Breads (Sourdough) - Other Breads
Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust — Crispy, Chewy & Easy at Home
October 14, 2020
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated 3 December 2025
By Bake with Paws
Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust — Homemade Pizza Night
There’s a special kind of joy in turning a few humble ingredients — flour, water, a bubbly sourdough starter, and olive oil — into a crust that crisps beautifully on the outside, stays chewy and light on the inside, and carries a subtle tang from fermentation. This recipe started as a quest: after trying various hydration levels, many of them failed to deliver that ideal texture. Finally, by adapting a recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen (with some tweaks for our home ovens), I hit the sweet spot.
Now, homemade pizza nights are a weekly ritual — satisfying, comforting, and infinitely customizable.
Why This Crust Works So Well
- Crispy-outer crust, soft & bouncy interior: The medium-high hydration and careful fermentation give you the signature contrast between crackly crust and soft, chewy crumb.
- Deep flavor from sourdough fermentation: The slow levain build and overnight cold retard add subtle sourdough depth you don’t get with instant yeast.
- Simple, minimal ingredients: No need for commercial yeast, fancy flours, or special tools — just bread flour, water, salt, olive oil and your sourdough starter.
- Flexible and forgiving for home baking: Even in a standard home oven, this dough behaves — stretchable, easy to shape, and forgiving with toppings.
- Customizable dough and toppings: From classic Margherita to veggie-loaded or simple herb-olive oil, this crust adapts. Hydration and flour can be adjusted to your climate or flour type.
How To Make Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust
Ingredients - Yields: 2 Pizzas (9")
Levain (60g):
22g sourdough starter (100% hydration)
22g bread flour
22g water
Pizza Dough:
300g bread flour (I used Japanese high gluten flour)
6g salt
10g olive oil
220g water (please hold back 30 - 40g and add in later as each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently)
Pizza Topping (Margherita Pizza) for 2 pizzas
6 Tbsp pizza tomatoes sauce
50g grated pecorino/parmesan cheese (I used pecorino)
100g mozzarella cheese (recommended to use buffalo mozzarella)
6 anchovy fillets in olive oil, cut into small pieces
8 cherry tomatoes, slice
Some extra virgin olive oil
Step-By-Step Method:
- Levain :-
- Mix all of the ingredients for levain. Cover and leave it to rise until tripled in size at room temperature (28C - 30C). It took about 3 - 4 hours.
- Mix the dough :-
- Dissolve levain and water in a mixing bowl. Add in olive oil, salt and flour. Stir with dough scrapper then mix until there is no more dry flour with hand. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (ambient temperature @ 26C - 27C)
- Stretch and Fold (S&F):-
- S&F 1 – Fold about 6 - 8 times. Your dough will be quite weak at this time. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- S&F 2 – Fold about 6 - 8 times. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- S&F 3– Fold about 6 - 8 times. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- S&F 4 – Fold about 6 - 8 times. By this time, your dough should be smooth and strong. However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more S&F or coil folds. Cover and rest for 2 hours or until dough rise 50% - 60% in size.
- Cold Retard:-
- Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 hours - 16 hours or can be up to few days. But, I have not tried longer than one night.
- Portion and shape:-
- Remove dough from the fridge. Transfer to a floured counter top. Dust the dough with some flour and cut into 2 equal portions with a scrapper. Shape the each portion into a rough ball on the counter top and rest for 1 hour to 1.5 hours until puffy.
- Shaping and Baking :-
- Preheat the oven together with the pizza stone / cast iron pan inside (in the upper 2/3's of the oven) to 250C (fan-forced) for at least 60 minutes before baking.
- After one to one and half hours of resting, transfer the dough onto a parchment paper (11" X 11"). Gently press the dough ball into a 9 inch round dish. Left the edges thicker than inside.
- Spread about 2 - 3 tablespoons of tomato base sauce.
- Transfer the dough onto the hot baking stone with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Half way through baking, remove the parchment paper. This is to make sure the bottom is evenly cooked without sticking.
- Remove the pizza with a pizza scrapper from the oven. Spread the remaining toppings as desired and drizzle with some olive oil before returning into the oven.
- Further bake the pizza for another 3 minutes (without the parchment paper).
- Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board and portion the pizza into 6 pieces.
Expert Tips Before You Start
- Use high-gluten or strong bread flour: This helps build strong gluten structure to support the airiness and chew even with higher hydration.
- Reserve part of the water initially: Because flour absorbs differently depending on type and humidity, holding back 30–40 g water lets you adjust dough consistency for the best result.
- Use stretch-and-fold, not heavy kneading: Gentle stretch-and-fold rounds (rather than aggressive kneading) help build strength while keeping dough extensible and airy.
- Cold retard overnight (or at least several hours): This step enhances flavor and makes shaping easier. Dough is more manageable after chilling, and flavor depth increases.
- Preheat your oven thoroughly with a hot stone or cast-iron pan: For a crisp bottom crust and good oven spring, the baking surface must be fully heated — ideally at ~250 °C.
- Stretch, don’t roll-out: Pressing and gently stretching by hand preserves gas bubbles, giving you light, airy crust rather than thin and heavy base.
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
- Adding all water at once: This can make dough overly sticky or overly tight. Always reserve part of the water and add gradually.
- Heavy kneading instead of stretch-and-fold: Aggressive kneading tightens the gluten and kills dough extensibility — resulting in a dense crust.
- Skipping cold retard: Immediate shaping and baking often yield dough that’s slack and hard to handle, with less flavor and airiness.
- Baking on a cold surface or under-preheating: The crust will be soft, soggy, or underbaked at the bottom. Ensure the stone/pan is thoroughly preheated.
- Overloading toppings or heavy sauce: Too much topping weight can weigh down the crust, leading to under-baked centers or soggy base.
Troubleshooting Guide
- If the crust turns out dense and heavy — likely gluten was underdeveloped or dough under-fermented. Next time, try more stretch-and-fold rounds and ensure proper rise.
- If the base remains soft or soggy — the oven or stone likely wasn’t hot enough. Preheat longer or raise temperature.
- If dough snaps back when shaping — gluten may be tight or dough under-relaxed; let it rest ~10–15 mins before shaping.
- If crust is overly chewy or tough — you may have over-worked dough or over-fermented. Shorten mixing/handling and watch fermentation times.
- If toppings make the crust soggy or slow to bake — reduce sauce/cheese load, and ensure even topping distribution for better bake.
Serving Suggestions & Storage
- Serve pizzas straight from the oven with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh herbs (basil, oregano), and a side salad — simple, fresh, and delicious.
- Leftover slices reheat beautifully: pop them in a hot oven or toaster oven for a few minutes to restore crispness.
- If you have extra dough balls — wrap well and freeze. Thaw in fridge overnight before shaping; they bake almost as well as fresh dough.
FAQ
Q: Can I skip the overnight fridge rest and bake same-day?
A: Yes — but the crust will likely have less flavor, and dough may be harder to handle. Cold retard enhances both flavor complexity and dough manageability.
Q: My dough is too sticky to shape — what should I do?
A: Lightly dust your hands and surface with flour or semolina, and let the dough rest 10–15 minutes to relax gluten before shaping. High-hydration doughs are naturally sticky but manageable with gentle handling.
Q: Why is my crust pale or soft even after baking?
A: Often caused by insufficient preheating of the stone or oven, or too low a baking temperature. Ensure oven and surface are fully preheated before baking.
Q: Can I make larger pizzas with this dough (e.g. 12-inch)?
A: Yes — just stretch gently to a larger diameter. Keep in mind a thinner crust may bake faster and may be less chewy. Adjust toppings and bake time accordingly.
Want More from Bake with Paws?
If you enjoy baking breads, pizzas, and sourdough goodies at home — don’t forget to subscribe using the pop-up box. I regularly share new recipes, tips, and baking stories to help you bake with confidence and joy.
Tried This Recipe? Share & Tag Me
I’d love to see your pizzas! Share your results in the comments below, or tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws . Your feedback inspires new recipes — and helps me improve the ones you love.
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Other Breads,
👌🏻Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, I can keep the dough in the fridge for how long after the S&F 4? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, I let the dough ferment after S&F 4 for 8 - 12 hours first then only I portioned and shaped the dough before storing in the fridge.
DeleteTo be honest, I use it after several hours and never store for more than one day. But, according to Alexandra's Kitchen can store up to 3 days.
Cheers :)
Hi, is the dough supposed to rise during the 1 hour on the kitchen table after I remove it from the fridge? And how many does this recipe serve? I’m looking to make for a big family, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi thanks for reading this recipe and your questions. The dough will rise just a little bit. Please refer to the diagram 13 and 14.
DeleteThis recipe yields 2 Pizzas (9 inch) as mentioned on the above recipe. You may double up the recipe.
Cheers :)
Hi YL! Would like to ask can I freeze the pizza dough if I’m keeping it for more than 3 days? Also, if I were to keep the dough in the fridge, do I still need to leave it on the counter for 1 hour after portion and shape before keeping it into the fridge? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this post.
DeleteTo be honest I never tried freezing the unbaked sourdough bread dough. I am not too sure how it will work. But, you can retard the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days or maybe 3 days.
Cheers :)
Hi Paws,
ReplyDeleteI really, really like all your recipes. They have been such a tremendous help to me. Thank you so very much! I need to buy your book but I can't seem to find the link. I also have a question with regards to the sourdough pizza. Is there a way of using the mixer for the Stretch and Fold. It would be so helpful when making more than 2 pizzas. Thanks a million! You are just wonderful!
Hi Petra,
DeleteThanks for following my recipes. The "Low Sugar Bakes and Cake" Cook Book is only available at Popular and Kinokuniya Bookstore in Malaysia and Singapore only.
I think you can, but you may get the big crumb like this. To be honest I have not tried to using kneading with mixture.
You are most welcome:)
Stay safe and happy baking...
I would like to print off some of your recipes please can you do a link for printing off just the ingredients and instructions? I would also like to buy your book. I live in Thailand, is it possible to order it and have it sent? Many thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for asking. I would love to create a link that can only print the recipe. But, due to the platform that I am using it doesn't allow. I am still trying to figure out how to do it. I am so sorry for the inconveniences.
DeleteThe book is published by Popular Bookstore and it can only available at Popular Bookstore in Malaysia and Singapore. However, most of the recipes can be obtain from my website here. The recipes in my blog are the most updated. I don't have sourdough bread in the book.
By the way, thank you very much for your interest:)
Cheers and Happy New Year!
How wet should the dough be?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for your interest in this recipe. The is no fast rule on how wet the dough should be. It is very hard for me to explain. I use all the 220g of water for the bread flour (12% protein) that I used. You may want to see the above diagram (No. 4) of the dough. Over the time, the gluten will develop and the dough will become less sticky.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi again, many thanks for replying to my questions. I made your sourdough pizza yesterday and put it in the fridge but as I was out today, its was in the fridge for 24 hours so I expected it to be ruined by we have just eaten it and it was amazing. Thank you so much for your recipe and advice. Much appreciated. Jaki
DeleteHi, you are most welcome:) Some people tried left in the fridge more than one day and it works too. I am glad that you like it.
DeleteThank you again for trying and Happy New Year:)
Yours is the best recipe. I always follow this and it never fails. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. I am so happy to hear this and it means a lot to me.
DeleteCheers :)
My dear friend
ReplyDeleteI did not understand
Levin 20 20 20 =60
300 grams of flour is already 360
And at first you wrote 300 +30
can you explain to me
Hi, thank you for your interest in this recipe.
DeleteI would suggest that you ignore this part
" Total flour: 300g + 30g (from levain) = 330g and Total hydration: 75.7%"
It is not part of the ingredients. It is baker's calculation. I have deleted it to avoid any confusion.
Cheers :)