Discarded Sourdough Pizza Dough (same day or overnight)

Discarded Sourdough Pizza Dough (same day or overnight)

**Advance Prep Required - You'll Need a Sourdough Starter ** There is some planning involved in this recipe with both timing and equipment. Read the recipe all the way through prior to starting.

With a chewy texture and crispy edges, 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!). This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. [ see how to recipe VIDEO below ]

Time above for proofing can vary depending on ambient and dough temperature. Use the time as a guide and not a determining factor for when the dough is ready. Prep time indicated does not include rest time.

This recipe yeilds two 10 1/2 - 11 inch pizzas, about 8 slices each.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough, Sourdough Discard Pizza Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 9

Proof 2 30

Servings 11" Pizza

Calories 572kcal

Author Traci York

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.

Video

Notes

*Refrigerator Proof: If the shaped dough will be going in the fridge, there’s no need to warm the water before mixing. Simply use tap/room temperature water to mix the dough. After shaping the dough, you can pop it in the fridge for up to three days. Remember that it's still rising as it sets in the fridge, but at a much slower rate. Set the dough in its proofing liddeed vessel on the bottom shelf if you can.

Two to three hours before you're ready to make pizza, pull the dough out of the refrigerator and set at room temperature so the dough can finish rising and/or warm up to room temperature (this at a kitchen temperature of 68F). The longer the dough has been in the refrigerator, the shorter the proof time at room temperature. Trying to shape pizza with cold dough is frustrating and results in a lackluster crust, so make sure you give it time to warm up to room temperature and finish rising.

**Hydration: Flour can vary slightly in moisture content from bag to bag and brand to brand. Local humidity also plays a role in flour moisture. If the dough feels too dry when mixing, add a few teaspoons of water (one tsp at a time). Too wet? Add a sprinkle of flour (a little goes a long way!). As written, this recipe produces a soft, chewy crust with crispy edges. For a crisper crust, you can reduce the water just a bit. A Tablespoon or two makes a difference. Play with the hydration until you find your pizza bliss!

In baking, weighing ingredients is important for an optimal outcome. If you feel you'll be baking regularly, I recommend investing in a digital kitchen scale.

Nutrition below is for crust only. Toppings are extra!

Nutrition