Small Batch Sourdough Pizza Dough

Use your excess sourdough starter discard to make the best and easiest homemade small batch sourdough pizza dough. This dough creates a sourdough crust that is airy and chewy with a delicious flavour that cannot be beat with commercial yeast. Full disclosure: you might never go back to regular pizza dough again.

What is in Sourdough Pizza Crust?

• sourdough starter discard - you can make your own sourdough starter with a combination of flour and water. It takes 7 days to create a mature starter ready to be used to make pizza dough and other breads.
• all purpose flour
• water
• salt 
• olive oil 

How to Make the Best Small Batch Sourdough Pizza Dough

1. Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl, add sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, and water. Whisk to combine until there are no dry flour particles visible. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Add salt and ½ the olive oil, and fold into the dough for a few seconds to combine.
2. Stretch and fold the dough. Apply some water on your hands and stretch and fold the dough in the bowl by folding the edges over to the centre, one edge at a time. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step twice (stretch and fold followed by 30 minute rest). After the last 30 minute rest, the dough should almost double in size.
3. Shape the dough. Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a tight ball by folding the edges over to the centre. Stretch the dough a little and fold the 4 sides to the centre like wrapping a present. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough back and forth to create a tight ball. Repeat this motion until the surface of the dough appears tight.
4. Let the dough rest. Place the 2 dough balls a few inches apart in a lightly oiled airtight container. Brush the remaining olive oil over the surface of the dough balls to prevent them from drying out. Close the container and place in the refrigerator overnight for 8 to 12 hours (or up to 3 days until ready to bake your pizza).

How to Use Pizza Dough

You can use this sourdough pizza dough to make any pizza that you can think of. Once you are ready to make your pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and transfer it onto a floured surface. It is unnecessary to bring the pizza dough to room temperature before cooking because cold dough is much easier to handle and shaped into pizza.

Gently press the pizza dough with your fingers into an 8" circle. Sprinkle some flour if needed to prevent stickiness. Transfer to a pizza stone and add pizza sauce and toppings. Bake until the top is blistered, about 5-6 minutes. Some of my favourite pizzas to make are Easy Skillet Neapolitan Margherita Pizza, 30-Minute BBQ Chicken Pizza, Mushroom and Arugula Skillet Pizza, and Classic Roman Herbed Potato Pizza.

More Sourdough Recipes

• Small Batch Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
• Savoury Chive Pancakes with Sourdough Starter
• Artisan Green Olive Sourdough Bread
• Seeded Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Discard Crackers with Sesame Seeds

Recipe

Small Batch Sourdough Pizza Dough

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• Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 500 grams pizza dough (for two 8-inch pizzas)
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Use excess sourdough starter discard to make the best, easiest homemade small batch sourdough pizza dough to make an airy and chewy sourdough pizza crust.

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Ingredients

• 50 grams active sourdough starter discard
• 250 grams all purpose flour
• 175 grams water
• 5 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
• 15 grams olive oil (1 tablespoon), divided

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Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, and water. Whisk to combine until there are no dry flour particles visible. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This technique is called autolyse.
2. Add salt and ½ tablespoon olive oil and fold the dough for a few seconds to combine. Salt slows down yeast growth in the fermentation process, so it is recommended to incorporate it in later. Adding oil helps ease off the dough stickiness.

Stretch and Fold the Dough:

1. Apply some water on your hands and stretch and fold the dough by folding the edges over to the centre, one edge at a time. Wet hands makes it easier to work with the dough and it should take you less than a minute to fold the 4 sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
2. Repeat the last step twice (stretch and fold followed by 30 minute rest). After the last 30 minute rest, the dough should almost double in size. The stretch and fold technique helps dough build gluten strength without kneading. This technique is very useful when handling high hydration dough over 70% (water to flour ratio).

Shape the Dough:

1. Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a tight ball by folding the edges over to the centre. Stretch the dough a little and fold the 4 sides to the centre like wrapping a present. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough back and forth to create a tight ball. Repeat this motion until the surface of the dough appears tight.

Let the Dough Rest:

1. Place the 2 dough balls a few inches apart in a lightly oiled airtight container.
2. Brush the remaining olive oil over the surface of the dough balls to prevent them from drying out. Close the container and place in the refrigerator overnight for 8 to 12 hours or up to 3 days until ready to make your pizza.

Make Pizza:

1. Preheat oven to 550 F.
2. Take out the pizza dough out of the refrigerator and transfer it onto a floured surface. It is unnecessary to bring the pizza dough to room temperature before cooking. Cold dough is much easier to handle and be shaped into pizza.
3. Gently press the pizza dough with your fingers into an 8" circle. Sprinkle some flour if needed to prevent stickiness. Transfer to a pizza stone and add pizza sauce and toppings. Bake until the top is blistered, about 5-6 minutes.

Notes

How to make sourdough starter: It takes about 7 days to create a mature starter out of flour and water. Learn how in my sourdough starter guide which includes the top frequently asked questions.

Second proofing overnight vs. at room temperature: You can let the dough rest at room temperature instead for approximately 2 hours. The dough will be harder to work with as it is stickier (the refrigerated dough is a lot easier to work with). Generously flour the work surface and the dough to make it easier to work with.

How to store pizza dough: Store the dough balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours.

How to freeze pizza dough: To freeze unbaked pizza dough, just store each dough ball into separate freezer ziploc bags. Push out any air in the bags and seal. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough in your refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

What to make with sourdough pizza dough: You can use this sourdough pizza dough to make any pizza or flatbread that you can think of. Some of my favourites are: easy skillet neapolitan margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella and basil and 30-minute BBQ chicken pizza.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes (+ at least 5 hours rise time)
• Category: Bread
• Method: Ferment
• Cuisine: Italian

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