Pizza Dough

This sourdough pizza dough is everything I love: minimal ingredients, easy steps and seriously fun to make! With just a few pantry staples, you’ll have enough dough for two delicious pizzas—perfect for family pizza night or freezing and saving one for later. It’s soft, flavorful and the topping possibilities are endless. Follow the step-by-step instructions below (with photos to guide you!) and you’ll be stretching, topping and baking like a pro in no time!

Equipment:

• Food scale for measuring ingredients
• Mixing bowl for mixing dough and bulk fermentation
• Dough whisk or sturdy mixing spoon
• Bowl scraper to help clean up bowl edges
• Parchment paper (large sheets) for shaping and baking
• Bench scraper for dividing and shaping dough
• Proofing container or baking dish for final proofing
• Pizza stone or baking sheet for baking
• Pizza peel for transferring pizza to and from oven
• Plastic wrap for covering dough during bulk fermentation/proofing

Ingredients:

• 500g Bread flour
• 375g Water
• 100g Sourdough starter at peak
• 20g Oil (olive or avocado)
• 10g Salt
• Corn meal (optional, for shaping)

Dough Instructions:

Grab your kitchen scale and mixing bowl to get started. First, pour the water into your bowl and add your sourdough starter (for best results, make sure your starter is at peak). Stir them together using your dough whisk or mixing spoon until the water looks cloudy. Next, add the oil, flour and salt, and mix until all the dry bits are fully incorporated. Once all ingredients are well combined and you have used your bowl scraper to clean up the sides of your bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to sit for 30 minutes.

Now it is time to start our folds! Perform 5-6 sets of folds at 20-minutes apart. You can use stretch-and-folds or coil folds, whichever method you prefer. Don’t worry if the dough feels very wet and stretchy and first; that’s completely normal. With each round of folds, you’ll notice the dough becoming less sticky, easier to handle and transforming into a smooth, silky dough. The transformation between folds never gets old to me! After the final fold, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm to finish bulk fermentation. This can take 5-8 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. Warmer kitchens ferment faster.

Once the dough has doubled in size, jiggles when shaken, and has visible bubbles on the surface, generously oil a proofing container or baking dish (this is just a temporary spot for the final proof) with avocado or olive oil. Gently flip the dough out onto your counter and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into two equal halves. With your dough scraper, use a gentle push and pull motion to tuck the dough under itself, forming a round shape. Place one dough ball in the dish, smooth side down and roll it around to coat it in oil. Flip it over to coat the other side. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 500℉ (260℃) with your baking sheet or pizza stone inside. Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter and transfer one dough ball onto the center. If you’re using cornmeal (a popular choice for added texture and to help prevent sticking), you can sprinkle a light layer onto the parchment paper or pizza peel before shaping, just keep in mind it can add a bit of crunch and a slightly different flavor. I personally skip it, but it’s totally up to your preference! Use your hands to gently press around the edges to outline where you want the crust to be. Then, stretch the center of the dough on the parchment until you reach your desired thickness and shape. Poke all around the center of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up in the oven. Slide a pizza peel under the parchment and transfer both the parchment and dough into the oven. Bake for 5 minutes at 500℉ (260℃), or until the dough just begins to set without browning. Carefully remove the dough from the oven using the pizza peel.

Time to add your favorite toppings! Return the pizza to the oven and bake at 500℉ (260℃) for 5-8 more minutes. Or, if wanting to save the pizza shell after the par bake, let cool, cover with plastic wrap and freeze to enjoy at a later date. Congrats, you’re a pizza pro now!