Soft, chewy, and tangy, this sourdough pizza dough is the perfect recipe for those family pizza nights. Start the dough in the morning and it will be ready to bake up with your favorite toppings in the afternoon.
I know, I know. The audacity that I post a sourdough pizza dough when I’ve been devoted to this recipe for so long.
But hear me out. My sister was having a dinner party at her farm recently, and she purchased a pizza oven. Naturally, I offered to make some delicious sourdough pizza crust to take the wood fired pizza up another notch.
The crust turned out absolutely delicious. It was soft and chewy and bubbly. All the good things you want in pizza.
But you don’t have to have a pizza oven to get amazing results. This will work just fine in a standard oven or even on the grill.
Top with your favorite ingredients for your next pizza night.
Why you will love this recipe:
Tasty: The sourdough in this recipe adds so much flavor and tanginess.
Chewy: These crusts have the best chewy consistency.
Perfect for a pizza oven or grilling: I love this recipe to make delicious, grilled pizza or wood fired pizza.
Make ahead: Make these days or weeks ahead and have pizza dough ready for a quick and easy meal.
Tips:
- Be careful not to over-ferment the dough. This will leave you with a sloppy mess. Ask me how I know.
- This dough can be made days or even weeks in advance. If you are planning to use it within a few days, place in the fridge in an air tight container until ready to use. You can also freeze for later.
- This recipe is great for baking in the oven, a pizza oven, or even on a grill.
Pizza dough Ingredients:
Active sourdough starter: This is sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours, and it’s active and bubbly. You want to use starter that is at the peak of its bubbling in order to give the dough the most rise.
Flour: All purpose flour will work just fine.
Water
Salt: This adds a lot of flavor to the dough so it doesn’t taste bland.
Olive oil: This helps the dough to be softer and stretchier.
Tools:
Stand mixer
Measuring cups and spoons or scale
FAQ
Is sourdough good for pizza?
Yes. Sourdough starter and the fermentation process adds another layer of flavor.
Is pizza dough the same as sourdough?
Most pizza dough uses conventional yeast to give it rise. You will have to find a specific sourdough pizza dough recipe like this one to ensure it is sourdough or look on the ingredient list of a pre-made dough.
Why is my sourdough pizza hard?
This could be caused by a few different things, such as overbaking, overworking the dough, or adding too much flour.
How To Make Sourdough Pizza Dough:
The morning of pizza night, add the ingredients to a stand mixer bowl.
With a dough hook, mix the dough on medium speed until the dough passes the windowpane test, which might take up to 10 minutes. (This is when you are able to stretch a small amount of dough so thin, you can see through it.)
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature for about 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 475.
Divide the dough into 4 equal sections and allow to rest while you prepare your toppings.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface. I like to create a bit of a ridge around the outside for hand stretched thickness.
Spread on sauce and top with toppings.
Bake for 13-15 minutes (I like to use a preheated pizza stone or cast iron skillet but you can also use a pizza pan.). Finish off with a 3 minute broil to achieve the browning on top of the crust. Our vintage oven has a bottom drawer for broiling and it made the most beautiful pizzas.
Another option is to cook it in an outdoor pizza oven. We had a pizza party at my sister’s house and enjoyed the dough with this method as well! She has an Ooni, and now I’m thinking about getting one for our home. It makes for an easy night of entertaining guests!
How to Store:
Store dough in the fridge up to a week, or place in the freezer after it has risen and has been divided. Wrap with plastic wrap and then store in a freezer plastic bag.
Pre bake crusts for about 8-10 minutes and then allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking Schedule:
9 AM: Create dough.
5 PM: Split the dough and allow to rest before baking.
5:15-5:30: Bake the pizzas.
Pizza Variations:
Pesto pizza: Skip the pizza sauce and use pesto as the base. Top with cheese and your other favorite toppings.
Olive oil, goat cheese, and date sauce pizza.
Chicken Alfredo pizza: Replace pizza sauce with Alfredo sauce and top with chicken, cheese, and any veggies you like.
Meat lovers: Pepperoni, cooked sausage, and bacon work amazingly for this one.
How To Make A Margherita Pizza:
Create dough according to the instructions above.
Preheat oven to 475.
Roll out into circles and create a ridge around the edge.
Spread pizza sauce over all the crust.
Top with freshly sliced mozzarella and very thinly sliced tomatoes.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until pizza is bubbly.
Top with fresh basil and enjoy. You can also sprinkle it with parmesan.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
- Easy Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- Sourdough Cheese Bread
- Sourdough Cornbread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Also, tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Soft, chewy, and tangy, this sourdough pizza dough is the perfect recipe for those family pizza nights. Start the dough in the morning and it will be ready to bake up with your favorite toppings by the afternoon.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup starter (113g)
- 4 cups flour (600g)
- 1.5 cups water (354g)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs olive oil (26.6)
Instructions
- The morning of pizza night, add the ingredients to a stand mixer bowl.
- With a dough hook, mix the dough on medium speed until the dough passes the windowpane test, which might take up to 10 minutes.
- Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature for about 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 475.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal sections and allow to rest while you prepare your toppings.
- Roll out on a lightly floured surface. I like to create a bit of a ridge around the outside for hand stretched thickness.
- Spread pizza sauce and top with your favorite toppings.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes (I like to use a preheated pizza stone or cast iron skillet but you can also use a pizza pan.). Finish off with a 3 minute broil to achieve the browning on top of the crust.
Notes
Be careful not to over-ferment the dough. This will leave you with a sloppy mess. If you can't bake it after 8 hours of fermentation, you can place it in the fridge to bake a later time.
This dough can be made days or even weeks in advance. If you are planning to use it within a few days, place in the fridge in an air tight container until ready to use. Freeze the dough after rising for up to 2-3 months.
This recipe is great for baking in the oven, a pizza oven, or even on a grill.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 515Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1169mgCarbohydrates: 95gFiber: 3gSugar: 0gProtein: 13g
Felechia says
Thanks for including the gram weight!
Lisa says
My pleasure!
Tina says
Yes I love my weight scale when in the kitchen! Thank you!
Debbie says
Hi Lisa would this work with gf as well
Lisa says
I’m not sure that the recipe could be substituted with gf flour one for one. May need to experiment with it.
Amy says
Lisa. I just made up a pizza dough recipe using sourdough starter. It was good, but not great. I’ll try yours next, and hope for even better results!
Lisa says
Good luck!
Caelin says
I threw this together just this morning, and I have a question about how wet the dough is expected to be? I followed the recipe but the dough was very wet and sticky even after 10 minutes in the mixer. I added about another ⅔ cup of flour, a tiny bit at a time, and left it in the mixer on medium speed for about 10 more minutes. Then I kneaded it for about 5 minutes by hand and it finally came together. It’s possible my measurements were off, but aside from that error, did the dough just need longer in the mixer? I’m used to sourdough recipes being very sticky at first and sometimes taking a lot longer to come together, but this one just seemed way too wet. Would more time in the mixer fix this issue? And again, also just wondering what the dough should feel/look like for this recipe? Thanks!
I love your recipes so much and am excited to see how this one tastes!!
Lisa says
That very well could be. My friend and I were just chatting today about how long it takes for her doughs to come together (for various recipes). She finds that her doughs take 20 minutes before they come together. So it could be that, or it could be needed a touch more flour. Hope that helps and it was delicious.
Caelin says
Thanks Lisa! It was delicious and I’ll be making it again very soon! So easy and yummy!
Lisa says
Wonderful!
Lynn says
Is There any chance that you are cooking in high altitude? Because you would add more liquid than I would in my lower altitude and that might be why my dough is so much wetter.
Lisa says
I am not! My guess is you may want to add a bit more flour or you can try kneading a bit longer. Hope that helps!
Amy says
The same thing has happened to me when I make this! I’ve added more flour both times and it’s seemed to help! Glad I wasn’t the only one with this happening!
Christa says
I have noticed that my dough and the dough of my sister-in-law across town will have different wetnesses, and I think some of it may be the differences in our stand mixers. Hers has a bit more power, and on low speed does a better job of incorporating the dough than mine does. So mine usually takes longer to knead and let all of the flour incorporate. It’s at least something to consider!
Linda says
Do you have a recipe to make the starter?
Thank you
Lisa says
Yep! You can learn how to make a sourdough starter here: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/make-sourdough-starter-scratch
Tracy says
I love all your sourdough recipes, and have made many of them. My issue with this one is that I prefer a crispy crust on a pizza, not a soft and chewy one. Any way to get it crispy?
Lisa says
Roll it really thin maybe? Or try my sourdough starter pizza dough for a crispy crust.
Stacey says
Lisa, have you tried this recipe with whole grains at all? I’m going to try it today with all purpose flour. I don’t have quite 8 hours, but my wood stove is going so my house is nice and warm. I’m thinking it will still be good.
Stacey says
I did mix the dough up in bread machine and it came out perfect.
Jerri Jacoby says
I came here looking for a sourdough pizza recipe as I love your recipes. Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread is in the works this morning!
I don’t have an electric dough hook mixer. Will this turn out ok doing it by hand?
Thank you!
Lisa says
Yum! Yes you could, it will just take a while to hand knead it to the right consistency.
Elijah riese says
Is it okay to substitute the olive oil for avocado oil
And when you say olive oil, does this refer to extra virgin olive oil?
Lisa says
Yes and yes. Any oil would technically work. The flavor will be a little more mild than with extra virgin olive oil.
Lindsey Kaspar says
Turned out perfect for our son’s birthday party! We made 6 large out of this recipe x 3.
Valerie says
What size pizza does it make? 12in. Or 15.?
Thanks 🙂
Laura says
By far the best sourdough pizza dough I’ve made yet! And I’ve tried quite a few. Thank you!
Lisa says
What a compliment. Thank you for sharing. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Nikki says
Hello Lisa,
Having to adjust the recipe for my daughter who can only eat certain flours. I feel like the dough is coming together but it doesn’t pass the windowpane test no matter what I do – could this be because we are having to use certain flours?!
Thanks so much!
Lisa says
It could be. What type of flour did you use?
Nikki says
Rye is my sourdough & then the other flour I used was Cassava.
Lisa says
Ah ok that would be why. Rye has only a little gluten and cassava is gluten free. The windowpane test determines if the gluten formation is adequate. So those two flours wouldn’t make the necessary gluten strands to pass. Hope that helps.
Stacey Smith says
Lisa, can I put thisin my bread machine to save time? I hope to get a Stand mixer for Christmas with a bread hook
Stacey says
I did in my bread machine and the dough came out perfect!
Sarah says
I also don’t have a stand mixer – did you use the dough setting on your bread machine and let it run the entire cycle?
Cheryl Pitts says
Question. All the bread recipes I have used 4 cups AP flour weighs 480g. Are you using different flour? Thanks.
Lisa says
This is a measurement from freshly milled flour that I then measured into cups. If that makes sense.
Anonymous says
I just finished mixing up the pizza dough and noticed that in your comments you mentioned that it could be frozen after the rise. This is prior to baking it, correct? How do you recommend freezing the dough? Putting it in containers or bags? And then do we just let thaw and bring to room temperature before baking in the future? I love this idea of having future dough ready for use!
Lisa says
Yes. It can be frozen prior to baking. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in a container or zip-lock bag. Yep, then just thaw the dough and roll out.
Tina says
Should I let thaw out overnight in fridge ? Or on counter? How long does it usually take to thaw out on counter before ready to use? When should I take out of freezer if I want to bake the pizza at 5:00pm for supper let’s say?
Stacey Smith says
I don’t have a stand mixer so I put the ingredients in my bread machine for 30 minutes and it passed the window pane test. Going to mix up more for tomorrow’s supper
TINA says
Could I make this pizza dough recipe with inactive sourdough starter? Also, could I let it rise in fridge overnight? how would I adjust the rise time etc?
Lisa says
It would depend on how inactive the starter is. I would think it would take a longer to rise. The time would really depend on how long it takes to about double in size.
Kristen says
Hi Lisa,
I don’t have a hand mixer. Could you possibly mix all of the ingredients together and let it sit as a shaggy mixture for an hour to reduce the amount of kneading time? Or would this hurt the dough consistency in the long run?
Thanks!
Lisa says
I would think that would work fine.
Kaylin says
Does this recipe make 4 12 inch crusts?
Lisa says
Yes. 10-12 inch crusts.
Emily says
I made the dough a few days ago and it has been fermenting in the fridge…just put it together and oh my….this was amazing. It will be hard to beat…I’ve definitely found my pizza dough recipe…WOW….amazing
Lisa says
Glad it worked so well for you. Love that you left it in the fridge for days. Yay for meal prep.
Anya says
We made this pizza with whole wheat (home milled) and rye starter and it came out super delish! No extra flour was needed (as a matter of fact I’ll do a little less next time). We baked on pizza stone, it was crunchy and chewy and all pizza should be. I was suprized how well the dough stretched being 100% whole wheat. Thank you for simple recipe!
Lisa says
Sounds delicious!
Hali says
Can I ferment this? Just leave in the fridge for an extra few days? Or will I need to increase the starter so it won’t dry out?
Lisa says
Leaving it in the fridge for a few days should be no problem. Just make sure it is in an air-tight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Rachel says
Hi Lisa! My husband and I are so excited to make this. I’m veryyyy sensitive to gluten, but I am able to eat my sourdough bread just fine due to the fermentation. Does this recipe ferment similar to regular bread? I figured it would be the same since I let it ferment for just as long as my bread, but wanted to get your thoughts.
Thanks!
Lisa says
Yes. It should work just like fermenting bread.
Laura says
Wow, this recipe looks so good! Your pictures are gorgeous! I’m excited to try it for dinner tomorrow night for our Friday Pizza night. Thank you for the tip about freezing the dough too. I might make a big batch and freeze some for another time. I’ve never thought about using sourdough for the pizza crust and this recipe looks absolutely perfect. Thank you for sharing!!!
Lisa says
Hope you enjoy! Great idea to make a big batch and freeze for later.
Jo says
The pizza dough came out great! First time making my very own pizza dough from my very own starter! Yumm.
Lisa says
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Katie says
I don’t have 8 hours for dough to rise. Would it work with just 4 hours?
Lisa says
It may not be as fluffy.
Robynn says
What is the windowpane test? Thank you.
Anonymous says
Found it. 🙂
Lisa says
This is when you are able to stretch a small amount of dough so thin, you can see through it.
Judy says
Can I bake the remaining dough as sourdough bread the next day? If so, what temp and how long? Should I store in frig until I bake?
Lisa says
I have not personally tried that, so I am not sure if it will work!
Amber Marie says
Hi Lisa, do you know if it will be possible to prep the crusts and then place in the refrigerator until the next day? We are having a birthday party and I want some mini crusts ready to go so my son and a few friends can add their toppings. However I don’t want to roll out all of the crusts on the spot. Any thoughts?
Lisa says
Yes, definitely!
Karena says
Hello! Does it matter what kind of flour? All purpose or bread flour? Thanks!
Lisa says
I have only used all-purpose for this one. If you experiment with other flours, let us know how it turns out!
Nicolette says
Do you think this would freeze well as a premade pizza? Do an initial bake, add toppings, wrap in parchment paper then foil and freeze. Then when ready to use it, it would be like a store bought?
Lisa says
I don’t see why not? I’ve never done it though!
Rosie Garbutt says
Delicious! We’ve just made these for dinner and they are perfect! Thank you.
Lisa says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have great day!
Erin says
Hi! If I refrigerated the dough do I need to let it sit out for a bit before I start working with it?
Lisa says
It may be easier to shape if you let it sit out a bit before working with it.
Sara martens says
Best pizza crust recipe I’ve ever tried!
Lisa says
So glad you enjoyed it!