This simple sourdough pepperoni pizza has become our weekly go-to! We love doing pizza and movie night every Friday. So either Wednesday or Thursday I’ll throw the dough together and then just have it in the fridge until it’s time to use. The dough is soft and easy to work with. All you have to do is mix it together and then basically you just wait. So easy. It makes two large pizzas or you could cut it into four for smaller pizzas. Both ways work and this recipe is becoming a family favorite¢!
Some benefits of sourdough:
- It’s easier to digest. The long fermentation breaks down a lot of the starches, which means it’s already starting the digestion process for you. Also, it’s usually easier to digest even for those that are sensitive to gluten.
- It’s filled with probiotics & amazing nutrients. It has probiotics and lactic acid from the fermentation process. The probiotics are good for your gut and the lactic acid also helps you to break it down and digest it.
- It’s lower glycemic since it’s a fermented food. That means it doesn’t cause as much of a blood sugar spike when you eat it.
What you need to make simple sourdough pepperoni pizza + substitutions:
- Sourdough starter- Everyone has a different way of doing their sourdough starter. I feel like it can feel so overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve always followed the same way and it has worked every time! I feed my starter equal parts. So I will usually empty my jar so there is 50g of starter in there. I’ll typically take the discard and put it in a separate jar to save for discard recipes. Then, I’ll add in 50g of all-purpose flour, and 50g of purified water. Mix it well and leave it on the counter to rise for about 8 hours before adding it into a recipe. If I’m baking often, I’ll leave it on the counter and just feed it everyday. If not, I’ll leave it in the fridge and feed it once a week or just before when I’m going to use it. I’ve never made my starter myself because my neighbor actually shared hers with me years ago and it’s still doing wonderful! This is the one she bought!
- Water- Whenever I’m baking or feeding my sourdough starter, I use room temperature purified water. We actually have a Berkey water filter and LOVE it! So I just use my water straight from there.
- Bread flour- My favorite and go-to brand of flour is King Arthur. I buy organic when I can! I’ll buy the organic bag from Thrive Market for the best price. All-purpose flour works just fine for this recipe as well and I personally use it often. Bread flour will just give it a chewier texture. I do know that gluten-free flour doesn’t work the same for this recipe!
- Sea salt- Our go-to sea salt is from Redmond always. We buy it in bulk from their website. It’s unrefined sea salt meaning that it still contains the beneficial trace minerals! It’s also pure and unprocessed with is the best. You can use the code daddioskitchen for 15% off on their website.
Equipment I used:
- Food Scale- I use this for all my sourdough recipes and for feeding my starter. It really comes in handy and is more precise for measuring. That’s why most recipes use it! Also it makes less dishes because you don’t need measuring cups. I love this one, but you can use any scale for this simple sourdough pepperoni pizza.
- Dough hook- This is definitely not required, but I love my dough hook. I use it for mixing everything instead of a whisk, and it works wonders. I got mine from the Food Nanny, but hers are always sold out. Most sourdough recipes call for using your hands, so that works just fine too.
- Shower caps- Using a shower cap is my favorite hack for covering your bowl when you let the dough rest. Since the side is elastic it fits right over the bowl perfectly. I reuse mine a ton of times instead of using plastic wrap for this simple sourdough pepperoni pizza.
- Weck jars- These are the best jars. One of my favorites and my personal preference when it comes to jars. I especially love it for my sourdough starter, because of the wide top and they’re so pretty.
- Baking steel- We have this steel and it works amazing! Any kind of pizza stone or cast iron that can be preheated is ideal. It just helps the bottom of the pizza get crispy, but it’s not required. You can bake the pizza on a sheet pan if you need to.
Sample Baking Schedule:
7-10am (or anytime in the morning)- Feed starter
5-6pm- Mix dough + stretch and folds
8pm- Bulk ferment for 6-12 hours
8am- Divide into 2-3 dough balls and put in oiled bowls.
4pm- Preheat oven
4:45-5pm- Start the pizzas and bake.
*This is just a general example but you don’t have to follow this exactly of course. You can do what works best for you! That’s the best part of sourdough!*
Other sourdough recipes you will love:
Alright, let’s get to making the recipe! Enjoy!
Simple Sourdough Pepperoni Pizza
This simple sourdough pepperoni pizza has become our weekly go-to! We love doing pizza and movie night every Friday. So either Wednesday or Thursday I'll throw the dough together and then just have it in the fridge until it's time to use. The dough is soft and easy to work with. All you have to do is mix it together and then basically you just wait. So easy. It makes two large pizzas or you could cut it into four for smaller pizzas. Both ways work and this recipe is becoming a family favorite!
Servings: 0
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough:
- 100 g sourdough starter (fed or discard)
- 350 g water
- 500 g bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 12 g sea salt
For the Toppings:
- marinara sauce
- shredded mozzarella
- pepperoni
- dried oregano or basil to sprinkle
- sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
Feed Starter:
- Feed your sourdough starter about 6-12 hours before you plan to use it. It's usually ready earlier in the summer than winter. I always do equal parts so I'll typically have 50g of starter in my jar and feed it 50g of all-purpose flour & 50g of filtered water. I usually feed mine the night before and then start the process in the morning.
Mix Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients. Mix well until everything is incorporated. It will be shaggy and sticky. That's okay! Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, perform one set of stretch and folds. Lift one side of the dough up and over itself into the center. You can wet your hands first to help if it's sticky. Do this on all 4 sides. Cover your bowl again. Do 3-4 rounds of stretch and folds every 30 minutes or so. Example: stretch and fold, cover let rest 30 minutes, then stretch and fold, cover and let rest about 30 minutes or so, repeat, and repeat.
- Cover and let it bulk ferment for about 6-12 hours on the counter. In the winter, it'll take longer, in the summer it will be faster.
- After the bulk ferment, dump the dough onto a floured countertop. Divide into 2-3 balls. Oil containers (I use Pyrex) and put them each in one. Place in the fridge for 6 hours and it can stay in there up to 2-3 days! It will just have a stronger sour flavor.
To Make the Pizza:
- Preheat your oven to 540F degrees. You want to heat your oven for 30 min- 1 hour before baking. I like to use a pizza stone, it definitely makes the best pizza and gives you that crispy crust on the bottom. We have this one and love it!
- I usually want my pizza ready by 5:30pm so I'll usually pull the dough out of the fridge around 3:30/4pm and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes- 1 hour. To do this, take the dough out of the fridge, dump it onto a floured counter, and cover with a tea towel.
- To make the pizza, I stretch my dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Press it out into the shape and pizza and push it out as thin as you can. You can let it rest for 10 minutes if it's pulling back. Then top with a drizzle of olive oil, pizza cause, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni or whatever toppings, dried oregano, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Put your pizza onto the heated steel in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes until cooked through.
- Note: If you don't have a steel or a pizza stone, you can bake the pizza on parchment paper on a baking sheet. The times will just be a bit longer so just keep checking to see when it's ready. It also won't get as crispy on the bottom but will still be delicious. Let cool, cut and enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days!
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ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix Dough:
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In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients. Mix well until everything is incorporated. It will be shaggy and a little sticky. That’s okay! Cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap. Let sit on the counter for 10-12 hours.
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After the dough has rested, perform one set of stretch and folds. Cover your bowl again and refrigerate for up to 48 hours or whenever you’re ready to use it.
To Make the Pizza:
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I usually want my pizza ready by 5:30pm so I’ll usually pull the dough out of the fridge around 4pm and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes- 1 hour. To do this, form your dough into a loose ball on the counter and let it rest.
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Once it’s rested, cut it into either 4 smaller pieces or 2 large pieces.
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Preheat your oven to 500F degrees for 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake so I will typically heat mine around 4:30pm.
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We love cooking our pizza on our cast iron pizza skillet. Sprinkle cornmeal or flour on your skillet. Press your dough out into a shape of pizza. Top with whatever toppings you prefer. We did marinara, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, dried oregano, and sea salt.
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Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your crust.
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We love this recipe so much! I love that the bulk of the work can be done the day before and I just have to pull the dough out of the fridge and make the pizzas for Friday pizza night. Our best crusts have been in the cast iron so far.
Thank you so much for sharing! Glad your family enjoys as much as we do 🙂
These were great! Love the texture of the dough and the fun toppings that can be added:)
Just a heads up there’s a typo in the schedule, it says 4am for pulling dough out of the fridge instead of 4pm lol
Yikes! It is embarrassing Thomas and I know we need a better system with editing. Always working to improve. Thank you for pointing out!
This looks so fun and delicious! Do you know if the crust can be prebaked and frozen?
Hi Eliana! Thank you so much 🙂 Good question, I actually haven’t tried! However, I do often freeze the dough balls and it works great! So after the overnight rise, I stretch and fold and then cut into pieces and freeze however much I want. When I want to use it, I pull it out of the freezer in the morning and leave it on the counter until I’m ready to prep and bake! Let me know if you have any questions at all!
Can you just use discard and not feed it? I have a ton of discard.
Hi! Yes you can use both no problem!
This crust is the best!! Makes the yummiest pizza!
Yay! thank you so much! glad you enjoyed!
Hi there! We love this recipe so much, but quick question…when I just make a cheese pizza, the cheese seems to burn before the crust is cooked through. Any troubleshooting tips? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Emma! I’m so glad you love it 🙂 So it can be a few things like the type of cheese you’re using or the type of pan you’re cooking on. I do find when I cook on my baking sheet instead of my cast iron pizza pan, it gets soggy! One thing to try if you haven’t would to be pre-baking your dough for a little bit before topping with sauce and cheese! You could try baking for 5-10 minutes and then top and see if that helps prevent! Let me know if you test it out!!
Hi Lexi! It says place in the fridge up to 48 hours— what is the soonest we could use it? (I made the dough tonight to sit until morning— could I bake with it tomorrow evening?) thanks!
Hi Traci! Its up to 48hrs so if you wanted to use sooner thats perfectly fine! Sorry for any confusion! Hope you enjoy!
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