Pizza Dough With Sourdough Starter

Mixing the Dough

1. By Hand: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with a dough whisk, wooden spoon, or hands until a shaggy dough forms. Knead lightly, adding flour as needed, until tacky but smooth.
2. By Stand Mixer: Add ingredients to a stand mixer bowl, starting with 2 cups of flour. Using a dough hook on low, mix for 6-10 minutes, gradually adding flour, until smooth and elastic, but should still be on the sticker side, tacky to the touch.*Note: I’ve done it both ways, stand mixer is certainly a little easier because you don’t have to knead it, but they are both super simple.

Night Before (other options below, very forgiving!)

1. Combine all ingredients using one of the above methods, then place in a large bowl or straight sided container, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to bulk ferment overnight on the counter, 8-18 hours. *rise time is deteremined by kitchen temperature and how active your starter was.

Shaping & Storing (the next morning)

1. Wet your hands with water and perform 3-5 stretches and folds until it becomes a smooth dough (dough will be floopy, soft, marshmallowy). (See note 5 for how to perform a stretch and fold)
2. At this point, the dough is ready to bake pizza, but if the timing doesn’t work, divide the dough into 4 even pieces or two pieces if larger pizzas are desired. Place in separate containers or baggies in the fridge for up to 36 hours. If you don’t plan on using all the dough, I recommend freezing the dough balls for up to 1 month. The longer the fermentation, the better the dough will taste!

Baking Instructions

1. Before you begin, let refrigerated dough sit at room temp for 60 minutes before shaping. If the dough was frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp.
2. Preheat the Oven & Pizza Stone/Steel to 550°F (or highest setting), placing pizza stone or steel in the upper third of the oven. Preheat for 30-60 minutes for a crispy crust with charred bubbles.

Shaping the Dough

1. Method 1: Press & Stretch (Best for Beginners): Lightly flour your hands and surface. Press the dough outward with your fingers to form a round shape. Lift the dough, turning gently in a circle, stretch gently, letting gravity assist. Leave edges slightly thicker than the center.
2. Method 2: Fist & Stretch (Traditional Hand-Stretched Method): Hold the dough over your fists, letting it stretch naturally. Rotate and twist, occasionally popping the dough into the air. Lay it back on the floured surface, adjusting thickness.
3. Method 3: Rolling Pin (Quick & Even Method): Lightly flour a surface and gently roll out the dough. Roll from the center outward, keeping the edges thicker than the middle. *While the easiest, this is my least favorite, it works great for my no rise pizza dough, but I found the results tougher when doing this with sourdough pizza dough.*If the Dough Resists Stretching: Cover with a damp towel and rest 15 minutes, then try again. This relaxes gluten, making it easier to shape.

Assembling the Pizza

1. Lay the dough on a piece of parchment paper or well floured surface.
2. Spread a thin layer of sauce, leaving ½-inch from the edge.
3. Add ½ - 1 cup cheese, followed by toppings, then additional ½ - 1 cup cheese.

Baking

1. Using a pizza peel or upside-down sheet pan, transfer the pizza (with parchment) onto the hot stone/steel.
2. Bake for 5-8 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.*No Pizza Peel? Carefully remove hot stone/steel from the oven. Assemble pizza directly on top, then bake as directed.*For alternative baking methods, see notes.