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Pizza night just got an upgrade! This Sourdough Pizza Dough is crispy and chewy and can be made with all of your favorite toppings. Plus it’s easy to make and comes together in just one day!
This recipe makes enough dough for four 12-inch pizzas—perfect for feeding a crowd or stocking your fridge or freezer for an easy meal the whole family will love. Each crust bakes up beautifully on a preheated baking steel, which helps mimic the high heat of a pizza oven and gives you a perfect crust. And to take things up a notch, the dough itself is mixed with a zesty pizza seasoning blend, adding an extra layer of flavor.
For more pizza-inspired recipes, try this Sourdough Pull-Apart Pizza Heart, Sourdough Pizza Wreath, Pepperoni Roll Sourdough Bread, or Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia.
Table of Contents
- Why you will love this recipe
- Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Helpful tools
- Why a baking steel is helpful for this recipe
- Instructions to make Sourdough Pizza Dough recipe
- Pizza topping ideas
- Recipe Tips
- Storage Instructions
- Sample baking schedule
- Recipe FAQs
- Other Same Day Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe
Why you will love this recipe
- This Sourdough Pizza Crust is crispy and chewy and can be made with all of your favorite toppings.
- You can easily make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or in the freezer for longer storage.
- This recipe makes four 12 inch pizzas, so you can make multiple flavors or save some for later.
- It is made with an active starter, so no commercial yeast is required!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough starter – Use an active sourdough starter that has recently been fed, has doubled in size, and is bubbly.
- Flour- You can use all-purpose flour, bread flour or pizza flour for this recipe. I prefer using bread flour.
- Olive oil – A little oil in the dough adds some flavor and makes the dough soft. You can use another oil if needed.
- Pizza Seasoning – Along with some salt, the pizza seasoning adds a zesty flavor to the dough. If you do not have pizza seasoning, you can also substitute it with Italian seasoning or leave it out all together.
- Cornmeal- You will use a little bit of cornmeal when shaping the dough. If you don’t have cornmeal you can use more flour although the cornmeal adds flavor and texture.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful tools
- Baking steel– Using a baking steel helps ensure the crust bakes evenly. I use a 1/4″ thick baking steel.
- Stand Mixer– You can mix your dough by hand but I prefer to use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
- Kitchen scale – Using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients by grams will give you the most accurate measurements.
Why a baking steel is helpful for this recipe
A baking steel or pizza stone retains a high heat and an even heat distribution which ensures an even bake and a crisp crust. If you do not have one, you can use a heavy-duty pan instead but the crust may not be as crispy. A good baking steel is a little bit of an investment, but so worth it! Then you can also use it to make other sourdough recipes such as Sourdough Bread Bowls, Sourdough Pita Bread, and Sourdough Pull A-part Pizza Heart.
Instructions to make Sourdough Pizza Dough recipe
Add all the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, and with a dough hook attachment knead the dough for 3-4 minutes on low. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is not add a little bit more flour. Alternatively, you can mix the dough by hand in a large mixing bowl and then knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface until it is soft and forms a smooth ball.
Let the dough rise covered in a warm spot at 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-6 hours until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can leave the dough to rise for a longer period of time at cooler temperatures.
After the dough has doubled, punch it down and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 4 balls and leave on the counter covered for 30 minutes.
During that time preheat the oven to 450°F with a baking steel. If you are not ready to bake the pizza, you can add the dough balls to the fridge for 3-5 days. Just keep in mind the longer they sit, the more sour they will taste. Or you can freeze the dough up to 2 months.
To shape the pizza dough, dust in cornmeal, or if you don’t have cornmeal you can use more flour, although the cornmeal adds flavor and texture.
Begin by dimpling the outside of the dough in a circle leaving about 1/2 inch for the crust. Then continue dimpling in a circle towards the center.
Put the dough over your knuckles and gently stretch it out. You want to get it thin as possible without tearing until it is about a 12 inch round. Make sure there is enough flour or cornmeal down that the dough does not stick to the counter. Place on a piece of parchment paper.
Add toppings and cheese of choice. Be sure only to add about 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce to the top. Too much sauce will make it soggy.
Place the parchment paper onto the hot baking steel. Bake at 450°F for about 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy!
Pizza topping ideas
- Classic Pepperoni – Add pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices.
- Margherita – Add pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.
- Combo – Add pizza sauce, shredded cheese, sausage, pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms.
- Get creative – Try other sauces such as Alfredo sauce, pesto, or even BBQ sauce! Try different combinations of cheese and toppings. The possibilities really are endless!
Recipe Tips
- Use a baking steel to help get an even bake and crispy crust on the pizza.
- Only use 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce. If you use too much you will make the pizza soggy.
- To speed up the process, find a warm spot for the dough to rise or use a dough mat. Find more tips about how to keep your dough warm.
Storage Instructions
The raw pizza dough balls can be placed in the refrigerator for 3-5 although the longer they sit the more tangy the flavor will be so it depends on your preference.
You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. To freeze, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and add to a freezer-safe container. When you are ready to use them, let the dough balls thaw on the counter or fridge and then shape the dough and bake as instructed.
Sample baking schedule
Here is an example of the timeline to make the sourdough pizza dough. The timeline can depend on the temperature and the activity of your starter, so your time may vary. This timeline assumes a dough temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
| Step | Time |
| Feed sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio (15 grams starter: 70 grams flour: 70 grams water) left at room temperature. | Day one: 9 pm |
| Mix dough together Let it rise for bulk fermentation | Day two: 9 am |
| Divide dough into 4 dough balls and rest for 30 minutes | Day two: 2 pm |
| Assemble and bake or alternatively add dough to the fridge until you are ready to bake. | Day two: 2:30 pm |
Recipe FAQs
Yes! To freeze, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and add them to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
If you do not have a baking steel or a heavy duty pan, you could use a cast iron skillet. Preheat he cast iron skillet in the oven and then place the dough in after it is shaped and quickly add the toppings. Then add back to the oven and bake as instructed.
No, it won’t burn. It gets a little dark but just like using parchment paper to bake sourdough bread at 450F, it will be just fine!
Yes! If you would prefer less dough you can divide the recipe in half.
Other Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie with Sourdough Biscuits
Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Bread
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Buttery Garlic Sourdough Naan Bread
If you tried this Sourdough Pizza Dough or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Equipment
Ingredients
Sourdough Pizza Dough
- 350 grams water, warm, 1½ cups
- 600 grams bread flour, 4 ½ cups
- 150 grams active sourdough starter, ⅔ cup
- 20 grams honey, 1 Tablespoon
- 30 grams olive oil, 2 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, 1 ½ teaspoons
- 10 grams pizza seasoning, 2 teaspoons, optional
- Toppings of choice
Instructions
- Add all the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, and with a dough hook knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is not add a little bit more flour. Alternatively, you can mix the dough by hand in a mixing bowl and then knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface until it is soft and forms a smooth ball.350 grams water, 600 grams bread flour, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 20 grams honey, 30 grams olive oil, 10 grams salt, 10 grams pizza seasoning
- Let the dough rise covered in a warm spot at 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-6 hours until doubled in size. Alternatively you can leave the dough to rise for a longer period of time at cooler temperatures.
- After the dough has doubled, punch it down and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 4 balls and leave on the counter covered for 30 minutes.
- During that time preheat the oven to 450℉ with a baking steel or heavy duty baking pan. If you are not ready to bake the pizza, you can add the dough balls to the fridge for 3-5 days. Just keep in mind the longer they sit, the more sour they will taste.
- To shape the pizza dough dust in cornmeal or if you don't have cornmeal you can use more flour although the cornmeal adds flavor and texture. Begin by dimpling the outside of the dough in a circle leaving about 1/2 inch for the crust. Then continue dimpling in a circle towards the center. Then place the dough on your knuckles and gently stretch the dough. You want to get it thin as possible without tearing until it is a 12 inch round. Make sure there is enough flour or cornmeal down that the dough does not stick to the counter. Place on a piece of parchment paper.
- Add toppings and cheese of choice. Be sure only to add about 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce to the top. Too much sauce will make it soggy.
- Place the pizza onto the hot baking steel with the parchment paper or use a pizza peel. Bake at 450℉ for about 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy!
Notes
Storage Instructions:
The raw pizza dough balls can be placed in the refrigerator for 3-5 days although the longer they sit the more tangy the flavor will be so it depends on your preference. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. To freeze, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and add to a freezer-safe container. When you are ready to use, let the dough balls thaw on the counter or fridge and then shape the dough and bake as instructed.Tips:
- Use a hot baking steel or heavy duty baking pan to help get an even bake and crispy crust on the pizza.
- Only use 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce. If you use too much you will make the pizza soggy.
- To speed up the process, find a warm spot for the dough to rise or use a dough mat. Find more tips about how to keep your dough warm.
- Make sure the dough is coated in cornmeal or flour when shaping to ensure it doesn’t stick when shaping.
- If you don’t want as much dough you can halve the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What size pizzas will each 1/4 dough make?
Each pizza is about 12″ diameter.
Simple and delicious! ❤️
Thanks so much!