Sourdough Pizza Wreath

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.

Reasons you will love this recipe

• This Sourdough Pizza Wreath is naturally leavened with a sourdough starter, no commercial yeast required.
• The dough is soft and chewy and filled with delicious pizza flavor. 
• It is made into a festive wreath shape that looks impressive but is simple to create. 
• It is the perfect appetizer to bring to your holiday party or celebration. 

Sourdough holiday recipes

I love the holidays because there are so many decadent baking recipes! If you want a holiday recipe that is in a festive shape like this but on the sweet side, try my Sourdough Cinnamon Star Recipe which is shaped into a stunning Christmas star. For more classic recipes, try my Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Cranberry Orange Sourdough Muffins.

Helpful tools to make the Sourdough Pizza Wreath 

• Rolling Pin– This is my favorite rolling pin and makes rolling the dough out a breeze. 
• Measuring Cups and Spoons or kitchen scale – The recipe has measurements in cups and grams for both methods of measuring the ingredients, however measuring with the scale will be more accurate. 
• Baking Sheet & Reusable Baking Mats– I love reusable mats for all my baking needs, but you can also just use parchment paper to line the baking sheets. 

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 degrees Farenheit.

How to make the dough ahead of time

If you would like to make the dough ahead of time and bake at a later time, follow the instructions all the way through shaping the wreath. Instead of letting it sit on the counter for the final proof, cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and add it to the fridge to store up to 12 hours. When you are ready to bake, remove the pizza wreath from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature until the dough becomes puffy. Then, bake as instructed. Or if you prefer to shape the dough at a later time simply place the dough in the fridge after the first rise.

Ingredients for the Sourdough Pizza Wreath

Dough ingredients

• 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.
• Water- You can use filtered water or tap water. 
• Honey – A touch of sweetness balances out the flavor of the dough. 
• Olive Oil – Just a little olive oil adds flavor and makes for a soft dough.
• Flour-  Bread flour, unbleached all purpose, or pizza flour will all work for this recipe.
• Pizza Seasoning – This seasoning blend adds a zesty pizza taste to the dough. 
• Salt – Any type of salt you have on hand works great. Or substitute for garlic salt to add a touch of garlic flavor. 

Filling and topping ingredients

• 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.
• Egg wash: 1 egg+1 tsp water – The egg wash can be omitted but gives the crust a beautiful golden brown color.
• 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

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.

Let the dough rise covered in a warm spot at 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-6 hours until doubled in size.

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. 

Add the pepperonis all along the dough close together, sprinkle on the cheese, fresh basil and any additional toppings you want. Tightly roll up the dough into a 20-inch log. Pinch the ends to seal it.

Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bring the dough ends together and pinch it into a large circle. 

Slice the wreath into 18-20 1-inch slits about 3/4th of the way using a sharp knife. 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 it with an egg wash and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 27-30 minutes or until the sourdough wreath is golden brown and cooked through. 

Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a serving platter. 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. 

Pull apart and dip in marinara sauce and enjoy!

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. 

Can you change the filling in the sourdough pizza wreath?

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.