With a chewy texture and crispy crust, this Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough is made with inactive starter for flavor and instant yeast for leavening. It features whole wheat flour for an earthy flavor and bread flour for an easy-to-shape dough and chewy texture.
Make it same day or overnight (store up to three days in the fridge!). Bake it on the back of a sheet pan – no steel or stone is required! This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. [ see how to VIDEO on recipe card ]
Table of Contents
For Quicker Sourdough Pizza
In pastry school, my fellow students and I frequently asked Chef to make pizza after finally learning how to do it. We needed to practice after all, but were often met with no. Of course, we loved making and eating pizza, but Chef had other methods to teach. So, I started making homemade pizza at home. For the practice (wink).
We never made sourdough pizza in pastry school. But, I was impressed with the flavor difference between sourdough and yeasted when I first tried sourdough.
You may keep discard on hand to make Sourdough Discard Recipes if you’re a Sourdough Bread baker. Sourdough discard delivers so much flavor and a tender crumb without waiting for the process of bulk fermentation and sometimes proofing, depending on the recipe.
This Recipe Is:
- made with sourdough discard, or unfed/inactive starter
- chewy and crispy
- finished in about 2 1/2 hours
- ready the same day or can be refrigerated for up to three days!
VIDEO: watch my how-to-shape pizza dough video below. For the full experience, watch the full recipe video on the recipe card.
If you’ve made my overnight Sourdough Pizza Recipe, you’ll enjoy the quickness at which this Sourdough Discard Pizza recipe comes together without compromising flavor or texture.
To make this recipe, you’ll need a Sourdough Starter with leftover sourdough discard.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple pantry staples are used to make outstanding sourdough pizza! Delivery will never taste the same again. Here’s what you’ll need to whip up homemade sourdough discard pizza (see recipe card for details):
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – we’re adding one tablespoon to the sourdough pizza dough to tenderize it and add just a hint of flavor. Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for delicious flavor.
- 100% Hydration Sourdough Discard – you’ll use your inactive (aka discard) Sourdough Starter straight from the fridge. My recipes use a 100% hydration sourdough starter (and discard).
- Water – if baking the pizza dough on the same day, you’ll use warm water. If the dough will be going in the fridge, there’s no need to wam the water. Simply use tap/room temperature water to mix the dough.
- Bread Flour – creates a dough that’s a dream to work with and has a chewy texture.
- Whole Wheat Flour – adding just a touch in this recipe adds earthy flavor and nutrition.
- Instant Yeast – also known as quick-rise yeast, this variety of yeast does not require blooming/proofing before use. You add it right to the mixture of ingredients. Since we’re not using a sourdough starter for leavening but for flavor rather, instant yeast does the job instead. However, if you suspect your yeast is old, you can proof it first to test its viability.
- Fine Sea Salt – just one teaspoon in the dough highlights natural flavors.
What’s the Windowpane Test?
The windowpane test is a method bakers use to determine when gluten development is sufficient in a dough, enough so that mixing can be stopped. It’s easy to do:
- Moisten your fingers, take a small piece of dough from the batch and gently stretch it. It should stretch easily and not rip or tear. You should be able to see light through the dough – like a windowpane.
- If the dough easily rips or tears before it makes a windowpane, continue mixing for another minute, then test again.
A good way to get to know this test is to test before or at the beginning of mixing and then again after mixing, observing how the dough changes through the mixing process.
Pizza on Your Schedule
What I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can mix and bake the pizza the same day, or if needed, toss the dough into the refrigerator, where it can hang out for up to three days.
After mixing and shaping the dough, there are two ways to proof the dough, depending on your schedule:
Same Day Pizza: If you’re ready to make pizza the same day, proof the dough at room temperature for about two and a half hours (this at a room temperature of 65-68F) right after shaping the dough until the dough doubles in size. The warmer the kitchen, the quicker the rise. Keep an eye on it.
TIP: If your kitchen is cold, especially during winter, you can move the proofing process along a little quicker. Put the proofing vessels in a turned-off oven with the light on. Keep an eye on the dough until it doubles in size. Start checking the dough at about an hour to an hour and half.
Next Day Pizza or Up to Three Days: After shaping the dough, you can pop it in the fridge for up to three days. It will continue to rise in the refrigerator, just at a slower rate. You’ll need to pull the dough from the fridge about two to three hours before you’re ready to make pizza so it can finish rising and/or warm up to room temperature (this at a room temperature of 65-68F). Trying to shape pizza with cold dough is frustrating, so make sure you give it time to warm up.
Preparing the Oven
You don’t need a special pizza oven to make pizza! Home ovens can bake up a delicious and beautiful homemade pizza.
Prepare the Oven: arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. If baking two pizzas at one time, set another rack below the top one, leaving enough room in between for a pan and pizza. Place an upside down sheet pan and/or a pizza stone on the center rack, one each if baking two pizzas.
Preheat the Oven & Sheet Pan and/or Pizza Stone to between 500 – 550 Fahrenheit. Ovens vary in their maximum temperature setting. My new oven maxes out at 525 Fahrenheit, so that’s the temperature I bake pizza at. Preheat for at least 45 minutes.
Just before shaping the dough, and while your oven is preheating, gather and prepare the ingredients, chopping small or slicing thin. When making pizza, less is more for a crisper bottom crust. You can opt to saute the veggies before putting them on the pizza if you like.
The dough is ready to make pizza when it’s risen between over one and a half times or to just doubling in size, is puffy and springy to the touch (it’s pretty forgiving – just make sure it’s at room temp).
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Video: Watch How to Shape Pizza Dough
(see full recipe video on the recipe card)
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Shaping Pizza Dough Step by Step
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Use Plenty of Flour: Flour the top, underneath and edges generously to prevent sticking, reapplying as needed. Gently nudge the sourdough pizza dough out of the proofing vessel and onto a floured surface keeping it in a round as best you can.
- Dimple the center of the dough using your fingertips, gently pressing down to the surface of the board (think focaccia). Avoid the outer 1/2 inch (.63 cm) of the dough – this is your crust edge.
- Using the tips of your fingers just inside of the edge, work the dough all the way around the edge while the dough hangs gently, touching the work surface.
- Using the palm of your hands, toss the flattened dough between your hands, back and fourth a few times. The dough will continue stretching. Place the dough on the work surface and observe its shape, gently tugging and rebounding edges that need it, to form a circle.
- Pick the dough up and place it on the back of your floured hands, gently pulling and stretching it into a disc. Place back down on your floured surface. Is the shape how you like it? If not give it a few stretches again using the back of your hands until it’s rounded. The pizza should measure about 11 inches (28 centimeters). Don’t worry if it’s irregular or rectangular. Just go with it!
- Transfer the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper. The parchment will be used to transfer the dough onto the preheated pizza stone or sheet pan. Note that parchment paper is generally rated for use under 500F. So at 550F, with any overhang, the paper will char and become brittle. Cooks Illustrated has more on this.
TIP: If you prefer not to use parchment paper, you can use cornmeal or semolina on the peel instead to transfer the pizza to the oven.
Add the Toppings
The delicious thing about pizza is that you can personalize it. Setting up a pizza bar is a delicious way to entertain and also let the family create their own masterpiece. Let your cravings guide you!
The Sauce: Spread a thin layer of sauce on the pizza. You can opt for a rich and thick homemade red pizza sauce or your favorite marinara, drained, or basil pesto, garlic scape pesto or a white sauce. A thin layer will bring out the best potential for the bottom to crisp up.
The Veggies: Less is more when it comes to pizza toppings, depending on how crisp/chewy you prefer the bottom crust to be. I don’t mind if the bottom crust is a bit soft so I pile on the toppings. If you prefer a crisper crust, go light on the sauce and toppings. Saute the veggies to bring out even more flavor before topping your pizza. For a home run, try caramelized onions!
For greens like spinach, keep it under the cheese so it doesn’t burn.
The Cheese: A thin layer of cheese on top of the sauce is a delicious way to add layers to the pizza. I like fresh shredded parmesan. Then, after the veggies and for the top, try at least three or more varieties of cheeses. My favorites include shredded Italian blend, shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella and/or feta.
Top the Cheese: Before baking, top the pizza with olives and dried Italian herbs. Fresh basil can go on top after baking.
Bake the Pizza
Once you’re ready to bake:
- First, transfer the pizza to a pizza peel or back of a sheet pan.
- Second, trim the parchment if desired so that it’s just flush with the pizza dough leaving a bit of overhang to use as a handle.
- Third, pull the oven rack out and slide the pizza off the peel or back of a sheet pan and onto the preheated stone/pan. Be careful, the oven is HOT!
- Next, bake the pizza for about 7-10 minutes, depending on temperature setting, or until the cheese is melty and the crust is golden with some charring. The pizza bakes fast, so keep an eye on it! Use the peel or back of a sheet pan to remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
- Last, allow the pizza to rest for about five minutes before cutting it. Your sourdough discard pizza crust is ready!
If you like condiments for your pizza, you’ll love, Pickled Jalapeno Peppers or Pickled Banana Peppers for added spice and Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing or Dairy Free Ranch Dressing for dipping.
Pizza Making Tools
Tools I use to create tasty pizza at home (these are affiliate links):
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer – in my kitchen for 16 years and counting!
- Pizza Peel – an easy way to transfer the pizza to the oven.
- Pizza Baking Stone – preheated while the oven in warming up, it creates a hot baking surface for the pizza to cook on.
- Aluminum Baking Pans – instead of a pizza stone, use a preheated upside-down baking pan to bake your pizza on.
- A digital oven thermometer with an air probe allows for accurate oven temperature monitoring so adjustments can be made if needed.
- Weigh your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for the best outcome.
- Pyrex 4 Cup Bowls – for proofing the pizza dough.
- Parchment Paper – to easily transfer the prepared pizza dough onto the hot baking surface.
- Bench Scraper– keeps your workspace tidy and free of excess flour.
Expert Tips
- What to Bake the Pizza On: for this recipe, you’ll bake the pizza on a preheated pizza stone or upside down sheet pan. No special pizza pan is required.
- Note that parchment paper is generally rated for use under 500F. So at 550F, with overhang beyond the sourdough pizza dough, the paper will char and become brittle. Cooks Illustrated has more on this.
- Timing: Use the times mentioned in the recipe as a guide rather than a determining factor for when the dough is done proofing. Ambient and dough temperature will determine when the dough is ready for shaping. It’s ready when it’s ready.
- Crisper Crust? As written, this sourdough pizza dough recipe produces a soft, chewy crust with crispy edges. For a crisper crust, reduce the water just a bit. A few tablespoons makes a difference. Play with the hydration until you find your pizza bliss!
- Freezer Friendly? After shaping this sourdough pizza dough recipe and putting it into the proofing vessel, transfer it to the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and proof as written in the recipe. I’ve noticed a previously frozen pizza dough doesn’t rise as high or have quite the same texture as fresh dough, but it’s an option.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes to Try
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Oatmeal Pancakes
- Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
Discarded Sourdough Pizza Dough (same day or overnight)
Ingredients
For Two 11" Pizzas:
- 1/2 cup (130 grams) Sourdough Discard 100% hydration stirred down, from the fridge
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (180 grams) Water 105-110 Fahrenheit (41 Celsius) **See note on Hydration & *refrigerator proof
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more for proofing vessels
- 3/4 teaspoon Instant Yeast aka Quick Rise Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 3/4 cups (250 grams) Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) Whole Wheat Flour
Instructions
Mix the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the starter, water, olive oil, instant yeast, salt, bread flour, and whole wheat flour.
- Attach the dough hook, and mix at speed 4 for 12 – 13 minutes. Mix until the dough reaches 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 Celsius) AND passes the windowpane test (see blog post). The dough will be soft and sticky, but supple.*Alternatively, you can mix and knead with your hands. This will take about 15 +/- minutes of active kneading.This is a good time to prepare your proofing vessels. I use 4 cup (950mL) lidded glass bowls for this – one for each ball. It helps the dough hold it's shape, there's room to rise and they're reusable. Zip top or reusable bags may be used. Brush the interior of your vessel thoroughly with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Pre-Shape the Dough:
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a rough round by folding each side to the middle, then the top and bottom. Flip the dough over shape the dough into dough balls. If the dough is sliding around, use your bench scraper to scrape away the flour and very lightly sprits the work surface with water. This helps the dough grip the surface. See how to shape video in blog post above or longer format video below for tutorial.Make sure the skin/surface is taught, then transfer the dough to it's proofing vessel seam side down. Put a lid on the container or seal the bag. See recipe note* below for retarding the dough in the refrigerator (up to three days!).(optional) Freeze the Dough: If you opt to freeze your dough, this is the time to do it. Freeze in zip top bags or in their glass storage containers. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then carry on with proofing the following day. Note that the dough doesn't quite bake up as beautifully as fresh dough, but freezing is an option.
Proof the Dough :
- Proof the dough at room temperature for about two to two and a half hours (this at a kitchen temperature of 68F). The warmer the kitchen, the quicker the rise. Keep an eye on it. When is the Dough Ready? The dough is ready to make pizza when it's risen between over one and a half times to doubling in size, is puffy and springy to the touch (it's pretty forgiving – just make sure it's at room temp). TIP: In a Hurry? If you want to proof to move along quicker, pop the dough balls in their proofing vessel, in the oven with the oven turned off and the light on. This will speed the process a bit.
Getting Ready to Bake:
- Prepare the Oven: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. If making a second pizza, set another rack two positions below the top one. You can easily bake two pizzas at a time. Place an upside down sheet pan and/or a pizza stone on a rack, one on each rack if baking two pizzas. If you proofed the dough in your turned off oven, remove the dough now.Preheat the Oven & Pan/Stone: to between 500 – 550 Fahrenheit (260-287 Celcius). Ovens vary in their maximum temperature setting. My new oven maxes out at 525 Fahrenheit, so that's the temperature I bake pizza at (preivous oven at 550F). Preheat for at least 45 minutes.
- Have a sheet of parchment paper ready for each pizza you're making. Also, have a pizza peel or sheet pan standing by to slide the shaped and topped dough on for transferring the unbaked pizza to the oven and onto preheated pan and/or baking stone.Prepare Toppings: Just before getting ready to shape the final dough, gather and prepare all your ingredients, chopping small or slicing thin.
Let's Make Pizza!
- Shape the Pizza Dough (see VIDEO below): Gently nudge the dough out of the proofing vessel and onto a floured surface trying to keep it in a round as best you can. Flour the top and edges of the dough generously. If it's sticking to anything, sprinkle a bit more flour. a. Dimple the dough using your fingertips on both hands gently pressing down to the surface of the board (think focaccia) 4-5 times. Avoid the outer 1/4 inch – 1/2 inch (.63 cm) of the dough – this is your crust edge. b. Using the tips of your fingers just inside of the edge work the dough all the way around the edge while the dough hangs gently, touching the work surface.c. Using the palm of your hands, toss the dimpled dough between your hands, back and fourth a few times. The dough will continue stretching. Place the dough on the work surface and observe its shape, gently tugging and rebounding edges that need it, to form a circle. d. Pick the dough up and place it on the back of your fisted and floured hands, gently pulling and stretching the dough while moving your hands to transfer the points of contact with the dough. Shape into a disc shape, taking care not to rip the dough. Place back down on your floured surface. Is the shape how you like it? If not give it a few stretches again using the back of your hands until you're happy with the shape. The dough should measure about 11 inches (28cm). Don't worry if it's not perfectly round – a rectangle or irregular shape works too! If you feel the dough is tight, place it on the work surface and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you attempt shaping again. It will relax as it rests. If making two pizzas, shape them both, one after another.Transfer each pizza round to a piece of parchment paper and if desired, trim the edges of the parchment flush with the pizza dough, leaving an overhang to act as a handle where needed. Note that parchment paper is generally rated for use under 500 Fahrenheit. So at 550 Fahrenheit, with overhang, the paper will char and become brittle.
- Add the Toppings – less is more. See blog post for topping suggestions and a crispier option in the notes**
Bake the Pizza:
- Working quickly (you don’t want the raw dough with the toppings to hang out too long), transfer the pizza onto a pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan using the parchment as a handle if needed. Open the oven and pull out the rack with the preheated stone or pan. Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone and/or pan using the parchment as a handle. Be careful as the oven is HOT! Repeat with the second pizza if making two. Bake the assembled pizza(s) at 500 – 550 Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes OR until the dough is golden brown with some charring, the cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly. The hotter the oven, the quicker the bake, so keep an eye on it! Remove the pizza(s) from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Cut into 8 equal pieces each and enjoy!
Store Leftover Pizza:
- Store pizza leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat at 350F for about 10 minutes.
Jackie
Easy. Fabulous. Best pizza crust ever. 100% family approval. My go to from now on!
Traci York
Oh my goodness! Thank you for sending a smile, Jackie. Hooray for 100% family approval! I appreciate your note and five star rating 😌
Amy
followed this recipe and our pizzas turned out wonderful!
Traci York
SO excited, Amy! Thank you for coming back and sharing with us!
Tasha
Do I have to use wheat flour? Or can I sub that amount with bread flour?
Traci York
Hi Tasha! You can use all bread flour if you like.
Emily Bryant
Finally!!!!! First recipe I’ve EVER had that is legit SOOoO good!!! Yayy!!! I’ve been trying pizza and no success for a long time I gave up for a while. I’m so thankful!!!
Traci York
I love hearing this, Emily! Hooray for tasty homemade sourdough pizza! Thank you for coming back and sharing your success.
Casey
I only have 90g discard, can I still follow this recipe?
Traci York
Hi Casey.. Since I’ve not tried it, I’m hesitant to say one way or the other. You can make more discard in about 8 hours. If you experiment, would love to hear back!
Shelley
Do you know if there is a way to make the pizza crusts to wrap up and store in the freezer so they are all ready to add toppings and bake?
Traci York
Hi Shelley! Thank you for your note. I’ve not tried making the crusts and freezing. If I were to test this, here’s what I’d do: shape the pizza, transfer it to parchment then place it on something flat like the back of a sheet pan. Freeze, then wrap it. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw (partially or fully – experiment here), add the toppings then bake. Keep us posted if you experiment!
Renee Vansickle
Dough is very very sticky, an 8 add more flour?
Traci York
Hi Renee… where are you at in your process? If it’s too sticky, you can add more flour as needed. Just a little at a time.
Renee
Hi Traci, it was in the stand mixer and just didn’t seem to be coming together. I just sprinkled in a little at a time. It doubled beautifully but I forgot to divide it. So I did that after rising and it’s sitting covered on the counter right now to rise a bit more.
Traci York
A little bit of flour is perfect! So glad to hear they rose beautifully. Thank you for your note. Keep us posted!