Easy Sourdough Pizza Bases

These delicious sourdough pizza bases are light and airy with the best chewy bite.

Sourdough pizza bases have great texture and flavour, so a simple topping is best. The sourdough pizza dough itself is the star.

Jump to:

• The starter
• Baker's schedule
• Kneading the dough
• Bulk Fermenting
• Pre-shape
• Shaping the crust
• Balsamic Tomato Sauce
• Baking the pizza
• Related recipes
• Sourdough Pizza Bases

The starter

This sourdough pizza recipe crust is really quite simple, but you do still need time to let the dough ferment.

A good sourdough starter is the basis of any good sourdough bread and the same goes for this pizza dough. Once you've got that sorted you are on your way to pizza perfection!

Baker's schedule

Here are two options of timings that can be used for this pizza dough. You can tweak these timings to suit your own schedule but this will help give an idea.

The cold proof of the dough can be extended up to 24 hours (or even longer!)

Option A

The night before

• Feed sourdough starter

The following morning

• 9 am - mix the dough.
• 9:30 - bench proof of 4 hours
• 1:30 - Fridge proof 4 hours
• 5:30 - Pre-shape dough
• 6:00 - Cook pizza

Option B

Day 1

• 9 am - Feed starter
• 1 pm - Mix the dough
• 1:30 pm - Bench proof 4 hours
• 5:30 pm - Fridge proof overnight

Day 2

• 4:30 pm - Pre-shape dough
• 5:00pm - Cook pizza

Kneading the dough

The pizza dough has only one coil fold, unlike my bread, and instead has a rougher slap and fold kneading process. This is because creating those delicate gluten structures isn't quite as important in a flatter pizza dough as it is in a bread loaf.

A 6 minute rough knead creates the structure that's required.

Slaps and folds literally are slapping the dough down hard on a clean bench and folding it over. Slap, and fold and repeat. Speed is key, especially if you're working with sticky dough.

It may stick to your fingers but sheer force and speed will rip it off your hands as you slap it down. After a while, you'll feel the dough strengthen and become more elastic.

Then place the dough in a flat tray let it sit for 15 minutes and then give it one round of gentle coil folds, just to give the dough some tension and create a smooth top.

Alternatively, if you'd rather stick to only folding, the dough can be stretched and folded or coil folded every 15 minutes for one hour instead.

Bulk Fermenting

Leave the dough to bulk ferment on the bench for 3-4 hours depending on room temperature. In temperatures above 24°C, the dough can be refrigerated after 3 hours. Place the dough in an airtight container to stop it from drying out.

The cold ferment helps bring flavour and texture to the dough.

Pre-shape

After the cold-proof, take the dough from the fridge and cut it into 2 even-sized pieces.

Lay a piece flat on the bench and stretch it out into a rectangle. Take a side of the rectangle and bring it into the middle. Continue with all the sides of the dough until you have created a little dough parcel.

Flip it upside down so the smooth side is showing. With the palms of your hands, spin the dough parcel around to create a circle. Repeat with the second piece.

Place these pieces on a floured tray, cover with a tea towel and let them sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes

Shaping the crust

Gently roll or push each piece of dough out on some baking paper with your fingers, into a 20cm circle.

Starting from the middle, press the dough outwards so the inner circumference is thinner and there is a thicker crust around the pizza base.

Spoon on your favourite sauce and toppings. Our favourite is a simple balsamic tomato sauce, topped with cheese, olives and capers, and fresh basil at the end.

Balsamic Tomato Sauce

1 diced onion, 3 cloves garlic chopped, browned in a pan with a splash of oil, for 8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.

Add in 1 can chopped tomatoes, ½ tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer on medium heat for 5-8 minutes before blitzing into a sauce.

Baking the pizza

The pizza crust should be baked quickly, using very high temperatures for the best results. If you've got a pizza oven you can use that, or a pizza stone preheated in an oven at around 250°C /482°F

Alternatively, the pizza can also be made in a cast-iron skillet. Cast-iron traps really well. Dress a skillet with plenty of olive oil, then press the dough into the skillet. Bake in a hot pre-heated oven until puffed and browned.

Related recipes

Have you made these Sourdough pizza crusts? Tag me and let me know! @home_grown_happinessnz