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This Sourdough Pizza Wreath is a fun and festive holiday appetizer that is sure to impress. It is filled with zesty pizza flavor, gooey mozzarella cheese, and pepperonis for a delicious pull-apart sourdough pizza.
“This was absolutely delicious!!! Pretty to look at too!” -Patricia
This recipe is made with a naturally leavened, simple sourdough pizza dough and then rolled up with pepperoni slices and mozzarella cheese. Shape it into a festive wreath and you have a fun dinner for the family or a festive savory snack. It is easy to pull apart and dip into a marinara sauce served on the side. It is just what you need for any of your holiday parties or celebrations!
More holiday recipes you won’t want to miss include Sourdough Cinnamon Star, Cheesy Sourdough Star Bread, Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Cranberry Orange Sourdough Muffins.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Naturally leavened – This Sourdough Pizza Wreath is naturally leavened with a sourdough starter, no commercial yeast required.
- Great texture – The dough is soft and chewy and filled with delicious pizza flavor.
- Easy to make – It is made into a festive wreath shape that looks impressive but is simple to create. Be sure to also check out my Sourdough Pizza Heart Pull-Apart.
- Impress a crowd – It is the perfect appetizer to bring to your holiday party or celebration.
Ingredients for the Sourdough Pizza Wreath
- Active Sourdough starter – Use an active, bubbly sourdough starter that has recently been fed and doubled in size. You can make your own sourdough starter with this recipe here.
- Flour- Bread flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, or pizza flour will all work for this recipe.
- Pizza Seasoning – This seasoning blend adds a zesty pizza taste to the dough. It is optional so feel free to leave it out or swap for Italian seasoning.
- Pepperoni slices – I went with a classic pepperoni pizza but you could always omit or swap out with your favorite pizza toppings.
- Mozzarella cheese – Use freshly shredded mozzarella to ensure the cheese melts properly when baked.
- Garlic butter – After baking the pizza wreath brush 2 Tablespoons of melted butter mixed with 2 teaspoons of minced garlic on top.
How to make the Sourdough Pizza Wreath
Step 1: Add the water, flour, sourdough starter, honey, olive oil, salt and pizza seasoning to a stand mixer with a dough hook and 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.
Step 2: Let the dough rise covered in at 80°F for 4-5 hours until doubled in size. At cooler temperatures, expect a longer rise time.
Step 3: After the dough has doubled, punch it down and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10×20 inch rectangle with a rolling pin.
Step 4: Sprinkle the cheese over the dough and add the pepperonis all along the dough close together.
Step 5: Tightly roll up the dough into a 20-inch log.
Step 6: Bring the dough ends together and pinch them into a large circle.
Transfer the dough to a x-large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 7: Slice the wreath into 1-inch slits about 3/4th of the way using a sharp knife. You should get 18-20 slices.
Step 8: Twist the dough 90 degrees so it is on its side and continue until all the slices have been twisted.
To ensure the middle stays open you can add a small oven-safe bowl to the center or you can ball up aluminum foil. Let the dough rise for another hour or two in a warm spot to puff up. When it is nice and puffy, brush a mixture of olive oil and Italian seasoning on top.
Step 9: Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sourdough wreath is golden and cooked through.
Prepare the garlic butter by melting two tablespoons of butter and mixing it with 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Brush the top of the Sourdough Pizza Wreath with the garlic butter. Remove the oven-safe bowl from the center and replace it with a small serving bowl filled with warm marinara sauce to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the dough in a warm spot to rise. The dough will take longer at cooler temperatures. I recommend placing the dough in a draft-free warm spot like the oven, microwave, or near a vent. You can also use a temperature-regulated dough mat (use code country10 for 10% off) or proofing box to keep it warm.
- Keep a couple of pepperonis aside. After cutting and twisting the wreath, check for any bare-looking spots (usually the ends) and tuck in an extra pepperoni or two.
- Let the dough get puffy before baking to ensure a soft, fluffy pizza wreath.
- To bake later, prepare the wreath and let it sit in the fridge covered until ready to bake.
Sample baking schedule
Here is an example of the timeline to make your Sourdough Pizza Wreath. 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°F.
| 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: 10 pm |
| Mix dough together First rise | Day two: 8 am |
| Roll out dough and add filling Second rise | Day two: 1 pm |
| Bake the Sourdough Pizza Wreath | Day two: 2:30 pm *If baking for later in the evening, simply place the wreath in the fridge covered until ready to bake. |
How to store the Sourdough Pizza Wreath
To store, add the Sourdough Pizza Wreath to an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until the cheese is melty and it is warmed through.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, if you would like to change the filling in the pizza wreath, feel free to stuff it with any of your favorite pizza toppings such as Italian sausage, olives, mushrooms, fresh basil leaves or whatever else you’d like! It would be delicious with pesto and parmesan cheese as well. Just be sure to not overfill the dough because if there is too much filling it will be really hard to cut and shape the small circles that go around the wreath.
Yes! If you want to make the wreath ahead of time, simply follow the recipe up to the second rise after shaping. Once the wreath is formed, let it rise for 30–60 minutes, then cover it and place it in the refrigerator. It will keep, covered, for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, take the wreath out while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
More sourdough Holiday Recipes
Christmas Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Discard Nutella Star Bread
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough Gingerbread Pancakes
Christmas Sourdough Recipes
Cheesy Sourdough Star Bread
Sourdough Focaccia Recipes
Sourdough Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Tried this Sourdough Pizza Wreath or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Pizza Wreath
Ingredients
Levain
- 15 grams active sourdough starter , 1 Tablespoon
- 70 grams all-purpose flour, ½ cup
- 70 grams water, ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons
Sourdough Pizza Dough
- 350 grams water, 1 ½ cups
- 600 grams bread flour, 4 ½ cups
- 150 grams active sourdough starter, ⅔ cup
- 20 grams honey, 1 heaping Tablespoon
- 30 grams olive oil, 2 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, 2 teaspoons
- 2 grams pizza seasoning or italian seasoning, optional, 2 teaspoons
Fillings
- 170 grams pepperoni slices, 6 ounces
- 453 grams shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 LB (1 whole block)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, optional
Topping
- 45 grams olive oil , 3 Tablespoons
- 2 grams Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon
Garlic Butter
- 28 grams butter, 2 Tablespoons
- 4 grams minced garlic, 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter the night before, about 10 hours prior, and leave at 72℉ until doubled and bubbly. At warmer temperatures, you may need to add more flour and water. At cooler temperatures, use warm water and add a little more active starter to the mix.
- Add all the dough ingredients to a stand mixer with a dough hook and 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. Place in a bowl and cover.350 grams water, 600 grams bread flour, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 20 grams honey, 30 grams olive oil, 10 grams salt, 2 grams pizza seasoning or italian seasoning
- Let the dough rise covered in at 80°F for 4-5 hours until doubled in size. At cooler temperatures, expect a longer rise time.
- After the dough has doubled, punch down the dough and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10×20 inch rectangle.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the dough and add the pepperonis all along the dough close together. You can also sprinkle basil over the top. 170 grams pepperoni slices, 453 grams shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup fresh basil
- Tightly roll up the dough into a 20-inch log. Bring the dough ends together and pinch them into a large circle.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined x-large rimmed baking sheet. Slice the wreath into 1-inch slits about 3/4th of the way using a sharp knife. You should get 18-20 slices.
- Twist the dough 90 degrees so it is on its side. Then the next one will slightly overlap until you have made your way around the entire circle.
- To ensure the middle stays open you can add a small oven-safe bowl to the center or you can ball up aluminum foil.
- Let the dough rise for another hour or two in a warm spot to puff up. When it is nice and puffy, brush a mixture of olive oil and Italian seasoning on top and preheat the oven to 425℉ degrees Fahrenheit. 45 grams olive oil , 2 grams Italian seasoning
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sourdough wreath is golden and cooked through.
- Prepare the garlic butter by melting two tablespoons of butter and mixing it with 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Brush the top of the Sourdough Pizza Wreath with the garlic butter. Remove the oven-safe bowl from the center and replace it with a small serving bowl filled with warm marinara sauce to serve.28 grams butter, 4 grams minced garlic
- Pull apart and dip in marinara sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Keep the dough in a warm spot to rise. The dough will take longer at cooler temperatures.
- Let the dough get puffy before baking to ensure a soft, fluffy pizza wreath.
- If you want to make the wreath ahead of time, simply follow the recipe up to the second rise after shaping. Once the wreath is formed, let it rise for 30–60 minutes, then cover it and place it in the refrigerator. It will keep, covered, for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, take the wreath out while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you again for easy to follow, great tasting recipes! It’s football playoff time! I’m thinking of switching up this recipe to make Stromboli. Have you ever added other meats to this recipe or do you recommend another method? Thanks!
Oh that would be yummy! I haven’t, but it shouldn’t be an issue. I would just cook your meats ahead of time and pat off some of the grease before adding it to the dough.
if I’m making the day before and want to put into the fridge for overnight do I fully make the wreath and make the slits then put into fridge? Or do I just form the wreath and not make slits?
I would make the slits and everything just to make it easier
Can this be made ahead and frozen like the cheesy garlic or cinnamon ones?
You could freeze it after it bakes and warm it up the day of! I haven’t tested freezing it before baking, but I have frozen pizza dough and it works well so I think you probably could freeze it after the first rise for about a week and then let it defrost and rise before baking.
My house seems to be cooler, do you think I could do the bulk rise overnight?
Yes!
Absolutely!
This was absolutely delicious!!! Pretty to look at too!