How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough – Easy to Follow Guide

Published Categorized as Sourdough Discard Recipes Tagged

A delicious sourdough pizza is enough to elevate your mid-weeknight dinners. Sourdough discard is great to work with. You can make anything you like from cakes, to pancakes, and even pizzas! So if you’re wondering how to make that impeccable, unique flavored sourdough pizza, simply follow this easy guide!

How to make sourdough discard pizza dough

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How to make sourdough discard pizza dough – easy to follow guide

Sourdough Pizza Crust

This sourdough discard pizza dough recipe is super easy and really fun to make. 

  • Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins

Ingredients

Scale
  • 200g sourdough starter discard
  • 7g instant yeast (optional)
  • 280g water
  • 20g honey
  • 30g olive oil
  • 500g bread flour
  • 20g salt

Tools

  • Glass Mixing Bowl
  • Silicone Dough Scraper 
  • Pizza Peel
  • Pizza Stone
  • Pizza Rocker
 
 

Instructions

  1. Grab a large mixing bowl and measure out the sourdough starter, water, and honey (as well as yeast if you wish to use it). Stir the ingredients together until the sourdough starter and honey have dissolved in the water.
  2. Next add oil, flour, and salt into the bowl, gently stirring this together with a dough whisk or knife. Cover with a plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it using your hands. With the right amount of kneading your dough will emerge beautifully soft and silky. This should take about 10 minutes.
  4. Once the dough is nice and silky, plop it into a warm bowl (you can warm your bowl with warm water and then dry it, this helps speed up the rising). Cover the bowl with a plastic cover and leave the dough to rise until it has doubled.
  5. Once the dough has doubled in size, separate the dough into smaller balls, so they’re ready to be rolled out. Measure out 200g per pizza. Leave the balls on the counter top, and cover them with a tea towel, for about 30 minutes.
  6. Once you’re ready to make the pizza bases, use your fingers to press the dough into a pizza round. To stretch the dough, pick it up and move your hands around the edges, allowing the doughs wright to stretch it into a round. Try to avoid using a rolling pin during this process, if you wish to provide your dough with a good structure once baked.
  7. Place your pizza dough on to pizza peels, ready for your toppings
  8. Once you’re ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F and ensure that its hot.
  9. Place your pizzas into the hot oven for about 15 minutes, till the toppings are cooked with a crisp bottom. The pizza bases are especially great when baked in a wood fire or gas pizza oven.
  • Author: Natasha Krajnc
  • Prep Time: 1 hr 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Category: bread

Keywords: sourdough pizza

What is Sourdough Discard?

Much like the phrase suggests, sourdough discard is a small portion of sourdough starter that is removed. This procedure is conducted prior to feeding it by adding fresh flour and water.

Using Sourdough Discard in Pizza Dough

This pizza dough recipe is made using sourdough starter discard. But before we get into it, I believe it would be wise to explain why and how you should use your discard in this specific recipe. That way, you achieve a delicious outcome!

The texture, and flavour of your pizza dough, will rely on the strength of your sourdough starter. So to outline how you could use your sourdough discard in this pizza dough recipe, would be through the following scenarios:

  • If you happen to have an active starter that is 2 weeks old, and you have 200g of discard in a glass jar resting in the fridge from a previous week of feeding your starter. You can use 200g of this sourdough discard with an additional 4g of instant yeast in your dough.
  • If your starter is 6 months old, and you haven’t fed it for a week, but intend to use it to make some pizza. Then take 200g of starter from your jar and use that to bake (with no additional yeast). Then proceed to feed your sourdough starter before placing it back in the fridge.
  • If you have a mature starter that has been around for a couple years. Use 200g of fed, active starter to make a delicious sourdough pizza dough.

Ingredients for Sourdough Pizza Crust

  • 200g Sourdough starter discard
  • 7g Instant yeast (optional)
  • 280g water
  • 20g honey
  • 30g olive oil
  • 500g bread flour
  • 20g salt

Equipment for Sourdough Pizza Dough

You’re not required to have specialised equipment for this pizza dough recipe, however there are a few bits and pieces that can make baking a little easier for you, resulting in a wonderful tasting pizza.

These are some of the things that can help create an incredible pizza crust:

  • Glass Mixing Bowl – This allows you to monitor your sourdough pizza dough, especially as it rises
Pyrex prepware 4-quart rimmed mixing bowl, clear
Buy on Amazon
  • Silicone Dough Scraper – Scraping dough out of the bowl has never been easier, so I always ensure that I have these handy. They’re also great for dividing the dough as well!
Kitchenaid gourmet bowl scraper, set of 2, aqua sky/sorm grey
Buy on Amazon
  • Pizza Peel – These are a great alternative to parchment paper
New star foodservice 50295 restaurant-grade wooden pizza peel, 16
Buy on Amazon
  • Pizza Stone – A good pizza stone or baking stone is essential in any baker’s kitchen. It’s great for baking bread and pizza especially if you plan to bake without a Dutch oven.
Honey-can-do pizza stone, 14"
Buy on Amazon
  • Pizza Rocker – Slicing through mozzarella and crispy sourdough is much easier with this handy tool!
How to make sourdough discard pizza dough - easy to follow guide
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How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough (No Yeast)

This sourdough discard pizza dough recipe is super easy and really fun to make. You can pretty much throw all your ingredients into a bowl and you’re halfway through making it!

Of course you can speed up the process with a little commercial yeast, but it isn’t essential.

Here’s how to make sourdough discard pizza dough:

  1. Grab a large mixing bowl and measure out the sourdough starter, water, and honey (as well as yeast if you wish to use it). Stir the ingredients together until the sourdough starter and honey have dissolved in the water.
  2. Next add oil, flour, and salt into the bowl, gently stirring this together with a dough whisk or knife. Cover with a plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it using your hands. With the right amount of kneading your dough will emerge beautifully soft and silky. This should take about 10 minutes.
  4. Once the dough is nice and silky, plop it into a warm bowl (you can warm your bowl with warm water and then dry it, this helps speed up the rising). Cover the bowl with a plastic cover and leave the dough to rise until it has doubled.
  5. Once the dough has doubled in size, separate the dough into smaller balls, so they’re ready to be rolled out. Measure out 200g per pizza. Leave the balls on the counter top, and cover them with a tea towel, for about 30 minutes.
  6. Once you’re ready to make the pizza bases, use your fingers to press the dough into a pizza round. To stretch the dough, pick it up and move your hands around the edges, allowing the doughs wright to stretch it into a round. Try to avoid using a rolling pin during this process, if you wish to provide your dough with a good structure once baked.
  7. Place your pizza dough on to pizza peels, ready for your toppings
  8. Once you’re ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and ensure that its hot.
  9. Place your pizzas into the hot oven for about 15 minutes, till the toppings are cooked with a crisp bottom. The pizza bases are especially great when baked in a wood fire or gas pizza oven.

Kneading Sourdough Pizza Dough

Sourdough pizza discard dough can be made using your hands or with the help of a stand mixer. Kneading with your hands is quite easy, you’ll have to keep kneading until the dough becomes soft and silky.

Refrain from the urge of needing to add flour to your work surface. Instead use a dough scraper to bring the dough together.

Cooking Sourdough Pizza

The general rule for cooking pizza is the higher the temperature of the oven, the better your pizza will be. A regular oven doesn’t become that hot, so a pizza oven will be the better alternative in cooking the perfect pizza.

If you happen to be using a regular home oven then turn the heat up as high as it will go (450-500°F).

Alternatively, you can bake sourdough discard pizza in a cast iron skillet, since they trap heat well. Press the pizza dough into a greased skillet, then bake in a pre-heated oven until golden brown.

How to make sourdough discard pizza dough - easy to follow guide

Baker’s Timeline for Sourdough Pizza

Building a sourdough timeline is probably one of the most efficient ways of keeping track of the process in making sourdough discard pizza dough. Here’s a basic timeline for you to refer to:

  • 7.00am – Mix the pizza dough with sourdough discard
  • 8.00am – Place the kneaded dough into a warm bowl, cover with a plastic cover, then place the bowl into a microwave with the door slightly ajar
  • 5.00pm – Turn the risen pizza dough out on to the counter and divide the dough into balls. Allow them to rest for 30 minutes.
  • 5.30pm – Shape the pizza bases ad place them onto pizza peels. Let them rest, meanwhile preheat the oven
  • 6.00pm – Top them with pizza toppings, and place them into the oven to bake.

Can You Put Sourdough Pizza Dough in the Fridge?

If you wish to make sourdough discard pizza dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to shape, place the dough in the fridge, as soon as it has doubled in size.

This should remain intact for 24 hours.

On the other hand, if you had used commercial yeast as well as discard for the pizza dough, then you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days after it has doubled in size.

Can You Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough?

Yes, absolutely! Sourdough pizza is very simple to freeze, allowing you to come back to your half prepped product in the future. There are two effective ways to freeze your sourdough pizza dough, depending on your personal preference.

Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough Balls

If you wish to have some pizza dough available in the freezer on a regular basis, then you can simply divide the pizza dough into balls after it has doubled. Place each ball into a freezer bag, seal and place them into the freezer.

Once you’re ready to make pizza, pull a bag of pizza dough out of the freezer, and allow it to defrost at room temperature. Once the dough has reached room temperature, shape it into a pizza base, and proceed with the recipe.

Freezing Sourdough Pizza Base

For this option, shape your pizza dough into pizza bases. Place each individual pizza base on to a piece of parchment paper, and then on to a pizza peel. Allow the base to freeze uncovered in the freezer for an hour.

Once all the bases have frozen, stack them one atop the other, ensuring that there is a piece of parchment paper in between them. Then wrap the stack of pizza bases in aluminum foil or place them into a large bag.

Once you’re ready to use one, take out the pizza base and top with your choice of pizza toppings. Don’t worry about defrosting the base, as it will defrost while you add your toppings.

How to make sourdough discard pizza dough - guide

What to Make With Leftover Sourdough Pizza Dough

It’s not unheard of to have pizza dough balls leftover from previous bakes. Which is why there are some additional delicious recipes to ensure minimum waste, and maximum enjoyment!

  • Sourdough Pizza Rolls
  • Fried Sourdough Pizza Dough
  • Sourdough Pizza Pockets

Sourdough Pizza Rolls

This recipe uses leftover pizza dough to create a wonderful batch of scrumptious pizza rolls.

You can opt to use a 650g portion of sourdough discard pizza dough for this recipe, or simply use leftovers.

Rolling and Filling

  • Reach for your leftover dough, and gently roll it into a rectangle.
  • Spread the pizza sauce all over the dough, leaving a 5cm gap along the edges.
  • Sprinkle lots of mozzarella, bacon, and pepperoni so that it covers the entire area of dough that was slathered in sauce
  • Once the fillings are on the pizza dough, roll it into a log
  • Roll the dough into a tight log, using the unfilled piece of dough to seal the log. You can spray some water on the area of dough that fuses with the other. Lay the dough out with the seam side down, sprinkle semolina flour, if the dough sticks to the surface
  • Cut the log into 3cm pieces
  • Place the sourdough rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can choose to cook these in a cast iron skillet, but you’ll risk the rolls sticking together.

Proofing

  • Cover the baking tray with a plastic bag, or tea towel, allowing the pizza rolls to become puffy. This may take some time if you’re using a sourdough starter, though you can speed up the process if your dough contained commercial yeast
  • Once the dough is puffy, you can bake them immediately.

Baking

  • Puffy rolls means its time to bake! Preheat the oven to 356°F, and bake the rolls for 20 minutes
  • Once they’ve finished baking, remove them from the baking sheet and pop them onto a wire rack to cool down

How to Store Pizza Rolls

These sourdough pizza rolls are best devoured within 12 hours of baking. They happen to freeze really well, however.

Once they’ve cooled down, add them to a tray lined with a baking sheet for around 2 hours. Once they’ve frozen, slip them into a plastic bag and pop them back into the freezer.

This method of freezing ensures that you are able to consume these pizza rolls a few at a time. Allow them to reach room temperature or heat them in the microwave before eating them.

How to make sourdough discard pizza roll dough

Fried Sourdough Pizza Dough

You can choose to use any amount of dough you have leftover. However, ensure that your dough isn’t incredibly thick, or it won’t cook through in the center, rendering your final product gummy and uncooked.

  • If your dough has been in the fridge, allow it to reach room temperature before dividing the dough into 50 to 100g portions.
  • Gently shape your pizza dough into a round shape using your fingers. Push your fingers into the dough to give it a small indent, and texture for when it’s fried.
  • Heat up a cast iron skillet until its hot. Add olive oil, ensuring that your entire pan is coated in oil, so that your pizza dough is bubbling.
  • Add your pizza dough to the oil, allowing it to bubble on one side, before flipping it over.
  • Remove the fried sourdough pizza dough from the pan, and season with a sprinkle of salt and fresh herbs.

Sourdough Pizza Pockets

Pizza pockets are the perfect little snack for you and your family to enjoy. You can fill these little pockets of joy with anything you fancy, such as pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, bacon, pineapple, mushroom, peppers or jalapenos. Be careful to not overfill these pockets, as they will be too difficult to seal.

  • Divide the pizza dough into small portions (30-50g). Shape each portion into a ball, and allow them to rest on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes .
  • Once you’re ready to make the pizza pockets, shape each ball of dough into a rough round.
  • Add a teaspoon of pizza sauce in the center, with a sprinkle of cheese and pepperoni.
  • Pull the edges of the dough into the center, and pinch to seal the pocket. Turn the dough and roll into a ball.
  • Place each pocket on to a baking sheet, then flatter each pocket slightly so that they don’t over puff once in the oven
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and let the pizza pockets cool on a wire rack.
How to make sourdough discard pizza pockets dough

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes

Apart from using your discarded starter in creating a small batch of delicious flavorful pizzas, there are some additional uses for your sourdough discard, that are equally as delicious, and sensational!

Try:

Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough – A Must-Try!

Using sourdough discard starter to create fun and delicious recipes is a great way to ensure minimum wastage, and the results are always drool worthy! Choose from pizzas, finger pull apart bread, succulent pancakes, when looking for other sourdough recipes to satisfy that raw tangy craving!

Speaking of Italian sourdough recipes, check out my semolina sourdough bread I made after my trip to Sicily.

FAQs

What Happens if You Bake Sourdough Discard?

Discarded sourdough starter is commonly used in recipes without additional flour, which means that it can be baked instantly. The discarded starter’s flour is already fermented and adds sourdough flavour to any recipe it is added to.

How Long is Sourdough Discard Good For?

It is possible for sourdough discard to remain fresh for up to 1 week by storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough?

The dough can be stored in the freezer for later use. Simply spray a plastic bag with non stick spray and place the dough into it, pop them into the freezer and they can remain frozen for up to 2 months.

What’s the Difference Between Sourdough Starter and Discard?

Essentially sourdough starter and discard are pretty much the same thing. The discard is a part of the sourdough starter that you’re not currently feeding or baking with. Its called discard because it often gets discarded during feeding.

By Natasha Krajnc

Hi! My name is Natasha and I'm specialized in home sourdough bread baking and currently based in Slovakia - a very small country in Central Europe. My bread baking story began in 2011 when I decided to give up commercial yeast. I felt tired all the time (especially after eating bread and other foods made with yeast), I wasn’t motivated to do anything, had trouble concentrating throughout the day, my abdomen was bloated and I was like a trumpet on steroids – basically, I was quite a wreck. I was a big bread lover (and still am) and having to stop eating bread was quite hard at that time but I felt I was on a right way to give my body a chance to heal itself.

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