Sourdough Pizza Dough

This is a great way to use up that excess sourdough starter. Very easy to prepare and very delicious!

Check out Linda's Bread Making Hints: Secrets to using the bread machine, About yeast in bread making, Sourdough Starter, Quick Breads.

Check out all of Linda's great Pizza Recipes and Bread Recipes for your bread making.

Sourdough Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter, room temperature*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups bread flour
Water*

* The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine how much 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 dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time). NOTE: I usually have to add water as I have a fairly thick starter.

Preheat pizza stone or tiles to 400 degrees F. in the oven.

In a mixing bowl, 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 30 minutes.

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.

Using parchment paper cut the size of the pizza you want, sprinkle with flour. Knead dough over the flour until 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.

Brush the dough with some olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy) and layer your ingredients. Slice baker's peel under the parchment paper and the pizza dough; slice onto hot pizza stone or tiles in oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and the top is bubbly.

Makes 1 large pizza or 16 servings.

Pizza Stone: A baking stone should be placed on the lowest oven shelf and preheated with the oven. Once pre-heated, the stone evenly transfers intense heat to the food being cooked, ensuring a particularly crisply baked base.

As to if it might crack, this I do not know, as I have never had it happen. I always place the cold pizza stone in a cold oven. I then turn on the oven to 400 degrees F. to preheat oven and stone. Once the stone is hot, I do not remove it from the oven. I place the pizza on the hot stone in the oven.

Baker's or Pizza Peel: Also known as a pizza shovel. It is a long-handled, wide wooden or metal spatula-like implement that slides quickly and easily under the pizza, keeping hands safely out of the fiery oven. It is used for moving pizzas to and from an oven. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a baker's or pizza peel before using.

Pizza Tips:

A helpful hint is to put a piece of parchment paper on the peel instead of using cornmeal. I place the rolled-out pizza dough on the parchment paper and then add the toppings. The parchment goes into the oven with the pizza. This makes it easier to slide the pizza off the peel and onto the baking stone.
If you don't have a peel, an upside-down cookie sheet will do if you use parchment paper. Just slide the pizza onto the stone with the paper.
Does pizza have to be a circle? - You can make them triangular, square, diamond, or anything else you can imagine. Just change the shape of your pan to the shape of a crust that fits your imagination.