center. It was among our firstborn’s very first words (she pronounced it “thizza”, how cute?)
Over the last couple of years I’ve been incorporating sourdough more and more into our meals as I strive to cook more healthfully and traditionally. I went into the benefits of sourdough here (as well as a killer chicken pot pie recipe with a sourdough crust!) but besides that, it’s just so simple and so delicious.
How To Make Sourdough Pizza
- The night before you want your pizza, feed your starter just before bed.
- In the morning mix together starter, water, salt, flour and olive oil until combined.
- If using stand mixer, use the dough hook to knead dough for about 10 minutes or until elastic.
- If kneading by hand, knead on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes or until elastic.
- Check that pizza dough passes windowpane test (can be stretched thin enough to pass light through without ripping).
- Allow to rise several hours .
- At dinnertime (6-8 hours from mixing dough) preheat oven to 475 F, roll out dough, and assemble with sauce, cheese and toppings.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bottom of crust is lightly browned and beginning to crisp.
What I Love About This Recipe
- It’s the most simple method I’ve tried for a sourdough crust
- The “baker’s schedule” is easy and realistic. No getting up super early or having pizza done at a weird time
- It’s so easy to throw together
- It always turns out great
- The crispy-top molten cheese is insanely good
- Everyone in the family loves pizza night
- It’s an all-in-one meal with as much protein and veggies as you want
- It saves serious cash
Sample Baker’s Schedule
Night Before:
10 p.m. -Feed sourdough starter
Next Day:
8 a.m. -Mix dough together, cover and let rise
4 p.m. -Turn out dough and let rest for 10 minutes, preheat oven and prepare pans
4:10 -Roll out dough, pull and shape on pan, roll up outer crust if desired
4:20 -Add sauce, cheese, toppings and more cheese
4:30 -Bake for 20-25 minutes, let cool for 5
5:00 -Enjoy your delicious homemade pizza!
Tips and Tricks
The timing of the starter does not have to be exact. You want it to be pretty bubbly and active, but if it’s started to recede some before you get to it in the morning, it will still work. It might just take a little longer to rise.
I feed my starter around 10 p.m. the night before and leave it at room temp for 8-10 hours overnight.
The next morning, usually around 8 a.m., I throw everything in the mixer (in a particular order- see the recipe!) and let it knead for about 10 minutes while I make breakfast or whatever I’m doing.
Once it passes the windowpane test I cover it with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit all day.
Around 4 p.m. I turn the dough out on the flour-covered counter and let it rest with a light towel over it for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile I preheat the oven, get out my sheet pan, cover it with parchment paper and shred my cheese.
Our family’s favorite topping combo is pepperoni and pineapple. It that sounds weird, think of it as Hawaiian pizza for ham haters :p
You know the rest: stretch and roll the dough, roll up a crust around the edge if you like, spread with sauce, cheese and toppings.
My last and possibly most important tip is to put cheese underneath and on top of your toppings. You don’t have to completely cover the toppings, especially if you want crispy pepperoni, but using plenty of cheese and baking at a high temp means the top of the cheese will form a crust while inside it turns to molten lava. Pure bliss.
Be sure to check the bottom center of the crust and as soon as it begins to turn pale brown and looks dry, not doughy, it’s done. The high temp means you need to watch it closely. Ok I guess that was a bonus tip, you’re welcome.
Best Sourdough Pizza Recipe
Grab the printable recipe below and tell me how you find it. Of course you can use any crust you like and still follow the tips for that amazing cheese pull š Enjoy!
Best Sourdough Pizza
This insanely good pizza is made with a sourdough crust for added health benefits and flavor. The crispy molten cheese pull can't be beat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) active sourdough starter
- 1 1/4 cup (300 g) water
- 4 cups (600 g) flour
- 1 1/2 tsp (9 g) salt
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) olive oil
Instructions
- The night before you want your pizza, feed your sourdough starter so it will be active in the morning (about 8-10 hours before you want to make your dough in the morning).
- The next morning, add starter and water to the bottom of your bowl and whisk.
- Add flour, salt and olive oil.
- If using stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and knead on low until dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
- Continue to knead until dough is elastic and passes the windowpane test (you can easily stretch a small portion thin enough to see light through it without it ripping).
- If kneading by hand, mix dough with a wooden or other sturdy spoon until it is mostly together. Then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and begin pushing and pulling the dough. Continue kneading for 10-15 minutes until dough is elastic and passes the windowpane test.
- Place into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, foil or damp tea towel (if using tea towel, be sure to watch that it doesn't dry out, re-wet as needed).
- Around 8 hours later (sooner if room is very warm) or when dough has doubled, turn out onto lightly floured surface, cover with a light towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 475 F and prepare your pan (round pizza pan or sheet pan) with parchment paper.
- Begin rolling out your dough on the floured surface, then pick up and drape dough over your hands, allowing gravity to pull it down.
- Lay dough on prepared pan and continue pulling and shaping dough into desired shape and thinness.
- If you want a distinguishable crust, roll the edges tightly inward.
- Pour on your pizza sauce and spread with a spoon or spatula, then sprinkle generously with cheese. Add the rest of your toppings, then sprinkle on more cheese, leaving any toppings you wish to crisp up somewhat exposed.
- Place in hot oven and bake four 20-25 minutes or until bottom center of crust is starting to turn light brown. Watch closely that it doesn't overbake.
- If your cheese hasn't quite darkened and crisped on top, use the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly and super crispy.
- Allow to cool for just a few minutes then cut with a pizza cutter and check out that molten cheese š
Notes
Remember with any yeasted dough there will be variations in flour, humidity, moisture content of starter, and so on. You might need to add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky after kneading, or drizzle in a little water at a time if it's too dry.
If you have to leave your house before 8 and/or get home later than 4, you can slow the rise time by keeping the dough at a lower temp, like in a room that stays cool with the lights off. You could also feed your starter in the morning, make the dough around 8 hours later, put it in the fridge over night, then let it come to room temp and rise the next day which will take a little longer than the first example, allowing you to leave it longer without it over-fermenting. With sourdough, when in doubt stick it in the fridge!
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