There's no pizza like sourdough pizza! With a crispy, chewy crust that is perfectly charred on top and bottom and loaded with all the good stuff.
We've developed an easy overnight dough that will hold all your favorite pizza toppings and bake to perfection every time. Get your stretchy pants ready because you won't be able to eat just one slice!
So you've caught the sourdough bug, ay? Me too, I'm obsessed!
We love all things sourdough around here, and pizza crust is right at the top of the list. Especially when it's this easy to make!
Just like our cinnamon rolls, pancakes and sourdough bread, plan to make the dough the night before you want to bake.
Let the dough ferment on the counter while you sleep and then pop it in the fridge the next morning.
Your pizza dough will be waiting for you to bake when you get home from work and you'll be ready to get dinner on the table!
There's only a few steps standing between you and sourdough pizza crust bliss. Make sure to try it with our Neapolitan Style Pizza Sauce.
Let's go over the basic steps, so you can get some in your belly, ASAP!
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Do you have a sourdough starter?
Don't have a sourdough starter? If you'd like to get one going, follow sourdough starter recipe tutorial. You'll be baking sourdough in about 7 days!
Step by step instructions
1. Mix the pizza crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl until they come together and form a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and let it ferment on the counter at room temperature overnight.
2. The next morning, perform one set of stretch and folds, cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to bake. (The dough can be used to make the pizza crust at this point.)
3. Remove the dough from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, flour your work surface and shape each portion into a ball shape. Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.
4. Turn your oven's broiler on HI and preheat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove-top. Working one at a time on a floured surface, press a dough ball into an 8" wide circle.
TIP - If you have trouble shaping the dough, let it rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. This will make it easier to stretch into a nice round shape.
5. Carefully lay the crust into the hot skillet, making sure not to burn yourself.
6. Immediately place your pizza toppings onto the crust. Cook on the stove-top for 5-6 minutes. Use a spatula to lift the crust in order to check the bottom for doneness. It should have a nice char.
Once the bottom is well cooked, transfer the skillet to the broiler for 2-4 minutes to cook the toppings. Check on the pizza frequently to avoid over burning.
7. Remove the pizza from your oven and cut into slices!
Cooking this sourdough pizza crust in a cast iron skillet makes all the difference! It's so easy to go from stove-top to broiler without messing up the pizza crust.
Tips for success
- If you do not have an oven-safe or cast iron skillet, start the pizza on the stove-top in a non-stick skillet. (If it is not a non-stick skillet, spray a little cooking oil to prevent the crust from sticking.) When the pizza is ready to go under the broiler, carefully slide the crust onto a baking sheet to finish it! (You can also try to use a large spatula to transfer the crust to a baking sheet.)
- Have your pizza toppings ready to go before you shape the dough into the pizza crust. It only takes a few minutes on the stove-top before it's ready to pop into the oven to finish.
- This recipe makes (4) 8" pizza crusts. The ingredients can be divided in half to make (2) 8" pizzas or (1) 16" pizza.
Adjustments for high humidity and warm climates
- Reduce the water by 25 grams in the initial mix. If the dough seems too stiff, slowly add the remaining water until you achieve the correct hydration level.
- You can adjust the flour measurements to 75g whole wheat flour and 425g all-purpose flour. The whole wheat needs more water than all-purpose, thus slightly reducing the hydration level of the dough.
- Remember, don't be afraid to generously flour the work surface and the dough while shaping the pizza crust. Anytime your hands start to stick, add more flour.
This will take some trial and error!
How to freeze pizza dough
To freeze unbaked pizza dough, after you form the dough into a ball, place each dough ball into individual freezer bags. (You can lightly coat each ball with olive oil to help prevent sticking to the bag.)
Make sure to remove any air from the bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, thaw in your refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. Once you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Shape the pizza crust and bake according to directions.
You can also partially bake the crust and freeze it up to 3 months for later use.
- Shape the crust and cook in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes. Finish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
- Let cool and freeze in a freezer-safe bags between sheets of parchment paper.
To bake a frozen crust, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the crust from the freezer, place on a baking sheet and add desired toppings. (There's no need to defrost.) Bake until crust is golden and toppings are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
Recommended kitchen tools
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- cast iron skillet (affiliate link)
Other sourdough recipes you may like:
If you make this recipe let us know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating in the comment section below!
Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe
Rate this recipe!
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Kitchen Scale
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Sourdough pizza crust
- scant ½ cup (100 g) sourdough starter discard
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil
- ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons (50 g) whole wheat flour
- 3 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (450 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon (350 g) water (see notes)
Pizza toppings
- pizza sauce
- your choice of toppings
Instructions
The night before
- Add the pizza crust ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix until they are fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature overnight.
The next morning
- Perform a set of stretch and folds. Wet your hand with water to prevent the dough from sticking. While the dough is still in the bowl, gently pull one side of the dough up and over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this on all sides of the dough until you turned the bowl full circle.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge, up to 36 hours until ready to bake. (The dough can be used at this point to make your pizza, the cold ferment is optional.)
That night
- Remove the dough and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and on a generously floured work surface, shape each portion into ball shape. Cover the mounds with a tea towel let rest 30 minutes.
- Turn on your oven's broiler and heat a cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. While the skillet is preheating, use your hands to press a ball of dough into an 8" circle on a floured surface. Use more flour as needed to prevent sticking. (If you find the dough difficult to shape into a pizza crust, let it to rest on the counter for 15 minutes in order for the gluten to relax.)
- When the skillet is hot, lay the circle of dough onto the skillet. Immediately place the sauce and toppings on the crust and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is starting to char.
- Once the bottom has turned brown and charred, transfer the cast iron skillet to the broiler to finish baking the top of the pizza 2-4 minutes. Remove, slice and serve hot.
Notes
- This recipe has been EDITED on 12-15-20 from the original, with the following changes:
- water: reduced from original 1 ½ cup (375g) to 1 ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (350g) of water.
- If you do not have an oven-safe or cast iron skillet, start the pizza on the stove-top in a non-stick skillet. (If it is not a non-stick skillet, spray a little cooking oil to prevent the crust from sticking.) When the pizza is ready to go under the broiler, carefully slide the crust onto a baking sheet to finish it. (You can also try to use a large spatula to transfer the crust to a baking sheet.)
Sarah F says
Thank you Amy! I made a perfect pizza first time! I’ve tried a number of sourdough pizza recipes and this was the easiest and best.
Thank you also for including the gram weights - it can be frustrating for us Brits over here to have to convert from cups in an American recipe.
I’m looking forward to trying some more of your sourdough recipes!
Happy New Year!
Lisa says
Every recipe is a winner! You are my constant sourdough baking companion ❤️
Mary Ciminelli says
Amy, I've been wanting to make sourdough pizza for months and finally tried it. The pizzas were delicious! However, my dough was very thin and practically falling apart as I placed them in the cast iron skillet. I do live at 7000' above sea level, but successfully bake your beginner sourdough bread twice/week. Any idea why the dough was so weak? Too much water? I used 350 grams. Thanks for your insight. Mary
Amy Duska says
Hi Mary, the dough may have been over proved. How long did you leave it at room temperature?
Sarah says
I don’t have a cast iron but I have a Dutch oven. Would that work instead? Looking forward to trying your recipe for New Years Eve!
Amy Duska says
Hi Sarah! A dutch oven might be a bit too deep to get the crust charred on top. If that's what you have, I'd use it. Or, you can get the pizza started on the stovetop and transfer it to a baking sheet to finish on the top rack under the broiler. Happy New Year! 🙂
Heenie says
So. After keeping my starter alive for about 6 months , i finally got around to making this pizza crust!
Absolutely loved the result!!!
Such a simplr recipe and method, j will be making these again n again. A lovely crisp, wood fired effect jn minutes just on your stove.
Thank you so much Amy 😊
Brenda says
My oven, even on broil, wasn't hot enough, so the first couple were doughy. But a slower longer cook time worked very well. Christmas pizza!
Isabelle says
Hi Amy, is the recipe the same if I use a pizza steel in the oven instead of the pan?
Amy Duska says
Hi Isabelle, if you are going to start the pizza on the stovetop in a pan and then transfer it to the broiler, I would have the pizza steel in the oven preheating under the broiler and then slide the pizza onto it. If you want to bake the pizza directly in the oven on the pizza steel, I would bake it at around 400°F until it's cooked through and the toppings are done.
Robin says
Do I have to use the cast iron part of the directions or can I just immediately put it on a pizza sheet? I’m trying to understand why it needs that step instead of just on perforated pizza sheet fir the whole baking step. It will be my first time making this tomorrow night!
Amy Duska says
Yes you can put it directly on the pizza sheet. 🙂
Dynamite says
This recipe has changed my pizza game. It really does make the best pizza. Thanks for sharing!
Amy Duska says
You are very welcome!
Mary says
Hi, wondering if I can use 00 flour instead? Would the measurement be the same if I swapped it with all-purpose flour?
Amy Duska says
Yes you can, it should be the same. Hold back some water and add it gradually just to make sure the dough doesn't get over-hydrated.
Andrew says
Mary,
I've done this recipe twice now subbing OO flour for the AP. I dropped the hydration by 25 grams and it wasn't enough so the second time I did 50 and it turned out a lot better. It's not going to be true Neapolitan pizza because of the oven and cook time but still really tasty!
Tucker Fiend says
Hi Mary I think you will get a great result from a 50:50 blend of el cheapo, plain flour and mediun grind semolina. Type 00 flour just an Italian term and refers to the grind. Italian flour is pretty low in gluten and high in price if things are the same in the States as here in Australia, hence my semolina recommendation.
Let me know how you go.....Tucker.