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Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe

Sourdough Pizza Crust is a must-try for your next family pizza night! Crispy exterior, chewy interior, and so much flavor! Add your favorite toppings and you’re ready for dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 40 minutes
Servings 4 pizzas
Calories 797kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Silicone spatula
  • Large sheet pan
  • Bench scraper

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1½ cups warm water (80 to 85°F) (360mL)
  • ⅔ cup fed sourdough starter (150g)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing
  • 4¾ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (570g)
  • 2½ teaspoons salt (15g)

Pizza Toppings:

  • 1 to 1½ cups pizza sauce (240 to 360g)
  • 8 to 12 ounces mozzarella cheese (226 to 340g)
  • Fresh vegetables, cured meats, or other pizza toppings

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together the water, sourdough starter, and olive oil with a fork.
  • Add the flour, then the salt. Stir together with a silicone spatula until all of the flour is moistened and a shaggy dough forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl and knead the dough together a few times with lightly floured hands, until it is combined. (It’s ok if it’s lumpy. The dough will smooth out as it rests.)
  • Cover the bowl and let rest for 1 hour in a warm place (about 72°F).
  • Wet your hands with warm water. With the dough bowl directly in front of you, slide your fingers or a bench scraper under one edge of the dough down to the bottom of the bowl. (I like to pull at the top or 12 o’clock.) Pull that section of dough up, stretch it over the center, and press it down into the dough to help hold it in place. Turn the bowl 90°, or a quarter turn, and repeat 3 to 5 more times until you’ve made 4 to 6 folds and turns. (The dough will feel sticky. Continue to moisten your hands in order to work with it easily.) Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a plate.
  • Let the dough rest for 30 more minutes, then repeat the 4 to 6 stretches, folds, and turns three more times. Cover the bowl and rest for 30 minutes between each set of stretches and folds, for a total of 4 sets.
  • Brush the inside of a large bowl lightly with olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (about 72°F) until increased by 50% to 75% in size, about 3 to 5 hours. (At this point you can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours.)
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 4 equally-sized pieces 4 pieces, about 275g each. Shape each piece into a ball by pinching all of the edges into the center, like you are bundling up a sack, to make a tight ball shape.
  • Flip the dough balls over and place seam-side down on a clean surface. Working with one piece of dough at a time, with your hands cupped around the top of the dough, gently pull the ball towards you, tightening the circular shape. Return the dough to where you started, rotate it 90° and repeat three more times until it is in a tight, circular shape. Place each shaped ball on a small, quarter-sheet tray, lightly sprinkle with flour on top, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 more hours until puffed.
  • Meanwhile, arrange an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Brush a large baking sheet generously with more olive oil.
  • Using a bench scraper, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Flip over to coat the top in the flour, then flip once again to place the seam-side down. Dimple the center of the dough with four fingertips all over, to create a circle inside of the dough and a puffy rim around the edge, ¾ to 1 inch wide. Stretch the dough into a 10 to 11-inch circle, maintaining the rim. Brush or shake off any excess flour.
  • Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and re-shape into a circle. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Brush the crust with a little olive oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Repeat with the remaining crusts.

Video

Notes

  • Try not to open the oven while the pizza is baking until you think it’s ready. You want a lot of heat to help the crust puff up and crisp on the outside! If you open the oven door in the middle of baking, you’ll release that heat, and your pizza won’t bake up as nicely.
  • Storage: Leftover sourdough pizza will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in the air fryer at 375°F for about 3 minutes, or the unsliced pizza in the oven, also at 375°F, for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 797kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 2252mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 325mg | Iron: 3mg