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Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe (Step-By-Step Guide)

If you enjoy a delicious pizza, you will love our Sourdough Pizza Crust recipe with our step-by-step guide for making Sourdough Pizza dough at home. Perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, this crust works for any topping and delights every sourdough lover.

A slice of homemade pepperoni pizza made with sourdough pizza crust sitting on a spatula hovering over the pizza - Hostess At Heart
Let’s make the BEST Sourdough Pizza Crust!

Follow our simple instructions to turn out the perfect pizza crust every single time. Enjoy a fantastic movie night with your family and let everyone add their own toppings to make individual pizzas!

Why We Love Our Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe

We crave a great pizza, and making them at home is fun and delicious. These Pizza Knots make a great kiddo activity or finger food appetizer. And, this Baked Pizza Casserole is a delicious, stick to your ribs, meal. However, when you want pizza, there’s no substitute.

Our Sourdough Pizza crust is soft and tender crust can be made into a thick Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza or thin pizza and will make 1 large pizza (24”), two 12” pizzas, or even 4 6″ pizzas for family pizza night. Your choice.

What is the difference between bubbly sourdough starter and sourdough discard?

Active, fed sourdough starter, also called wild yeast, is bubbly and alive because it has been fed within the last 24 hours. Sourdough starter discard is an unfed starter that is removed to decrease the amount of starter right before you feed it.

If you need to make a sourdough starter, I show you how here.

Ingredients for Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe

Top down view of ingredients used to make sourdough pizza crust including flour, olive oil, bubbly starter, salt and water
Sourdough Pizza Crust Ingredients
  • Active Sourdough Starter – This recipe is for an active, bubbly starter, not for sourdough discard. I recommend feeding your starter the night before or the morning before you want to make pizza.
  • Warm Water. You want the water to be the perfect temperature for activating and growing yeast, which is right at 95ºF. Test it with an instant-read thermometer.
  • All-Purpose Flour – Simple white flour, bleached or nonbleached. 
  • Salt – Kosher, fine sea salt, or table salt all work in this recipe.
  • Olive Oil – We use extra virgin olive oil. Choose one that you like the flavor of.

How To Make A Sourdough Pizza Crust

This is a simple sourdough pizza crust. The folds and dough rest time make it look involved. However, we’re just building up the strength of our dough. We have three separate rise times called bulk fermentation and fold the dough in on itself in between each. The following is our step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Mix the starter with water.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, and water. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. (The mixture will look like a milky mixture.)

Step 2: Add Flour to the Sourdough Pizza Dough.

Add half the flour, and mix well. The mixture will be sticky. I love using the Danish Dough hook. Once the flour is all incorporated, add the remaining flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix well until you have no more dry flour.

Step 3: 1st Dough rise.

Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes for the first rise.

A bowl of soft sourdough starter pizza crust dough - Hostess At Heart
Soft Sourdough Pizza Dough

Step 4: 1st Pizza dough stretch and fold.

Uncover the bowl and stretch the dough. Using your Danish Dough whisk or your hands, take the dough in front of you, and pull and fold back on the dough. Repeat the stretch 3 more times, turning the bowl 90 degrees each time.

A hand folding homemade pizza dough over onto itself to make sourdough pizza crust - Hostess At Heart
Stretch and fold dough

Step 5: 2nd Dough rise.

Cover the dough and let it rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Step 6: 2nd Stretch and fold.

Uncover and stretch the dough like in step 5.

Step 7: 3rd Dough rise.

Cover the dough and let it rise for 60 minutes. At this point, the dough will be nice and airy, go to step 10. If it feels sticky, stretch the dough like in step 5, cover it, and rise for an additional 30 minutes. During this last rise, preheat the oven to 425 °F.

Step 8: Make your pizza!

Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough for one large pizza or, divide it according to the size of your pizza pan using a rolling pin. Place it on your pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Make it spicy. Add some red pepper flakes or chili powder to the dough.

Make it deluxe. Add some fresh grated Parmigiano to the dough.

Change the shape – You can use any baking pan to make your pizza. We use a sheet pan which makes it easy to cut and eat.

How To Store Sourdough Starter Pizza Dough

Unbaked sourdough pizza dough will continue to ferment until it’s baked. Prepare the dough through Step 7 and then cover the unbaked dough shaped on a pan or place unshaped dough balls in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours. After that, you run the risk of over-proofing the dough. 

Can I Freeze Raw Pizza Crust?

Yes, you can freeze raw pizza crust. I recommend freezing it before letting it rise. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a freezer-safe container, for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature and start your 1st rise as explained in Step 3.

Side angle of a slice of pizza sitting on a spatula - Hostess At Heart

Best Sourdough Pizza Crust FAQ

How do you tell if sourdough is underproofed or overproofed?

Use the poke test to asses your dough.

What is the poke test for sourdough?

This test allows you to tell if the dough is underproofed or overproofed. It’s a very simple test where you dip your finger in flour and then make an indentation in the dough. It should not spring back instantly. The dough is not ready. It is perfect when it slowly springs back about halfway. If it doesn’t spring back at all it is overproofed.

Can Sourdough Starter Pizza Dough be made ahead of time?

Make head convenience. Keep the dough in your refrigerator after the last stretch and fold for one or two days until you are ready to use it. Let it come to room temperature and roll.

Hostess Tips and Tricks

Overnight Sourdough Pizza Crust – Like our Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe, sourdough pizza crust can be placed in the refrigerator for a longer ferment time (rise).

Use leftovers: Roll the dough, spread some butter, and sprinkle some cheese for cheese sticks/bites.

Do not overproof your dough. If the dough rests too long, the yeast continues making carbon dioxide but the gluten bonds are beginning to weaken. The bread looks puffy but deflates and sags because the dough is no longer strong enough to hold its shape.

Top down view of a homemade pizza topped with cheese and pepperoni - Hostess At Heart

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Top down view of a slice of baked pepperoni pizza hovering on a spatula over the full sourdough pizza - Hostess At Heart

Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
If you enjoy a delicious pizza, you will love our Sourdough Pizza Crust recipe with our step-by-step guide for making Sourdough Pizza dough at home.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Rise Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 59 minutes
Course Bread, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword: Pizza, Pizza Crust, Sourdough
Servings: 2 12″ pizza crusts

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup warm water between 90 to 95 degrees F
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour more flour when you roll the dough
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, and water. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. (The mixture will look like a milky mixture)
  • Add half the flour, and mix well. The mixture will be sticky. I love using the Danish Dough hook. (You can use a mixing spoon but I wouldn’t recommend a classic whisk as the dough will get stuck in the middle.)
  • Once the flour is all incorporated, add the remaining flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix well until you have no more dry flour.
  • Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes.
  • Uncover the bowl and stretch the dough. Using your Danish Dough whisk or your hands, take the dough in front of you, and pull and fold back on the dough. Repeat the stretch 3 more times, turning the bowl 90 degrees each time.
  • Cover the dough and let it rise for an additional 45 minutes.
  • Uncover and stretch the dough like in step 5.
  • Cover the dough and let it rise for 60 minutes.
  • At this point, the dough will be nice and airy, go to step 10. If it feels sticky, stretch the dough like in step 5, cover it, and rise for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
  • Roll the dough for pizza.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes

Notes

  • Use leftovers: Roll the dough, spread some butter, and sprinkle some cheese for cheese sticks/bites
  • Storage: Wrap the dough in plastic film and store in the fridge for up 2 days.
  • Make it spicy: Add some red pepper flakes, or chili powder to the dough.
  • Make it Deluxe: Add some fresh grated Parmigiano and dried herbs to the dough.

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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Top down view of a ball of pizza dough sitting on a floured cutting board - Hostess At Heart
Recipe Rating




Kathleen

Tuesday 30th of April 2024

Just in time, my discard was overflowing and we had our neighbor over for pizza last night. She (and my hubby) raved about the crust! Thanks!

Laura Ashley Johnson

Monday 29th of April 2024

This made for a very fun dinner with the family! We each made our own pizza, and the crust came out perfect! A 10 out of 10 for sure!!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 30th of April 2024

I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, Laura. It's one of our favorite family activities too.

Marlyse

Saturday 13th of April 2024

Inclined for salty..... But will try the vanilla scone recipe providing I will find madagascar vanilla! Just truly enjoy all you offer; thank you

Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!

Saturday 13th of April 2024

I don't currently have a starter, but this post makes me want to start one! I've been toying with the idea of making pizza in a cast-iron pan.

Julie Menghini

Saturday 13th of April 2024

I think sourdough is like an addictive club. Once you jump in you're in. Thanks, Jeff I hope you'll give it a try!

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