A chewy, flavorful pizza crust that’s surprisingly easy to make with sourdough starter—no overnight rise needed and it bakes up beautifully in just minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter (active or discard)
- 1 cup warm filtered water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
Equipment Needed
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen towel
- Rolling pin or your hands
- Baking sheet, pizza stone, or pizza oven (like the Ninja)
- Pastry brush (optional, for brushing crust with olive oil)
Instructions: How to Make Sourdough Pizza Crust
Top and bake: Brush the edges with olive oil, add your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 500°F for 5–8 minutes, either in a pizza oven or on a baking sheet in your conventional oven. Keep an eye on it—it cooks fast!
Mix the starter: In a large mixing bowl, combine your sourdough starter with warm water. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly. Add the olive oil and mix.
Form the dough: Add a pinch of salt and the flour. Stir until a thick, sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Shape the crust: After rising, divide the dough into two balls. If you're not using the dough right away, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 3–4 days.
Roll it out: When you're ready to bake, roll each dough ball on a floured surface until it's about ?-inch thick.
Authentic Italian Pizza Toppings
For the recipe in the photo, use these toppings - in order
- Spread tomato sauce to the base base (add as much as you like, leave crusts bare)
- Dollop homemade pesto around the pizza
- Arrange fresh Mozzarella around the pizza
- Sprinkle with 1-2 cloves of freshly chopped garlic
- Season with pizza seasoning
- Arrange 1-2 sheets of prosciutto onto the pizza
- Drizzle with olive oil and brush the edges generously with olive oil
- After baking the pizza, top with fresh arugula, olive oil, and parmesan cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
It has a slightly tangy flavor, a chewy bite, and a crisp exterior that gives your pizza a gourmet, pizzeria-style feel.
Yes! Discard works great in this recipe since you're also adding yeast for rise.
Absolutely. After shaping into dough balls, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe
Ingredients
Sourdough Pizza Crust Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup warm filtered water
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- a pinch of salt
- 2 ½ cups regular all purpose flour
Instructions
How To Make Sourdough Pizza Crust
- Begin by mixing ½ a cup of your sourdough starter (or discard) with your warm water in a large mixing bowl. Then, gently mix in the yeast and allow this to sit for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and mix. Add a pinch of salt and the flour and mix until a thick and sticky pizza dough forms. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
- After the dough has risen, use your hands to form the dough into two pizza dough balls. If you are making your pizza at a future date, wrap the dough in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also prepare the crust immediately. No resting time required.
- To prepare the crust, roll each dough ball onto a floured surface until it is ⅓ inch thick. Brush around the edges with olive oil and use any sauces, cheese, and toppings of your choosing. We cook our pizza in the Ninja pizza oven but a regular oven set to 500 will also cook your pizza very well. You should only need to cook you pizza at that temperature for 5-8 minutes. Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't burn. Enjoy!
Paul Basilone says
Every Weekend ?
Kelly says
Is there supposed to be some sugar in this? I mixed it up and it didn’t rise. But noticed there is no sugar to feed the yeast.
Jillian Glenn says
We don't add sugar! Just needs to rest and rise on the counter.
Paul says
Great recipe
Paul says
My favorite pizza recipe, the sourdough discard makes the dough so fluffy and flavorful!