How to make Sourdough Pizza Dough

This sourdough pizza dough recipe is very easy to prepare and very delicious. It is also an excellent way to use up any excess sourdough starter.

Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe:
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe
Servings: 1 large pizza
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

  2. Preheat the Pizza Stone or tiles to 450 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

  3. In a mixing bowl of your Stand Mixer, place sourdough starter, olive oil, salt, and bread flour.  Fit the mixer with a dough hook and mix the dough on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes until you have a soft dough.  If the dough is too dry, add some water.  Once dough is kneaded, cover and let rest for 30minutes.

  4. NOTE: Dough may be refrigerated at this point and stored until ready to use.  To store each batch of dough, spray a plastic bag with nonstick spray and place the dough in it. Store no longer than 7 to 10 days, or if frozen for up to 2 months.  If refrigerated or frozen prior to use, allow the portions to come to room temperature before they are rolled out.

  5. Using parchment paper cut the size of the pizza you want, sprinkle with flour.

  6. Knead dough over the flour until soft, supple, and no longer sticky (adding additional flour as needed).  Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour; roll and stretch the dough into a circle over the parchment paper.  If your dough is very elastic and wants to spring back, let it rest for a few minutes, and then try rolling it out again.

  7. Place the dough on the prepared Pizza Peel.

Adding Pizza Ingredients:
  1. Brush the dough with some olive oil and layer your favorite pizza ingredients (toppings).

  2. Bake for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and the top is bubbly.

  3. Remove your pizza from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving pan. This cooling down step allows the crust to stay crisp while it cools.

  4. Once cool, using your Cutter or Pizza Wheel, cut your pizza into slices and serve.

  5. Makes 1 large pizza or 4 individual pizzas.

    Pepperoni Pizza on Sourdough Pizza Crust
How To Freeze Pizza Dough:
  1. Once the pizza dough is prepared, form the dough into a ball the size you would use to make one (1) large pizza.  If making a larger batch of dough, for the dough into balls.  Optional:  Lightly spray each dough ball with cooking spray or lightly wipe with olive oil (making sure all sides are lightly covered).  Place each ball of dough into individual re-sealable freezer bags.  Seal, squeezing out all the air from the bag.  Place in the freezer until ready to use.  The pizza dough may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

  2. When ready to use, remove from the freezer and place in your refrigerator 12 hours or overnight.  Before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, let sit on the counter for approximately 30 minutes.  You are now ready to stretch out your dough and prepare your pizza.

  3. Homemade pizza can taste as good or better than your favorite pizzeria.  This sourdough pizza dough recipe is a great way to use up that excess sourdough starter.  The pizza dough recipe is very easy to prepare and very delicious.  Sourdough will make an outstanding crust for your pizza.

    Tarte Flambee
Recipe Notes

* If you don't presently have a sourdough starter, either make your own sourdough starter or purchase Packaged Sourdough Starter Mix by mail-order.

** The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine howmuch water or additional flour needs to be used.  If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time).  The same is true if the dough is looking dryand gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).  NOTE: I usually have to add water as I have a fairly thick starter.

 Instructional Video:  How to Make Pizza, Using Your Bread Machine

Bread Making Hints: Secrets to using the bread machine, About yeast in bread making, Sourdough Starter, and Quick Breads.

More great Pizza and Pizza Dough Recipes, Bread Recipes, Sourdough Bread Recipes,and Quick Bread Recipes for all your bread making.

Check out our Hints and Tips for Making Perfect Pizza!

Did you know that the name sourdough comes from San Francisco and their famous sourdough breads? It is thought that French bakers brought sourdough techniques to Northern California during the California Gold Rush in the late 1800s. If you don’t want to make your own sourdough starter, you can buy a San Francisco sourdough starter from Amazon. 

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Comments and Reviews

22 Responses to “How to make Sourdough Pizza Dough”

  1. Mari

    This recipe is pretty terrible. The crust hard and only taste decent thanks to the starter. Try another recipe.

    Reply
    • Linda Stradley

      Hi Mari – I’m sorry you had problems! I, personally make this Sourdough Pizza Dough recipe all the time. – Linda Stradley

      Reply
  2. allison

    Can this be left to rest for longer than 30 mins? Would that make the gluten more digestable? I’m very new to the whole sourdough life, but very interested in it, I’ve had my starter for a few months, and love trying new recipies.

    Reply
    • Margaret

      Allison, I made this dough in my bread maker. I ended up leaving it for 12 hours or so in the bread maker. I then stored the glob of dough in a greased zoplock – in the fridge over night. I pulled it out the next day and formed it into a few pizza rounds. After pre baking for 7 min I topped them with olive oil, black pepper, goat cheese and capers. Delish and I think a bit more digestible due to the slow process. I love this crust!

      Reply
  3. MeganM

    Turned out great! Best pizza dough I have ever made! Definitely will return to this recipe! Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Rafael Aragon

    tried it. I must have rolled it to thick because the inside of the dough was partially cooked, the outside was nice and crisp. I could have changed many things to make it better though

    Reply
  5. Scott Canady

    I think this is a great ieea! Im gonna try it. I love the little one in the background saying No!, it made my night! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Whats Cooking America

      We love making pizza dough in the bread machine to have it knead and rise the dough. Thanks for watching one of our early cooking videos! Our grandkids were over that day and they added some extra entertainment in the background. LOL!

      Reply
  6. Lorna

    Absolutely love this recipe, I made with my starter that I’ve had going for over a year. The next time I make it though I think I’ll cut my dough in half so that it will be even thinner, it’s a keeper!!!

    Reply
  7. Lorna

    We made this pizza again only this time we cut the dough ball in half since we both like thin crust pizza, it was awesome!! Once again love this recipe!!

    Reply
  8. Rob

    Sourdough fermentation doesn’t affect gluten (wheat protein). It does break down sugars etc. If sourdough is working for you, try a longer slow fermentation in the fridge.

    Reply
  9. Mel

    Is the starter FED or UN-FED?

    Reply
  10. Teri

    Great recipe will use again! I will double the recipe though. Very filling but mine just wasn’t a large pizza more medium

    Reply
  11. Ian

    I make this weekly to use up starter that I’d otherwise discard (so I guess it’s un fed). I make it exactly as per the recipe then divide into 2 for 2 large very thin crusts. Typically I’ll use one the day of and refrigerate the other for a few days, the refrigerated one does seem to develop more flavor IMO. Great recipe that I keep coming back to!

    Reply
    • Nancy

      Glad you like it and a good use of your starter.

      Reply
  12. Ginger

    Ok I’m new to sourdough, can I use my stand mixer with the metal bowl?

    Reply
  13. Sue

    Great recipe. We executed as discussed on the page and had wonderful results. We kept the toppings simple: sauce, sautéed peppers and onions, diced jalapeños and cheese. The pizza baked on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal for 15 minutes in a 450 oven. The results were delicious.

    Reply
  14. Kristy

    I am super excited for tonight! My husband built an outdoor pizza oven. For the last couple weeks I have been making this recipe and freezing. Hoping it runs out great because I have around 25 balls of dough in my freezer waiting for this corona thing to end so we can entertain. Also made my home made pizza sausage that I froze and tried a new recipe for pizza sauce that I froze.

    Reply
    • Nancy

      You are so lucky! I want a pizza oven too. Let me know how the sourdough pizza dough turns out.

      Reply
  15. Whitney

    I’ve made this recipe twice now. The second time was very successful! The first time, I pre-baked it for 10 minutes (after I saw a few comments that this was necessary), then I put on my toppings and baked for about 20 minutes (it wouldn’t crisp on the bottom). Even still, it was chewy outside and underbaked inside. 🙁
    The second time, I used an active starter. After I kneaded and rolled it out, I let it rise for about 5-5 1/2 hours (it could’ve gone longer, but I was hungry). I changed the temperature to 425, so it would bake evenly (note: I don’t have a pizza stone). I prebaked the crust for 10 minutes, removed from the oven, put on ALL my toppings (there were many), and baked again for 15 minutes at 425. It was perfection! It puffed up more in the oven, so it was light and thick and pleasantly crispy on the bottom. This is my new go-to crust!
    P.S. I didn’t have bread flour, so I used 1 Cup AP and 1/2 Cup whole wheat (my starter is made with these and oat flour). Major win!

    Reply
  16. Sadie

    I was disappointed in how my crusts turned out. They were a bit tough and bready. My starter was recently fed. I mixed the dough by hand and had to add 1/4 cup water to hydrate. It would have been good to know how much the dough should rise in the initial 30 minute rest period. I let mine rise until it was doubled, divided it into 2 balls and put them in the fridge for about 18 hours. The balls sat at cool room temperature for about 4 hours until they were soft and puffed before I shaped the crusts. I parbaked the crusts for about 5 minutes before adding the toppings, and baked the pizzas on a stone in a 475° oven. The crusts had a nice flavour, but were just too hard/crunchy to enjoy.

    Reply

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