The Best Sourdough Pizza Base

A good sourdough pizza begins with a simple dough, a lively starter and enough time for the flavour to develop. This recipe makes a crisp, lightly blistered base with a soft, airy crust – designed for an ordinary home oven as well as a pizza oven.

The dough can be made the day before you need it. After a slow overnight rest in the fridge, simply bring the dough balls back towards room temperature, stretch them gently and add your toppings.

Ingredients

For the pizza dough

• 560g Italian 00 pizza flour or strong white bread flour.
• 320g water – at room temperature.
• 80g active sourdough starter – recently fed and showing good activity.
• 10g fine sea salt.
• Semolina flour or rice flour – for dusting.

For the simple tomato sauce

• 1 × 400g tin whole plum tomatoes.
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano.
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt – or to taste.
• One small garlic clove, finely grated – optional.

For a classic Margherita topping

• Approximately 400g mozzarella – well drained and torn into small pieces.
• A small bunch of fresh basil.
• Extra virgin olive oil – for finishing.
• Finely grated Parmesan – optional.

Day 1: Make the pizza dough

1. Mix the dough

• Add 320g water and 80g active starter to a large mixing bowl.
• Stir until the starter is mostly dispersed through the water.
• Add 560g flour and 10g salt.
• Mix until no dry flour remains and a rough dough forms.
• Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 20–30 minutes.

2. Strengthen the dough

• With slightly damp hands, lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself.
• Turn the bowl and repeat until all four sides have been folded.
• Cover and leave the dough to rest for approximately 30 minutes.
• Repeat this process two or three more times.
• The dough should gradually become smoother, stronger and more elastic.

You can knead the dough instead if you prefer. Knead by hand for approximately 8–10 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook on a low speed for 6–8 minutes.

3. Bulk fermentation

• Keep the dough covered at room temperature.
• Allow it to ferment for approximately 4–6 hours.
• A cool kitchen may require considerably longer.
• The dough is ready to divide when it feels lighter, contains small bubbles and has increased in volume by approximately 40–50%.
• Do not wait for the dough to double completely.

4. Divide and shape

• Turn the dough onto a clean work surface.
• For four medium pizzas, divide it into four pieces of approximately 240g.
• For six smaller pizzas, divide it into six pieces of approximately 160g.
• Bring the edges of each piece into the centre.
• Turn the dough over so the seam sits underneath.
• Gently cup your hand around the dough and rotate it against the work surface to create a smooth, tight ball.

5. Cold-proof the dough balls

• Lightly oil a covered dough tray or individual lidded containers.
• Place the dough balls inside, leaving enough room for them to expand.
• Cover securely so the surface cannot dry out.
• Leave at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.
• Transfer to the fridge for 8–24 hours.

The longer cold proof develops a deeper flavour and makes the dough easier to stretch. Avoid leaving the dough too long if it already looked highly fermented before refrigeration.

Day 2: Prepare the sauce and toppings

6. Bring the dough towards room temperature

• Remove the dough balls from the fridge approximately 1–2 hours before baking.
• Keep them covered while they warm.
• The dough should feel relaxed, slightly puffy and easy to stretch.
• On a warm day, the dough may be ready sooner.

7. Make the tomato sauce

• Drain a little of the excess liquid from the tomatoes.
• Add the tomatoes to a bowl with the olive oil, oregano, salt and optional garlic.
• Crush everything together with your hands or a potato masher for a textured sauce.
• For a smoother sauce, pulse briefly with a stick blender.
• Do not cook the sauce. It will cook on the pizza.
• Keep it chilled until needed.

Baking in a home oven

8. Preheat the oven properly

• Place a pizza stone, baking steel or heavy upturned baking tray in the upper third of the oven.
• Set the oven to its highest temperature – ideally 250°C or above.
• Preheat the stone or steel for at least 45–60 minutes.
• If your oven has a strong grill, switch it on shortly before baking to increase the top heat.

9. Shape the pizza

• Lightly dust the work surface with semolina or flour.
• Lift out one dough ball, keeping the remaining balls covered.
• Place it on the floured surface and gently press the centre with your fingertips.
• Work from the centre outwards, leaving a rim approximately 1–2cm wide.
• Turn the dough as you press, gradually widening it into a circle.
• Lift and gently stretch it across the backs of your hands if needed.
• Stop if the dough resists or begins to tear. Let it rest for 10 minutes before trying again.
• Do not use a rolling pin, as this presses the gas out of the edge.

10. Top the pizza

• Transfer the stretched dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or flat baking tray.
• Spread over a thin layer of tomato sauce, leaving the outer rim uncovered.
• Add the drained mozzarella and any other toppings.
• Avoid overloading the centre.
• Give the peel a small shake before baking to make sure the pizza can still move.
• If it sticks, lift the edge and add a little more semolina underneath.

11. Bake

• Slide the pizza onto the fully heated stone, steel or baking tray.
• Bake for approximately 6–10 minutes, depending on your oven.
• Turn the pizza partway through if one side colours more quickly.
• The pizza is ready when the edge is puffed and golden, the cheese is bubbling and the underside has browned.
• Finish with fresh basil and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Allow the oven surface to recover its heat for several minutes before baking the next pizza.

Frying pan and grill method

If you do not have a pizza stone or steel, a heavy ovenproof frying pan and a hot grill can produce an excellent result.

• Set the grill to its highest setting.
• Place a heavy ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat.
• Stretch one dough ball to approximately the same size as the pan.
• Carefully place the dough into the dry, hot pan.
• Cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, until bubbles begin to appear underneath.
• Add a thin layer of sauce, mozzarella and your chosen toppings.
• Move the pan under the hot grill.
• Cook for another 2–4 minutes, until the edge is puffed and the cheese has melted.
• Remove carefully, finish with olive oil and fresh basil, then repeat.

Baking in a pizza oven

• Heat the pizza oven until the floor reaches approximately 400–450°C.
• Use less flour beneath the pizza, as loose flour can burn at very high temperatures.
• Stretch and top the dough as described above.
• Launch the pizza into the oven.
• Turn it every 20–30 seconds so the crust colours evenly.
• Bake for approximately 60–120 seconds.
• Allow the oven floor to recover its heat before baking the next pizza.

A simple pizza schedule

Use this schedule as a starting point and adjust it for your kitchen temperature.

• 1pm: Mix the dough.
• 1.30pm–6pm: Bulk fermentation with two or three folds.
• 6pm: Divide and shape the dough balls.
• 6.30pm: Place the covered dough balls in the fridge.
• The following afternoon: Remove the dough from the fridge 1–2 hours before baking.
• One hour before baking: Begin heating the oven and pizza stone.
• Pizza time: Stretch, top and bake each pizza.

Pizza topping ideas

• Margherita: Tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil.
• Mushroom: Tomato, mozzarella, thinly sliced mushrooms, thyme and Parmesan.
• Roasted pepper: Tomato, mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives and red onion.
• Goat’s cheese: Mozzarella, goat’s cheese, caramelised onion and rocket.
• Spicy salami: Tomato, mozzarella, salami, chilli and hot honey.
• White pizza: Ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic and rosemary, without tomato sauce.
• Courgette: Mozzarella, thinly sliced courgette, lemon zest, chilli and Parmesan.

Whichever topping you choose, keep it light. Too many ingredients will slow the bake and can leave the middle soft or wet.

Common pizza problems

The dough keeps shrinking back

• The dough may still be too cold.
• It may need more time to relax after shaping into balls.
• Cover it and leave it for another 15–30 minutes before stretching again.
• Avoid forcing the dough, as it may tear.

The dough tears while stretching

• The dough may be under-fermented or insufficiently developed.
• It may have become stuck to the work surface.
• Use gentle movements and support the centre with the backs of your hands.
• Patch a small tear by pinching the dough together.

The pizza sticks to the peel

• Dust the peel lightly with semolina before placing the dough on it.
• Do not leave a topped pizza sitting on the peel.
• Check that it moves freely before launching.
• Avoid getting sauce or moisture beneath the dough.

The centre is soggy

• The oven or baking surface may not have been hot enough.
• Too much sauce or cheese may have been added.
• The mozzarella may have contained too much water.
• Preheat for longer and use a lighter layer of toppings.

The crust is pale and flat

• The dough may be under-fermented.
• The oven may not have been hot enough.
• The pizza stone or steel may not have fully heated.
• Give the dough more time and preheat the baking surface for at least 45–60 minutes.

Storing leftover dough and pizza

• Keep unused dough balls covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours after the planned baking time.
• The dough will continue fermenting, so use it before it becomes loose and overly sticky.
• Freeze dough balls in lightly oiled containers for up to three months.
• Defrost frozen dough slowly in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature before stretching.
• Cool leftover cooked pizza before refrigerating it.
• Reheat slices in a hot frying pan or oven rather than a microwave for a crisper base.