Like many people I know, I was bitten by the baking bug during the UK lockdown, and as a result, I have a small wild yeast colony (aka a sourdough starter) who lives in my kitchen and helps to make bread. That’s what I’ve got here! Sourdough pizza dough can seem a little daunting, but this recipe will help to show that it doesn’t have to be.
Making the sourdough
First things first, combine all your wet ingredients. Start off with 150g of active sourdough starter, along with the room temperature water and olive oil. Whisk those together to ensure they’re fully combined, and then you’ve got a choice to make: add fresh yeast or don’t?
Do you need fresh yeast?
In this recipe, I added a little fresh yeast to help the sourdough along. Sourdough takes a long time to rise properly, and I was a little rushed for time, so I wanted to add a little fresh yeast to speed it along. Whatever you do, as long as you have a little active start in there, you’ll get those iconic sourdough bubbles. Adding fresh yeast will simple expedite the process.
Add your flour and, using your hands, combine it until you form a shaggy ball. This dough doesn’t need kneading, which is another reason it’s one of my favourites! Allow the dough to rest for a number of hours, at least four, but six would be better. If you were using just sourdough with no fresh yeast, overnight would be ideal.
Making the pizza
Once your dough has finished rising, you can start to assemble all the core components of your pizza. Here, I’m using my basic, quick pizza sauce recipe, and grated cheddar. While mozzarella is traditional, I love the flavour that cheddar gives! Most of the time, I’d opt for a blend of mozzarella and cheddar.
While you’re assembling the pizza, preheat your oven. Crank it up to the highest temperature that it will go, and then give the pizza five to ten minutes at most.
If you go over then you’ll start to overcook the dough, and it will become too tough. If cooked well, however, you can expect the dough to be crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside!
Pizza making tips
A great rule of thumb when making sourdough pizza is: don’t forget to be patient. I know it sounds a little obvious, but every step of the process is important and worth devoting a good section of time to.
Even after you’ve assembled your pizza and it’s sat on the side waiting to be baked, don’t be afraid to give it another half hour’s rise. That will help to make sure that you have a light, airy dough, while also making sure that your oven’s as hot as it can be.
After the pizza’s done, take it off the tinfoil or baking tray, slice, and serve! This is a pretty thick pizza, which is just how I like to make them in my oven.
It’s a definite crowd-pleaser that’s sure to go down a storm at your next get-together. Or, it can be something to please everyone at home while you’re chilling out in front of the TV. Either way, enjoy your pizza!
More you may find helpful
Did you know sourdough is healthier than normal bread? Here is an article all about that and tips to make it well.
If you fancy buying a pizza oven to cook this then check out my pizza oven review.
Family meal ideas that can be made in minutes are perfect for busy parents so this is definitely one that takes a little longer but if you get the kids involved it is a little easier.
Are you looking at making this pizza for a snack, perhaps whilst watching a film? Check out my guide to the best snacks for other ideas.
Print
Sourdough Pizza Made Simple
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 8hrs 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 Portions 1x
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Easy and tasty sourdough pizza
Ingredients
150g active sourdough starter.
250g warm water.
25g olive oil.
500g flour.
10g salt.
1/2 teaspoon yeast (optional).
Sauce:
3–4 tablespoons of tomato puree.
1 teaspoon of oregano.
1 teaspoon of basil.
1 teaspoon garlic granules.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
Combine all the wet ingredients, and whisk to ensure they’re combined.
Add the flour and salt, and combine into a smooth ball with your hands.
Rest the dough for four to eight hours in an airtight container, or until increased in size and smells fresh and yeasty.
While the dough is resting and rising, make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl with little water to achieve a sauce-like texture. Make sure to grate your cheese and preheat the oven to its maximum temperature.
Place the pizza on a baking sheet and assemble all your ingredients, making sure to get an even coat of both sauce and cheese.
Place the pizza in the preheated oven and cook for ten minutes at most in order to ensure you get a soft, lightly steamed pizza dough.
Remove the pizza from the oven, slice, and serve! This recipe can serve four or more people or one hungry person over several days. To make a batch more suitable for one person, simply halve the ingredients, and follow the instructions the same.
Massive hit for all my clan! The sourdough base was great.