• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Baking
  • About Tammy

Scotch & Scones

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Scotch & Spirits
  • Subscribe
  • About Tammy
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Scotch & Spirits
    • Subscribe
    • About Tammy
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Dinner

    Published Oct 23, 2020 · Updated Apr 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Simple Sourdough Pizza Dough

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Sliced sourdough pizza on blue plate from overhead Pinterest banner.

    This simple pizza dough gets a subtle tang from sourdough starter discard. Easy to make, it can be ready the same day with only a few minutes of hands on work. Give your homemade pizza crust the flavor it deserves!

    Sliced sourdough pizza on blue plate.

    Why this recipe works

    • This homemade pizza dough only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work
    • Using sourdough starter discard lends its subtle tanginess to the pizza crust
    • This sourdough pizza dough can also be used to make foccacia, stromboli, or calzones

    Pizza Night is an event in our house.

    With so many of my family members having...ahem...specific food preferences, making a pizza becomes a game of sections. No tomato sauce here, no olives there, and definitely no fresh basil over there, Pizza Night is indeed quite individualistic.

    One thing we all agree on is the pizza dough. It's got to be soft, chewy, and flavorful. Me being me, it's going to be homemade pizza dough, and it's going to use sourdough starter discard that gives a subtle sourdough tang.

    In other words, it's got to be Sourdough Pizza Dough.

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • What you need
    • How to make sourdough pizza
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip#1: You can leave out the commercial yeast
    • Pro Tip#2: Use pizza dough beyond just pizza
    • A pizza crust with flavor
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    What you need

    My basic bread dough recipe has an easy-to-remember 5 : 3 recipe ratio of 5 parts flour to 3 parts water (by weight), giving the dough a 60% hydration level. I’ve also made sourdough pretzels, bagels, and naan with great success using this ratio, adapted for using sourdough starter.

    In addition to the flour and water, you'll need yeast, kosher salt, and olive oil. You can also add chopped herbs, either dried or fresh, like in these ciabatta rolls. By the way, if you'd like to omit the yeast and just use fed, active sourdough starter, see my Pro Tip #1 below.

    This sourdough pizza dough recipe is not unlike my sourdough focaccia recipe. In fact, they are the same! It's just how the dough is shaped, finished, and baked that's different. And like with the focaccia, the pizza toppings are completely customizable to your tastes. Use your favorites!

    a small scone this …
    Subscribe to Scotch & Scones!

    Sign up for my weekly featured recipe and you'll get two recipes, Extra-Tangy Sourdough Bread and Mint Chocolate Chunk Scones!

    Sourdough Pizza ingredients on tray from overhead.
    Basic ingredients go into sourdough pizza dough

    How to make sourdough pizza

    Making sourdough pizza dough involves very little hands on work.

    All it takes is about 5 minutes to measure out your ingredients and another 5 to 10 minutes to knead. That's all the prep work you have to do - it's that simple!

    Step 1: Make the dough

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sourdough starter discard, water, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and yeast.

    Start with the lesser amount of water to account for the humidity of the day. If the dough is too dry, add in 1 tablespoon water as needed until the dough is the right consistency.

    Mix the dough on Low speed for about a minute, then turn up the speed to Medium-Low and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes (photo 1).

    Ingredients for pizza dough in a mixing bowl.
    Measure out the ingredients so you know how much flour and water to use

    Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and put in a warm place to rest until doubled, about 2 to 3 hours (photo 2). The oven with just the light on works well.

    Collage of pizza dough before and after rising.
    Whatever warm environment you use, let the dough rise until it's doubled in size

    Step 2: Shape the pizza

    After the dough has doubled in size, it's ready to be shaped into pizza. You can either do that now, or you can put the dough in an oiled bowl in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    The benefit of a cold rise is that the sourdough flavor really has a chance to develop even more sourdough tang. When you're ready to make the pizza, just let the cold dough sit out on the counter for an hour or so if you've got the time. Room temperature dough is easier to press out than cold.

    Let your oven preheat to 425˚F while you shape the dough. I put a large pizza stone in the oven and let it heat along with the oven. That helps to give the base a chance to warm quickly, so you don't get a soggy crust. If you don't have access to a baking stone, a quarter sheet or half sheet baking pan will be fine.

    Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper and start pressing it out with your hands into a circle (you can use a pie pan roller to help). The size of the pizza will depend on how thick you like the pizza crust. I generally press it out to about ¼-inch thick and 10- to 12-inches in diameter (photo 3).

    By the way, that whole tossing the dough in the air business? Yeah, I don't do that. I've watched that I Love Lucy episode too many times to risk dropping the dough. You're welcome to try, though.

    Pizza dough pressed out before topping.
    Rolling out the pizza dough

    Step 3: Add the toppings

    As I said in the beginning, pizza toppings are so personal.

    In the photos I'm making a white pizza with garlic powder, a spritz of olive oil, fresh mozzerella cheese, and cooked slices of Beyond Sausage. I top everything with a generous amount of shredded cheese.

    I like to fold over the edge and crimp it down (photo 4). It keeps any of the toppings from leaking out, and we like the thick edge to gnaw on. We call them pizza bones.

    We're a funny bunch.

    Collage of adding toppings and crimping edge of a pizza.
    Adding the toppings and crimping the edges

    Step 4: Bake the pizza

    The only tricky step is when you transfer the pizza to the oven. Use a pizza peel under the parchment paper, and carefully slide it onto the hot pizza stone.

    Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown and the toppings are heated through (photo 5).

    Baked sourdough pizza from overhead.
    Freshly baked sourdough pizza

    Step 5: Slice the pizza

    Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then use a pizza cutter to slice into six or eight slices (photo 6).

    Baked and sliced sourdough pizza from overhead.
    It only takes about fifteen minutes from toppings to table!

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    What is the most important ingredient in a sourdough pizza crust?

    Flour, especially higher protein flours (around 12% protein is good). The flour in the sourdough starter is fully hydrated, which can weigh down the dough and make it stodgy (I love that term. It means heavy, borrowed from The Great British Baking Show). You need that extra protein so the pizza dough maintains its gluten structure since it doesn't have a second rise after shaping.

    Pizza flours (aka Type 00 flours) range from 9 to 15% protein content, so you'll want to be mindful if you choose one of those. The King Arthur Baking All-Purpose Flour has a protein content of 11.7% which works well (that's what I use with good results).

    Also, since sourdough pizza dough has a 60% hydration level, the dough will be stiffer than a regular pizza dough. Flours with too high a protein level will be "thirsty" (that is, absorb more water), and will stiffen the dough even more. You want to strike a good balance so the dough will be workable.

    What does olive oil do for pizza dough?

    Besides adding flavor, olive oil impedes the pizza dough's ability to rise, like in any enriched bread dough. We're looking for a flat bread here, not a light sandwich loaf.

    Should I put olive oil on my pizza crust?

    You've got olive oil in the dough to help control the rise, but spraying the crust with it also helps to add flavor and creates a barrier between the dough and the toppings. This helps to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom!

    Sliced sourdough pizza on blue plate from overhead.

    Pro Tip#1: You can leave out the commercial yeast

    If you don't want to use commercial yeast in this sourdough pizza crust recipe, replace the yeast with ½ cup (114 grams) of active, fed starter, and reduce the amount of flour by about ½ cup (57 grams) and water by about ¼ cup (57 grams). The rising time will be longer (about double) for both the first and second rises.

    Pro Tip#2: Use pizza dough beyond just pizza

    Did you know that you can use sourdough pizza dough for more than just pizza? Besides the aforementioned focaccia, you can use this same pizza dough recipe to make calzones or stromboli (essentially, stuffed pizzas). The method to make the dough is the same, just the shaping is different.

    Sourdough Pizza on blue plate with a slice lifted.

    A pizza crust with flavor

    Move over store-bought pizza dough, we've got a more flavorful homemade pizza crust in town!

    This sourdough pizza crust has a nice chewy texture, though not hard to tear with your teeth. And the flavor? A nice subtle tang that supports, but doesn't detract from, the toppings.

    Making a sourdough pizza recipe is my favorite way of using my weekly sourdough starter discard. It's fast, it's easy, and I can make the dough that day or for later in the week.

    The crust makes the pizza, and sourdough pizza dough makes a tangy crust you'll love. So skip the store bought stuff and make your own dough. It will be so much better, trust me.

    Give your pizza crust the flavor it deserves, and let Pizza Night begin!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Recipes

    When you maintain a sourdough starter, you have a dilemma. What do you do with your unfed sourdough starter discard? I've got lots of suggestions for sweet and savory ways to use your fed sourdough starter and the sourdough starter discard.

    And if you sign up to receive my weekly featured recipe email, I'll send you the recipe for Extra-Tangy Sourdough Bread. Just click the subscribe button below. Enjoy!

    • Three crumpets stacked on a white cake stand surrounded by strawberries.
      Easy Sourdough Discard Crumpets
    • Sourdough Jalapeño Cheddar Bread on cutting board with knife.
      Sourdough Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Bread
    • Four stacked Sloppy Joes Pasties on a white plate.
      Sloppy Joe Pasties (aka Hand Pies)
    • Three stacked sourdough bread loaves on a cutting board next to a bread knife.
      How to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter
    SUBSCRIBE

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a comment further down the page.

    I'd love to hear from you! Stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and please tag me using the hashtag #scotchandsconesblog. You can also sign up for my mailing list. I can't wait to see your creations!

    Recipe

    Sliced sourdough pizza on blue plate.

    Simple Sourdough Pizza Dough

    Tammy Spencer
    This simple pizza dough gets a subtle tang from sourdough starter discard. Easy to make, it can be ready the same day with only a few minutes of hands on work. Give your homemade pizza crust the flavor it deserves!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Resting Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 27 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories 205 kcal

    Equipment

    • stand mixer with dough hook attachment
    • kitchen scale
    • 15-inch round pizza stone
    • parchment paper
    • pie pan roller
    • pizza peel
    • pizza cutter
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup sourdough starter discard, unfed, at room temperature, see Recipe Notes
    • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon instant yeast, or rapid rise, see Recipe Notes
    • ½ to ⅔ cup water, warmed between 100°F to 110°F, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon mixed herbs, chopped, like basil or oregano, optional
    • pizza toppings, as desired

    Instructions
     

    • Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sourdough starter discard, water, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and yeast. Start with the lesser amount of water to account for the humidity of the day. If the dough is too dry, add in 1 tablespoon water as needed until the dough is the right consistency.
    • Mix the dough on Low speed for about a minute, then turn up the speed to Medium-Low and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.
    • Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and put in a warm place to rest until the dough has doubled, about 2 to 3 hours. The oven with just the light on works well.
    • Make the pizza: Place a baking stone in the oven, then preheat to 425 °F. For best results, let the oven heat for an additional 10 to 15 minutes after it says it's ready just to insure there are no hot spots.
    • While the oven is heating, start to prepare the pizza. Lightly knead the dough on a piece of parchment paper, then start pressing out into a circle with your hands (you can use a pie pan roller to help). The size of the pizza will depend on how thick you like the pizza crust. I generally press it out to about ¼-inch thick and 10- to 12-inches in diameter.
    • Top the pizza with your favorite toppings. For a finished edge, fold the crust over about 1-inch and crimp it down.
    • Using a pizza peel, carefully transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the hot baking stone.
    • Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown and the toppings are heated through.
    • Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then use a pizza cutter to slice into six or eight slices. Serve immediately and enjoy!

    Notes

    The amount of flour or water in your dough will depend on the humidity of your kitchen and the hydration of your starter. As you mix your dough, you might need to add more flour or water in one tablespoon increments to get the dough to the right consistency.
    If you're using Active Dry yeast, you might want to sprinkle yeast on to the warmed water with a teaspoon of sugar and allow it to sit for a few minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Letting it foam "proves" the yeast is active and ready to go to work.
    You can refrigerate the dough after the first rise in Step 5 overnight (up to 3 days) to develop more flavor. When you’re ready to proceed, allow the dough to come to room temperature for an hour or two continuing on to Step 6.
    If you don't have access to a baking stone, a quarter sheet or half sheet baking pan will be fine. Just shape the dough as thin or thick as you'd like. I'd still recommend allowing the pan to preheat while you prepare the pizza.
    Pizza toppings are so varied, and they don't have to be the usual tomato sauce & cheese. Go with whatever suits you best!

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 pieceCalories: 205 kcalCarbohydrates: 39 gProtein: 6 gFat: 2 gSaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 294 mgPotassium: 60 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 1 gCalcium: 6 mgIron: 2 mg
    Share on Facebook Share by Email

    More Dinner Recipes

    • Cock-a-leekie soup in a white bowl with a spoon lifting prunes and leeks all on a red checkered towel.
      Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup
    • Chicken Broccoli Quiche on a gold base with cheese, seasonings, & red onion.
      Chicken Broccoli Quiche
    • Baked crustless quiche with sausage & broccoli in a round red baking dish.
      Crustless Quiche with Sausage and Broccoli
    • Moroccan Beef Pie slice lifted from the pan.
      Spicy Moroccan Beef and Potato Pie

    Reader Interactions

    Let's Talk Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Profile picture - Tammy, July 2019 square

    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

    More about Tammy →

    Bright Flavors to Usher in Spring

    • Lemon shortbread piled on a pink cake stand with lemons on a towel.
      Glazed Lemon Shortbread Cookies
    • Lifting slice of Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake slice from cheesecake on white cake stand & lemons in background.
      Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake
    • Mint Lemon Lime Bars stacked on blue plate.
      Easy Lemon Lime Bars with Mint
    • Glazed Limoncello Cake as a loaf.
      Easy Glazed Limoncello Cake
    • Lemon tartlets stacked on a white plate atop a green background.
      Two-Bite Mini Lemon Tartlets
    • Stack of Double Chocolate Mint Cookies with the top one bitten on a white plate with mint and chocolate wafers.
      Double Chocolate Mint Cookies (Soft & Chewy)
    • Lemon Sherbet scooped in blue bowl on green towel with strawberries & lemons.
      Lemon Sherbet
    • Homemade limoncello in a bottle and glass on a black table.
      Easy Homemade Limoncello Liqueur

    What's Popular with Readers

    Here's what my readers are viewing...

    • Chocolate mug cake with inserted spoon.
      Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake (Eggless & Dairy-Free)
    • Three Sourdough English Muffins stacked with more in wooden bowl behind.
      Sourdough Discard English Muffins
    • Bannocks stacked on a white plate with raspberries.
      How to Make Scottish Bannocks from Outlander
    • Assorted sourdough bagels on a white towel in a basket.
      The Best Homemade Sourdough Bagels
    • Scottish shortbread on white china plate with teacup.
      Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies
    • Raspberry Hamantaschen cookies stacked on a white plate with green trim on a green background.
      Hamantaschen Cookies Step-By-Step
    • Three ramekins of Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse on a glass cake stand with spoons and 1 in front.
      Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse (No Coconut Oil)
    • Two finished pretzels on a white plate in front of rolls on a red scarf in a ceramic basket.
      The Best Homemade Sourdough Pretzels

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Disclosures

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Ingredient Measurement Unit Policy

    Subscribe

    Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Let's Talk
    • About Tammy
    • Shop Scotch & Scones

    Copyright © 2023 Scotch & Scones