Description
This sourdough discard pizza crust recipe transforms your unfed sourdough starter into a delicious, crispy, and flavorful pizza base. With simple ingredients and a straightforward process, it allows you to make thin or thick crust pizzas using your kitchen staples, yielding a perfect crust ready for your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 3/4 cup (141g to 170g) water, lukewarm
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 4 teaspoons King Arthur Pizza Dough Flavor, optional but delicious
- Olive oil, for greasing pans
Instructions
- Prepare the Starter: Stir any liquid on top of your refrigerated sourdough starter back into it. Measure 1 cup (227g) of this unfed discard into a large mixing bowl. This is also a great chance to feed the remainder of your starter if needed.
- Combine Ingredients: Weigh or measure your flour by gently spooning it into a cup and leveling off excess. In your mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, mix the sourdough starter with the lesser amount of lukewarm water, flour, salt, yeast, and pizza dough flavor.
- Mix and Knead the Dough: Combine the ingredients, adding the remaining water one tablespoon at a time if the dough seems dry. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes using a stand mixer and dough hook, until it cleans the sides of the bowl.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased container, cover it, and let it rise until nearly doubled in size. This will take between 2 to 4 hours depending on your starter’s vitality. For quicker rising, place the dough in a warm spot or double the yeast amount.
- Shape the Dough for Thin Crust: For two thin pizzas, divide the dough in half and form each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12-inch round pizza pans with olive oil and brush to coat evenly.
- Rest the Dough: Place each dough disk into the oiled pans, cover, and let them rest for 15 minutes. Press the dough gently toward the pan edges; if it springs back, cover and rest another 15 minutes before continuing.
- Shape the Dough for Thick Crust: For a thicker crust, oil a 14-inch round pizza pan or an 18 x 13-inch half-sheet pan. Place the dough inside and press it out to the edges. Allow a 15-minute rest if the dough resists stretching.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough in pans and let it rise until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Preheat Oven: Toward the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Add Sauce and Initial Bake: Top your pizza dough with sauce and toppings except cheese. Bake thin crust pizzas for 5 minutes, thick crust pizzas for 10 minutes before adding cheese.
- Add Cheese and Final Bake: Remove the pizza from the oven, add cheese, and return it to bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until cheese melts and crust crisps suitably.
- Serve and Store: Remove the pizza from the oven and enjoy immediately. Leftovers should be wrapped well and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Using discard sourdough starter helps reduce waste while imparting tangy flavor to your crust.
- Adjust water quantity as needed based on dough consistency; dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Rest periods are essential to relaxing gluten, preventing dough from shrinking back.
- Adding cheese after initial baking keeps the crust crispy and prevents sogginess.
- Optional Pizza Dough Flavor improves taste but is not necessary if unavailable.
- If you prefer a faster rise, increasing yeast amount will speed fermentation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American