Name: Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups bread flour; 3 tbsp sugar, divided; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup warm water; 2 tbsp oil; 1/2 cup sourdough discard

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Pizza night just got more delicious! Chewy, bubbly (and complete with that signature sourdough tang!) this sourdough discard pizza dough is quick, easy to make, and whipped up using just a few staple ingredients. A guaranteed family favorite, it’s THAT good.

Of all the sourdough recipes to be found here on the blog, I kind of can’t believe I’ve gone this far without creating a sourdough pizza crust recipe!

This sourdough discard pizza dough is a spin on my regular ol’ pizza dough recipe, but with that signature sourdough tang that I find really delicious. The result is pizza crust that is crispy with a chewy center, just as pizza crust should be. Yum and yum.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

USE UP SOURDOUGH DISCARD: Not true to its name, sourdough discard is great for use in a variety of recipes! I love to use it a variety of baked goods, like these sourdough scones, pie crust, and even sourdough discard tortillas!
WHOLESOME INGREDIENTS: Pizza you can feel good about! Rather than springing for delivery or frozen pizza, this pizza dough is made easily at home using much more wholesome and nutritious ingredients, like sourdough discard and oils with healthy fats.
CONVIENIENT: This pizza dough is perfect for busier nights, or for when you have one of those “oh crap its 4 o’clock and I have no meat thawed” dinner nights. It comes together quickly and only needs about an hour to rise!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Flour: I use bread flour in this recipe, but you can also use all purpose.
Sourdough Discard: You’ll need 3/4 cup, please!
Water: Filtered warm water.
Yeast: I love and use Red Star Platinum Yeast. I used 1 packet of instant yeast in this recipe, but 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast will also work.
Salt: I love and use Redmond mineral salt.
Oil: Olive oil or avocado oil works great in this recipe.

sourdough discard pizza dough ingredients

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Begin by activating the yeast using warm water and sugar. Make sure the water is warm, around 105-110 degrees (You can use a food thermometer to easily check the temperature). Cold water will not activate the yeast! In a small bowl, combine warm water, one packet of yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar. Let the yeast mixture sit for few minutes to bloom.
Prepare remaining ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and remaining 2 tbsp of sugar. Add the oil, sourdough discard, and bloomed yeast and water mixture.
Turn the mixer on low and begin to mix all the ingredients together until a dough ball forms and is smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes.
After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, it is ready to rise!
Place the pizza dough into a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Store it on the kitchen counter to rise for 1-2 hours before prepping it to bake.

Rachael’s Top Tip!

To determine if your dough is ready to rise, you can perform what is called the “windowpane” test. Tear of a small piece of dough and hold it up to a window, gently stretching it. If you are able to see light come through the dough without it tearing, its ready to go. If not, it needs to be kneaded a little further.

Baking Your Sourdough Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Punch down the dough to release any air bubbles.
Divide the dough in half if making 2 pizzas. Gently flatten each dough ball into a disk.
Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough into a large circle, about 1/2 inch thick.
Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Add your favorite pizza sauce and toppings and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Yum!

Note: If you don’t have a pizza pan, use a regular cookie sheet. Grease it with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, and then press the dough into whatever shape that will fit.

Quick Tips for Success

There are many different brands of instant yeast you can use. I like Red Star Platinum Yeast. I have also used Bob’s Red Mill. If you don’t have a packet of instant yeast, 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast will also work!
You can substitute the bread flour for regular all purpose in this recipe. I just like the texture the bread flour brings to pizza crust.
Rolling the dough to 1/2 inch thick will yield a typical thick pizza crust. If you prefer a crispy, thin-crust pizza, roll it out even thinner.
Make sure the oven is HOT before placing the pizza in to cook. This helps ensure a nice crust.
If you don’t own a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can make the dough in a regular mixing bowl and stir together using a wooden spoon, and knead the dough using your hands. Check out this how-to video for how to knead pizza dough yourself.
This recipe can easily be doubled! You could easily bake half of the dough and then freeze the other half for later use.

How to Freeze Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

This pizza dough freezes beautifully! If you are making the dough to freeze immediately, follow these simple steps:

Lightly coat all sides of the dough with nonstick spray or olive oil (I typically use olive oil or avocado oil spray). Place the dough into individual Ziploc bag(s) and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature and rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour on the counter.
Preheat the oven and continue with the above outlined steps to baking the dough.

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FAQs

Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the fridge to reheat later. I have stored baked pizza slices in the freezer for later use for around 3 months.

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Yield: 1 16 inch pizza crust or 2 8 inch crusts

Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup sourdough discard

Instructions

Begin by activating the yeast using warm water and sugar. Make sure the water is warm, around 105-110 degrees (You can use a food thermometer to easily check the temperature). Cold water will not activate the yeast! In a small bowl, combine warm water, one packet of yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar. Let the yeast mixture sit for few minutes to bloom.
Prepare remaining ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and remaining 2 tbsp sugar. Add the oil, sourdough discard, and bloomed yeast and water mixture.
Turn the mixer on low and begin to mix all the ingredients together until a dough ball forms and is smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes.
After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, it is ready to rise!
Place the pizza dough into a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Store it on the kitchen counter to rise for 1-2 hours before prepping it to bake.
Bake the pizza: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Punch down the dough to release any air bubbles.
Divide the dough in half if making 2 pizzas. Gently flatten each dough ball into a disk.
Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough into a large circle, about 1/2 inch thick.
Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Add your favorite pizza sauce and toppings and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Yum!

Notes

Instructions for Freezing Pizza Dough

Lightly coat all sides of the dough with nonstick spray or olive oil (I typically use olive oil or avocado oil spray). Place the dough into individual Ziploc bag(s) and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature and rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour on the counter.
Preheat the oven and continue with the above outlined steps to baking the dough.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need