The Sourdough Pizza Dough That Made Me Stop Ordering Delivery

I want to tell you about the moment I stopped ordering pizza. It was a Tuesday night. I had pulled a ball of sourdough pizza dough out of the fridge, stretched it on a sheet pan, thrown on some sauce and whatever cheese was in the drawer, and baked it at the highest temperature my oven could reach. Fifteen minutes later I was eating pizza that was better than anything the local delivery place had ever brought to my door. Not slightly better. Dramatically better.

The crust was the difference. Crispy on the outside with those gorgeous charred bubbles, chewy and slightly tangy on the inside, with a flavor depth that commercial yeast simply cannot produce. Sourdough fermentation creates hundreds of flavor compounds that instant yeast skips entirely. Once you taste real sourdough pizza crust, there is no going back.

The Recipe: Stupidly Simple

This recipe makes enough dough for two large pizzas or three medium ones. You can halve it, double it, whatever you need. The ratios stay the same.

• 500g bread flour (all-purpose works too, bread flour gives a chewier crust)
• 350g water (70% hydration, room temperature)
• 100g active sourdough starter (or even discard from the fridge, both work)
• 10g salt
• 10g olive oil (optional but I always add it for a softer crust)

The Method

Step 1: Mix everything together

Combine the flour, water, and starter in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains. Let it sit for 30 minutes. This is a mini autolyse that hydrates the flour and makes the dough easier to work with. Then add the salt and olive oil and squeeze them through the dough until fully incorporated. The dough will feel shaggy and rough. That is fine.

Step 2: Develop the dough

Over the next 2 hours, do 3-4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced about 30 minutes apart. Each set takes about 30 seconds. Wet your hand, reach under one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over. Rotate the bowl, repeat on all four sides. By the last set, the dough should feel smooth, elastic, and noticeably stronger.

Step 3: Bulk ferment

Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature until the dough has increased in volume by about 50%. This could take anywhere from 4-8 hours depending on your kitchen temperature and how active your starter is. You are not looking for a full double like you would with a bread loaf. Pizza dough is more forgiving.

Step 4: Divide and ball

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 2-3 pieces depending on the pizza size you want. Shape each piece into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath and creating surface tension on the top. Place each ball into a lightly oiled container or on a lightly oiled sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap.

Step 5: Cold ferment (the secret weapon)

Put the covered dough balls in the fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours. This is where the magic happens. The slow, cold fermentation develops an incredible depth of flavor while also relaxing the gluten, making the dough much easier to stretch later. Forty-eight hours is my sweet spot for flavor.

Stretching: The Part Everyone Overthinks

Take the dough ball out of the fridge about 1-2 hours before you want to bake. Cold dough is stiff and will tear if you try to stretch it right away. Let it warm up and relax at room temperature.

When you are ready, flour your hands and the work surface generously. Press the dough ball into a flat disc with your fingertips, leaving a slightly thicker rim around the edge for the crust. Then pick it up and drape it over your knuckles. Let gravity do most of the work. Gently stretch by moving your fists apart, rotating the dough as you go. The weight of the dough does more stretching than your hands should.

Do not use a rolling pin. A rolling pin presses out all the beautiful gas bubbles that fermentation created. Those bubbles are what give sourdough pizza its amazing texture. If the dough springs back and resists stretching, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and try again. Patience, not force.

Baking in a Regular Home Oven

You do not need a pizza oven. I baked sourdough pizza in a regular home oven for years before getting a dedicated pizza oven, and the results were fantastic. Here is what works:

The hot stone or steel method

Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat to the absolute maximum temperature your oven allows (usually 500-550F) for at least 45 minutes. The stone or steel needs to be ripping hot to create that crispy bottom crust. Slide your topped pizza directly onto the hot stone using a floured pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling with spots of char.

The sheet pan method

If you do not have a stone or steel, use a sheet pan. Oil it generously and press the dough into the pan. Top it and bake at 500F on the lowest rack for 12-15 minutes. The bottom will not be quite as crispy as the stone method but it still makes excellent pizza. This is actually my go-to for feeding a crowd because you can prepare multiple pans in advance.

The broiler finish

For the last 1-2 minutes of baking, switch from bake to broil. Watch it like a hawk. The broiler will char the top of the crust and bubble the cheese in a way that regular baking cannot replicate. This is the closest you can get to a wood-fired effect in a home oven.

Toppings: Less Is Always More

I learned this the hard way. When you make amazing sourdough pizza dough, the temptation is to load it up with every topping in the fridge. Resist. Overloaded pizza steams instead of crisping because all that moisture from the toppings prevents the crust from getting hot enough.

My rule is three toppings maximum, not counting sauce and cheese. A great Margherita is just sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. A simple pepperoni pizza with a little chili honey drizzled after baking is incredible. Trust the crust to be the star of the show.