Have you been thinking about making your own pizza crust at home?
Do you have a sourdough starter that is ready to be used?
Let me show you how simple it is to use a sourdough starter to make great pizza dough at home!
Sourdough pizza crust is easier than you think
The dough is made from just 4 simple ingredients. It is very easy to mix, in fact, you don’t even need a stand mixer. With only 5 minutes of kneading and some time for the dough to rest, you can have an authentic Italian-style pizza crust. Top it however you want with pizza sauce, cheese, meat, or veggies for a fun pizzeria-style meal at home. I'll even show you how to save and freeze your pizza dough so you can top and bake pizza crust whenever you want a quick meal.
Sourdough pizza crust uses pantry basics you already have on hand
- Sourdough starter
- Bread Flour
- Salt
- Water
No need for an electric mixer here!
While most bread recipes call for a stand mixer, this recipe is so simple that you can mix it by hand. I just combined the ingredients in a bowl, then turned them out onto a clean countertop. I used my hands to knead the dough until it was smooth and elastic which took about 5 minutes. If you prefer to use your mixer and a dough hook that will also work.
The steps involved are:
- Weigh the ingredients
- Mix with a spoon until the ingredients are all combined
- Turn out onto the counter and knead by hand for 5 minutes (in a mixer with a dough hook for 4-5 minutes)
Sourdough pizza crust needs more time to proof
-Start the dough early (8 hours before you want to eat)
-Remember that natural starters are slower acting
-Place the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen
-When the dough has risen to double its size, it’s ready to shape
Use the dough now or freeze it for later
-This recipe makes 4 individual-size crusts or 2 large crusts
-Turn the dough out onto your work surface and divide it into the desired number of crusts
-Using plenty of flour, gently round the dough
If you are making your pizzas within 24 hours: place them in a covered container and refrigerate until you are ready to shape and top your pizzas.
If you are freezing your pizza crusts: Allow the dough balls to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Flatten the dough in the shape of the crust. Place on a sheet of parchment and freeze flat. When the dough is completely frozen, stack the crusts and place them in a plastic food storage bag. Keep them separated with parchment.
Top and bake your pizzas
-Preheat your oven to 450° oven
-Place a pizza stone in the lower ⅓ of the oven
-Roll out the dough to the desired thickness
-Lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper
-Top your pizzas with desired toppings
-Bake for 10-15 minutes for individual pizzas or 20-25 minutes for a large
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Use your sourdough starter to mix up an authentic pizza crust.
- Pizza Stone, Food Scale, Parchment Paper
- 2.25 cups Bread Flour (100%, 13oz, 368g)
- 1 cup Water (70%, 8.5oz, 248g)
- 1/2 cup Sourdough Starter (25%, 4oz, 113g)
- 1 tsp Salt (2%, 0.25oz, 7g)
- Into a large bowl, pour the water measurement. Add the sourdough starter, bread flour measurement, and salt.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until you have a shaggy mass and there is no visible dry flour.
- Turn the dough out into a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. About 5 minutes.
- Let the dough rest in the warmest part of your kitchen until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Divide into 3 individual crusts or 1 large crust.
- Gently round the dough into balls. Cover and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before shaping.
- To bake immediately transfer the shaped crust onto a piece of parchment and top with your choice of sauce, cheese, meats, or veggies. Bake at 450°.10-15 minutes for the small crust and 20- 25 minutes for the large crust
If you love baking bread, be sure to check out this recipe for making Dave's Killer Bread at home!
The actual recipe calls for 1/4 cup starter., when you hit visit. The recipe when you first open, calls for 4 cups, I only use the 1/4 and it did not rise, was not bad, just made one thin crust. I looked up a few other recipes and they called for one cup. So not sure what the amount should be.
Thank you for pointing that out. I’ve tested and updated the recipe with the correct sourdough starter amount!
When you updated the amount of starter did that change the amount it makes?
In the description at the top it says it makes 3 individual or 1 large. In the actual recipe it says 4 individual or 2 large. Just wanting to know which is correct.
Thanks.
Hi Shannon, I’ve corrected that typo. The recipe makes 1 large or 3 individuals. Thanks for point that out. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
There’s also a typo in the recipe for the amount of flour. “13 oz, 3g”
I’m guessing that’s supposed to be something like 364 g?
Hi Will, the typo has been corrected. Thanks for pointing that out!
When you make and then freeze, when you want to use, how long do you have to thaw the crust before you use them.
This looks so good! What a fun way to use sourdough! Does it affect the flavor much?
Thanks for sharing! Does the crust keep long after baked?
Hi Vanessa, So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I like to par-bake the crust ( bake until the dough is set, but not brown) and freeze them. They keep about 4 days at room temp or 3 months in the freezer.
Hi Suzanne, this recipe is literally a staple in my house. It makes THE best pizza crust I’ve ever had! I can’t really taste a strong sour flavor, but the texture is SO much better!
I’m not sure what I did wrong…when I mixed everything and tried to knead it by hand it just stuck all over my hands and the counter. The only way I had a prayer of kneading it was to add more flour, quite a bit more flour! I also mixed a batch in my stand mixer with the dough hook…I had to add flour to this batch also. I am a newbie at bread making, lol! Any advice?
Hi Debra, I’ve been making this recipe for years with no issues. I wonder if your sourdough starter may be more liquid than mine? How did it work when you added more flour? Sorry for your sticky fingers! lol. Better luck next time.
Thanks for responding! It turned out ok with the additional flour—about a cup actually! I did use a new starter…maybe that did it. I am going to try again, it was delicious 😊
Approximately how long would you say the rise takes to double in size? After the rise and 20 min rest, could I refrigerate the balls until dinner? Thank you!
This looks I didn’t know sourdough could be be made into pizza dough too! What a great way to keep the tummy happy!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
I assume this recipe uses active sourdough starter, but the title of the recipe on Pinterest is “Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust”. Please clarify. I would really love to try this recipe, but don’t want a fail. I have tons of discard to use up, and I also have active starter.
I’m wondering if I could substitute Einkorn flour in place of the bread flour? My daughter does better with Einkorn and it has a higher protein content as well.
I desperately need help. Everything I’ve tried with my sourdough starter has failed. I know it’s my starter and not your recipe, but I don’t seem to be able to get a thick starter and I’ve been trying for 2 months now. It bubbles, rises and smells but it doesn’t look like everyone’s I’ve seen that is a good starter. I had to throw out the whole mess. Any thoughts?
Hi!
Can these be baked frozen or do they need to thaw?
Thank you,
Lauren
We loved it! I made it with active starter (unsure if it’s ok for discard??) and made two small pizzas and 1 medium with the dough. It was a bit hard to roll out, it kept wanting to shrink back. Overall though it was the best pizza dough we’ve ever made at home! It’s a keeper for us
can these be baked frozen?? or how long do they need to sit out prior to baking. there are no directions to frozen crust.