In the world of pizza, there are countless variations and styles, each with its own loyal following. However, one particular style has been gaining attention and admiration for its unique flavor and texture: sourdough crusted pizza. Combining the tangy goodness of sourdough with the beloved tradition of pizza making, this culinary creation offers a delightful twist on a classic favorite.
A Brief History of Sourdough
Sourdough, a leavening agent made from naturally occurring yeast and bacteria, has been used for thousands of years in bread making. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it was first discovered by accident when flour and water were left out and naturally fermented. Since then, sourdough has been a staple in many cultures around the world, prized for its distinctive flavor and ability to produce light and airy bread.
The Fusion of Sourdough and Pizza
The marriage of sourdough and pizza is a match made in culinary heaven. By incorporating sourdough starter into the pizza dough, pizzaiolo’s are able to achieve a crust that is not only flavorful but also has a unique texture and depth. The natural fermentation process of the sourdough starter adds complexity to the dough, resulting in a crust that is slightly tangy, chewy, and incredibly satisfying.
The Art of Making Sourdough Crusted Pizza
Creating sourdough crusted pizza requires a bit of patience and skill, but the end result is well worth the effort. To start, you will need to make yourself a sourdough starter if you don’t already have one. It starts with weighing out a 1:1 ratio of bread flour (100 grams) and water (100 grams). You’ll stir that up into paste and then let it sit on your counter for 3 days. After 3 days, you will take out 100 grams of the starter and discard that, and then feed the remaining starter with 200 grams of bread flour and 200 grams of water and let it sit on a shelf overnight. By now, you should be seeing your starter bubble and double in size. You will continue to discard and feed your starter day after day for at least 10 days. You will see your starter rise and fall throughout. You will know when your starter is ready to use when it has bubbled, has a nice, slightly sour smell. You can also take a small dollop and drop it into a small bowl of water. When it floats, you are ready to make your pizza dough.
Recipe for Sourdough Pizza Crust
Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer Optional; can be mixed by hand
- 1 Baking Steel Baking stone will work but only if you can achieve maximum temperatures
- 1 16" Wooden pizza peel
- 1 Metal retrieval peel
Ingredients
- 800 grams bread flour I prefer to use KA Sir Lancelot flour however you can easily find King Arthur 12.7% Protein bread flour in most grocery stores
- 427 grams luke warm spring water
- 11 grams fine sea salt
- 427 grams sourdough starter
- 51 grams olive oil Extra virgin olive oil
- semolina flour For stretch and dusting
Instructions
Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Add your water and sourdough starter to your mixing bowl and blend into a slurry. This part can be done using your fingers, a spoon or on the mixer with the whisk attachment. This will take less than one minute to do.
- Next, change to using your dough hook attachment and slowly add your bread flour to your water/starter blend, gradually increasing your mixer speed to medium, until your water/starter/flour combines into an oatmeal-like consistency.
- Once you have this consistency, go ahead and slowly incorporate your sea salt. Allow it to mix for several minutes, again at medium speed.
- Once your water/starter/flour/salt blend is complete, let the dough rest in the bowl for about 20 minutes. After allowing your dough to rest, you can now move on to the final step.
- Open up a hollow in your dough and add some of your EVOO and mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes, slowly continuing to add the EVOO until completely combined in the bowl.
- Allow your dough to rest for 20 minutes and then perform a stretch and fold, grabbing one edge of your dough and stretching it out and folding over on itself, repeating this, going around the bowl in quadrants.
- Let the dough rest for another 20 minutes and stretch and fold. This should be repeated at least 3 times in total.
Balling Your Dough
- Portion out this recipe, weighing out (4) 400-gram dough balls. Once balled, store them in round plastic, air-tight containers, lightly coated with evoo. These will then go into your refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours but preferably 48 - 72 hours before baking.
Making the Pizza
- On the day you are going to make your pizza, remove your dough balls from the refrigerator at least 1.5 hours before you want to make your pizza.
- Preheat your oven to at least 525 degrees but preferably to 550 degrees, for at least 30 minutes (I preheat for at least 1 hour). I would highly recommend the use of a baking steel plate when baking indoors, based on its excellent heat conduction and retention.
- Stretch your dough between 14" and 16", all depending on how well you stretch your dough. I use the tips of my fingers, working the air from the center of the dough out to the edge of the crust. Then I use a knuckle stretch technique, working from the middle of the dough and out to the edge once again.Note: I use semolina flour for the bench stretch and would recommend you do the same.
- Dust your peel with semolina flour (I use wood to launch, metal to retrieve) and place your dough on your peel.
- Build your pizza however you like. I typically sauce first, add a dusting of pecorino Romano, and then the mozzarella. You can use sliced or shredded mozzarella. I prefer sliced. Drizzle with a little EVOO and you are ready to bake.
- Bake for 10 minutes or to your preference. I like a harder bake. I will actually finish my pizza under the broiler for 30 to 45 seconds to add that little bit of char.
The Benefits of Sourdough Crust
Aside from its incredible flavor and texture, sourdough crusted pizza offers several health benefits as well. The natural fermentation process of sourdough helps to break down gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins, making it easier on the stomach for those with gluten sensitivities. Additionally, sourdough is rich in beneficial bacteria and enzymes, which can aid in digestion and improve gut health.
