Sourdough discard gives this pizza dough so much good flavor! And since it uses just a touch of dried yeast, it can be ready in as little as 3 hours.
Favorite thing to do with sourdough discard? Make pizza dough!
If you're like me and love making sourdough but don't love all the waste that comes with feeding your starter, use it to make this delicious pizza dough instead of throwing it away.
I keep a jar of discard in my fridge and once I have enough, we make pizza. Because pizza night is always fun and if you do it this way, it's basically like you're throwing yourself a pizza party after lots of sourdough baking.
This is a pizza dough recipe that I always come back to because it's so simple but so GOOD. One of those recipes that is prone to having extras thrown in (like oil, sugar, etc.), and here it is with just 5 simple ingredients and no less delicious.
Sourdough Discard
Any portion of your sourdough starter that you don't feed or use in a recipe is called "discard." It's generally thrown away to thwart your starter's natural trajectory of straight exponential growth and taking over your whole life.
But! You can also use it for recipes (like this one!). Sourdough discard has spent all its leavening ability and has no more to give, so it won't do much to make your dough rise, no matter how much time you give it. But it imparts so much delicious sourdough flavor that we love it anyway.
Oh, and if your starter has been in your fridge, take it out a couple hours before making your dough so it can come to room temperature.
Yeast
Since sourdough discard has little to no leavening power, this recipe calls for a touch of yeast for a bit of a boost. You can omit it if you like, but you'll have more of a cracker crust result.
Timelines
You have options with this recipe! You can either:
- start it the same day you plan to eat it with a 2-4 hour rise time, or;
- start it the day before, shape it, and let it rise in the fridge for 8-24 hours.
I typically go with option #1 and the routine goes as follows:
1 pm: Nap time commences. I mix up a batch of dough, cover, and set aside. While it rests, I feed my starter and clean up the ingredients.
1:20: Knead, divide, and shape the dough. Cover and let rise for 2-4 hours.
Sometime between 4-5: Nap time is over. Everyone is excited about pizza. The oven is getting HOT. We start shaping pizzas and topping.
5 - 5:30: Pizzas are baked and eaten.
Making Good Pizza At Home
The key to making really good pizza at home in a regular oven is to start it on the lowest rack. Doesn't matter if you use a sheet pan, a pizza stone, or a cast iron skillet - bake it on the lowest rack and you'll get perfect crust.
If you want your cheese a little bit browner once the crust is done baking, you can move it to the top rack and bake a few minutes longer.
Tips:
- Don't keep your discard waiting too long or it will get too sour. Be sure to give it a whiff before you use it!
- Don't use a rolling pin to shape pizza! Rolling pizza dough squishes all the air out of it and will flatten any potential HIGHLY DELICIOUS light and airy bubbles in the final product. Just press out with your fingers, then stretch.
- Top your pizza right before baking. Letting unbaked pizza hang out with the toppings on can result in a soggy crust.
- My starter is 100% hydration. If yours is a different hydration level, you may need to adjust the flour/water slightly for this recipe.
- Use parchment paper! It makes transferring your topped pizzas so easy, and makes clean up a breeze. I love the pre-cut sheets.
Assembling a Pizza:
I have developed some VERY strong preferences in the pizza making department from all this... well... pizza making. Here's how I do it:
- Make and shape your dough according to the recipe.
- Drizzle with olive oil (sometimes flavored with garlic if I'm really feeling like going the extra mile) for increased browning.
- Use your hands to crush whole, canned roma tomatoes onto the oiled pizza dough. Don't overthink it. Big chunks are fine. Juice is good. 1-2 tomatoes will do it.
- Scantily sprinkle cheese over the tomatoes, and all the way to the edge of the crust. That crispy cheese crust is what dreams are made of.
- Add any additional toppings + bake.
- When it comes out of the oven, drizzle with olive oil, grate some parmesan on top, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you want. Let it cool a couple minutes before slicing.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 280 grams lukewarm water
- 200 grams sourdough discard, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 580 grams all purpose flour
- 20 grams salt
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the water, discard, and yeast. Add the flour and salt and mix by hand until well combined. Cover and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Divide dough in quarters and shape each quarter into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours, or 8-24 hours in the refrigerator. (See note if refrigerating)Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Shape each ball on a piece of parchment paper by pressing from the center to the perimeter with your fingertips, then stretch into a roughly 10-inch round. Cover with desired toppings. Use the parchment paper to transfer to a baking sheet or a preheated pizza stone and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes, until crust is brown and cheese is bubbling. Cool slightly before cutting. Continue topping and baking pizzas in batches.
Debbie says
I’m making your pizza dough for the first time. If I don’t use all the dough balls the first day, can they go into the fridge?
Thank you!
Mandy Jackson says
Yes! You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Be sure to give it 30 minutes - 1 hour at room temperature before shaping since cold dough doesn't stretch well. 🙂
Rachael says
Used this recipe to make a cheesy garlic flatbread (my hubby's favorite) tonight, and it was wonderful! Crisped up beautifully with a bit of a chew and a nice crunch. Excited to use this recipe for an actual pizza night!
Have you ever tried freezing this dough? I may give it a try next time I make it since I love having extra dough on hand for a quick dinner in a pinch.
Mandy Jackson says
That sounds delicious! I've never frozen this dough, but I'd be interested to hear how it goes if you try it!
Haley says
Excellent!!! Super easy! I cut it into 2 balls instead of 4; I froze the other half. Also, I put it under the broiler for 2 minutes because we like brown cheese... perfection!
Natalya K says
I’m new to sourdough and didnt know what to do with my left over discard, so I randomly typed in “ recipe for pizza dough using starter discard” and yours was the first to come up and it’s perfection! My kids give it A++ rating : )
Mandy Jackson says
So fun! Glad you all liked this! 🙂
Amanda says
I substituted about 70% while wheat flour, and it was great. Trying to freeze it now for next week.
Kim S says
Love how easy this comes together!!! We love the flavor and the texture!
Mandy Jackson says
Awesome, Kim!
Erinn says
Great recipe! Have you ever made calzones using this dough and do you think it would cook up the same, maybe just a few minutes longer?
Mandy Jackson says
I've not used this dough for calzones, but I think it would work great! I'd bake it just like you're saying - maybe start to check them at the 12 minute mark to see if they need longer. Would love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
Norene Peterson says
Great recipe! Froze half the dough a couple of weeks ago - pulled it out of the freezer today around 10 am - let it thaw and rise - made the pizza about 5:30. It was just as good as the first time! Kudos!
Mandy Jackson says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Norene!
Christina says
For those that are freezing, are you just letting it rise and then freezing? Or going through the kneading too before freezing? I froze mine just after the rise and now I’m worried I did it wrong.
Lisa says
Hi,
Is there no sugar necessary for the first step?
The reason I am asking is because I tried a few other pizza dough recipes and they require sugar to activate the yeast, but this will be my first time making pizza dough with discard so I was genuinely curious 🙂
I tried a new cornbread recipe with sourdough discard today and it completely failed (versus the regular recipe I always have success with) so I wanted to be sure I got yours right in case I have a repeat of today's disaster and waste all the expensive ingredients!
Thanks for your help!
Mandy Jackson says
Hi Lisa! No sugar needed here 🙂
Sorry about your cornbread - it is so disappointing when that happens! If you want to try sourdough discard cornbread again, I love this recipe.
Linda says
I am trying recipe for the first time, so excited dough is so soft.. my question is it’s too late to let rise today to make, I am going to refrigerate, do I wrap each ball individually and then tomorrow take out of the frig and let it rise ? That may sound dumb but I hope you understand my question.
Thank you!
Mandy Jackson says
I leave the balls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and covered well with plastic wrap to refrigerate. You can let this dough rise for 8-48 hours in the fridge. Make sure you take it out an hour or so before shaping. Happy pizza making!
Linda says
Same question just corrected email address
Question is about refrigeration.