How to make sourdough pizza dough

What you need

You need an active sourdough starter: one that has been fed in the last 4 to 12 hours and roughly doubled. A starter at 100 % hydration is equal weights of flour and water, which this method assumes. You also need strong white bread flour, Italian 00 flour or a mix, water, fine salt and a scale.

Baker's percentages express every ingredient as a percentage of the flour weight. Our dough calculator uses the same system for yeasted dough, and pizza dough hydration explained covers the water side.

Recipe for four 250 g dough balls

This makes four balls for 10 to 12 inch pizzas. The starter's flour and water are counted in the totals, so the final dough sits at about 63 % hydration.

Method and timings

Dissolve the starter in most of the water, add the flour and mix until no dry bits remain. Rest 20 to 30 minutes, then add the salt with the last of the water and knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand, or 5 to 6 minutes in a mixer, until smooth.

Bulk ferment the dough covered at room temperature for 3 to 5 hours, with two or three sets of stretch and folds in the first two hours. It should grow by about a third and feel airy. Divide into 250 g pieces, ball them tightly and place in a lightly oiled, lidded tray. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

1. 1

   Feed your starter 4 to 12 hours ahead so it is active.

2. 2

   Mix starter, water and flour; rest 20 to 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Add salt and knead until smooth.

4. 4

   Bulk ferment 3 to 5 hours with stretch and folds.

5. 5

   Divide and ball into 250 g pieces.

6. 6

   Refrigerate 24 to 48 hours in a lidded tray.

7. 7

   Warm 2 to 4 hours at room temperature before baking.

Baking sourdough pizza

Take the balls out of the fridge 2 to 4 hours before baking; sourdough warms and relaxes more slowly than yeasted dough. They should be soft and puffy. Stretch gently to keep air in the rim. Bake on a stone at 400°C to 450°C for 60 to 90 seconds in an outdoor oven, turning every 20 seconds. See how to use an outdoor pizza oven.

Sourdough browns a little more slowly than yeasted dough because the bacteria use up some sugars. If your rims are pale, give the stone more time or raise the flame slightly. If bases burn first, see pizza burnt underneath but raw on top.

Using sourdough discard

Discard is the starter you remove before feeding. It is less active, so it will not reliably raise dough on its own. You can still use it for flavour: add 10 % to 20 % discard to a yeasted dough, keep the normal amount of yeast and count the discard's flour and water in your totals.

Avoid very old, grey or strong-smelling discard, which can make dough slack and sour. Fresh discard from the last few days works best.

Troubleshooting

Dense dough with little rise usually means the starter was not active enough or the bulk ferment was too short in a cold kitchen. Very slack dough that spreads may be over-fermented or too wet; reduce water by 2 % to 3 % or shorten the bulk. Springy dough that shrinks needs more rest; see pizza dough shrinking back.

For the best bake, use a hot oven that holds stone heat. Compare models in our best wood-fired pizza ovens and best gas pizza ovens guides.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make sourdough pizza dough the same day? Yes: bulk for 4 to 6 hours, ball, rest 2 to 3 hours and bake. Flavour is milder than a fridge ferment.

Can I add yeast to sourdough pizza dough? A tiny pinch of dried yeast makes timing more predictable. Purists skip it.

Which flour is best for sourdough pizza? 00 or strong white both work. See 00 flour vs strong white flour.

How long does sourdough pizza dough keep? Up to about 3 days in the fridge, depending on the starter and temperature.