Sourdough Pizza Dough Blend (Printable)

A flavorful, chewy dough with natural starter yielding crisp, artisan-style pizza crusts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3⅓ cups bread flour
02 - 1⅓ cups plus 1 tablespoon water, room temperature
03 - ½ cup active sourdough starter
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional for softer dough

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour and water. Stir until just combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Add sourdough starter and salt to the bowl, plus olive oil if using. Mix by hand or with stand mixer until a sticky dough forms.
03 - Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic, or use stretch-and-fold technique every 30 minutes for 2 hours, completing 4 folds total.
04 - Cover the bowl and let dough rise at room temperature for 6–8 hours until doubled in size and bubbly.
05 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half and shape each piece into a tight ball.
06 - Place dough balls on a tray, cover, and rest for 1–2 hours at room temperature. Alternatively, cold ferment in refrigerator for up to 24 hours for enhanced flavor development.
07 - Preheat oven to highest temperature, ideally 475–500°F with pizza stone or steel inside. Stretch each dough ball into a 12-inch round and add desired toppings.
08 - Transfer to hot stone or steel and bake for 10–15 minutes until crust is puffed and golden with crisp edges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Deep, complex flavor: The natural sourdough starter ferments the dough slowly, creating a tangy, rich taste that commercial yeast simply cannot replicate.
  • Perfectly chewy and crisp: Bread flour provides the strong gluten structure needed for that signature chew, while a blazing-hot oven delivers irresistibly crisp edges.
  • Flexible timing: Whether you rise the dough at room temperature for 6–8 hours or cold ferment it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, this recipe works around your schedule.
  • Just five ingredients: 500 g bread flour, 325 g water, 100 g active sourdough starter, 12 g fine sea salt, and optional 15 g olive oil—nothing artificial, nothing unnecessary.
  • Makes two large pizzas: This batch yields two 12-inch rounds, serving 4–6 people generously.
02 -
  • Use an active, bubbly starter: Your sourdough starter should be at peak activity—doubled in size and full of bubbles—before you begin. A sluggish starter will produce a dense, under-flavored dough.
  • Cold ferment for maximum flavor: Refrigerating the dough balls for up to 48 hours after shaping develops a deeper, more complex tang and makes the dough easier to stretch.
  • Get your oven as hot as possible: Preheat to 475–500°F (250–260°C) with your pizza stone or steel inside for at least 45–60 minutes so it is fully saturated with heat before baking.
  • Don't skip the autolyse: That initial 30-minute rest after combining flour and water significantly improves dough extensibility and gluten development with minimal effort.
  • All-purpose flour works in a pinch: If bread flour is unavailable, all-purpose flour is a viable substitute, though the crust will be slightly softer and less chewy.
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