HOW WE TEACH YOU TO MAKE SOURDOUGH
The Sourdough Club is where we teach you how to make our amazing bread. It is the part of The Sourdough School where we share our recipes, tutorials, tips, lessons and support you so that you can learn how to make Sourdough where ever you are.
One of our foundational values is to openly share our knowledge – and when it comes to sharing, pizza is the perfect choice. This sourdough pizza is one our principle recipes, and incorporates just 20 per cent whole grains. With its slow fermentation and by using a variety of high-quality topping ingredients, it can be used as the basis for a number of healthy and delicious meals.
As part of the Sourdough Club, we teach a detailed course on how to make sourdough pizzas, which also covers how to apply our core principles of baking to nourish and how this can impact the positive microbes in your gut. These microbes are involved with the production of the neurotransmitters needed by your brain.
Baking in this way is about connecting. It’s about being sociable and about making what we eat count. If you are able, I highly recommend using British farmhouse cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy, and finishing your pizza with wild oregano.
If you are new to making pizza, then a pizza peel is very useful indeed. The instructions here are for a conventional oven, but for really great Neapolitan-style pizzas, consider investing in a Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven or a Stadler Made Outdoor Oven, both of which will take your pizzas to another level!
For more top tips on making and baking sourdough pizzas, as well as ensuring maximum nutrition and nourishment for your gut, take a look at our sourdough pizza guide.
Starter: White
Makes 2 x 30cm pizzas > Hydration 63%
DDT: 24°C
For The Dough
- 100g bubbly, lively second-build starter
- 300g water at 22°C (71°F)
- 400g ‘00’ flour
- 100g stoneground wholegrain flour
- 10g fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling your hands
- 20g finely ground polenta, for dusting the peel
- For the topping:
- 200g mozzarella cheese
- 280g tomato pizza sauce
- any other toppings of your choice
- fresh herbs, to serve
Bake Temp
Preheat oven to its highest possible temperature, ideally 300°C (575°F)
Bake Time
6–8 minutes
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Tea towel
- Dough scraper
- Baking steel
- Pizza peel
Tutorials
| Refresh your starter (first build) | Day 1, 8pm |
| Refresh your starter (second build) | Day 2, 8am |
| Mix the dough and leave to rest | Day 2, 8pm |
| Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then leave on the kitchen table overnight | Day 2, 8.10pm |
| Divide dough and shape into rounds. Leave to rest for 1½ hours, then transfer to the fridge until you're ready to bake. | Day 3, 8am |
| Remove dough from fridge to come up to room temperature. | Day 3, 1 hour before baking |
| Preheat the oven and pizza stone. | Day 3, 30 minutes before baking |
| Shape the bases and add toppings. Bake, then add herbs and serve. | Day 3, when ready to bake |
Method:
You will need a double-refreshed, second-build starter for these pizzas.
The night before you want to bake, make the pizza dough by mixing together the starter, water, ‘00’ flour, wholegrain flour, sea salt and olive oil, making sure all the flour is incorporated. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for a few minutes. Meanwhile, return the unused starter to the fridge.
Lightly oil your hands and knead the dough well for 5 minutes. Set it aside somewhere warm and cover with a clean, damp tea towel overnight.
The next morning, place the dough on a floured surface and divide into two. Lightly shape the portions into balls. Cover and leave to rest for about 1½ hours, then transfer to the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
About 1 hour before you want to bake, remove the dough balls from the fridge to come up to room temperature. Half an hour before you want to bake, place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to its highest temperature.
Using your fingertips, press each dough ball out to your required shape, then stretch gently with your hands to get a thin pizza base. Prepare your pizza peel by evenly sprinkling some polenta over it, then roll the first pizza base over a rolling pin and transfer it to the peel.
Place 2 large tablespoons of the tomato sauce in the centre of the pizza and spread it evenly all the way to the edges of the dough. Add some cheese and any chosen toppings, then transfer the pizza to the pizza stone in the oven. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings to prepare the second pizza.
Bake for 6–8 minutes, then check. Bake for a little longer if the pizzas are not quite ready. Once baked to your liking, remove from the oven and bake the second pizza. Allow to cool a little before serving, scattered with fresh herbs.
Sourdough Bread & Diabetes
Hello! I am excited to try this. Can you explain what a “second-build” starter means? Thank you!
Hi Natalie it means that you have refreshed it twice to maximise the number of microbes, for maximum fermentation. For example for a white starter, remove from fridge, take some out of your pot, mix with equal amounts of flour and water, leave on the side until it reaches its peak (usually 8-12 hours depending on ambient temperature). When peak is reached, take some out, mix with equal amount of flour and water and repeat. When it reaches its peak then you a ready to commence with the dough recipe. 🙂
Such a great recipe We use it on a Tuesday at the community centre Very popular
Wow, so much easier than sourdough pizza recipes I have attempted in the past! Thanks so much. Just goes to show it doesn’t have to take an endless number of steps to get a delicious pizza at home.
I’ve never made a pizza dough with wholegrain flour before, so I was keen to try this out. It was delicious. I’ll definitely be baling it again.
Amazing recipe thanks so much will we make this from now on, delicious
I’ve always had the most success with cold rise dough but this is a solid, easy dough recipe. Crispy and chewy with a little tang, what more could you want?
I used my botanical blend for this recipe and it gave even more flavour to the dough! Good recipe, baked it twice already and put something in a freezer.
Easy and really tasty! The wholegrain flour gives it great flavour.
Fantastic recipe, my kids ate the crusts which has to be the highest acclamation! 60% hydration is about perfect for pizza as far as I am concerned and I really like the flavour the percentage of whole meal brings.
SO much fun making this pizza dough and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s a great recipe and not too difficult.. don’t let the multiple days daunt you. Highly recommend!
Very good recipe
We have never made a sourdough pizza recipe before so we’re complete beginners.
We loved how easy this recipe is to follow, we make pizza every week for family and friends and they also loved this new recipe! It was easier being about to make the dough earlier before guests arrived.
The dough it a lot lighter and less stodgy, it does not make you feel quite as bloated. Our oven only goes up to 220 so I don’t think the dough raised as much as it should have done but it was still delicious and we can’t wait to try and master it!
Also liked how this recipe does not call for any obscure ingredients or cooking tools.
Definitely a 10/10 must try recipe!
This is my go to pizza dough for family an d friends. We love hosting pizza nights and this is always a favourite!
Great recipe that is easy to follow! Our friends say it’s best pizza they’ve had! ??
Absolutely fantastic recipe, thank so much Vanessa. It makes it so easy when you can trust that recipe will just work. The pizza bases were incredible, crispy base and the edges puffed up to create that gorgeous pocket of air in the crust. I borrowed a pizza oven from my cousin and the dough was a dream to work with. The polenta is a great way of preventing the pizza sticking to the pizza peel. The pizzas stole the show and everyone was raving about how delicious they were and had ‘never tasted anything like them.’ I tried a few traditional pizzas toppings which were divine. I also made one with a base of hoisin sauce, added crispy duck pieces, I then topped it with spring onion and cucumber creating an aromatic crispy duck pizza – would highly recommend!
Hopefully I’ll win this fantastic prize and be able to cook lots more pizzas. The only tweak I made to the recipe was the cook time. Obviously this depends on the oven but mine took 2-3 mins rather than 6-8. Thanks again for the great recipe!
It’s going to be my go to pizza dough recipe from now on! It’s just gorgeous! The dough is full of air so the edges puff up nicely, the center bakes evenly even if the dough is super thin so there’s no soggy middle and it has this complex flavour you can’t get when using yeast. 10/10!
Wow! Just had pizza night a day late- so the dough was in the fridge for a day longer than intended…but don’t think it suffered for it. Fabulous base, edges puffed up beautifully, crispy crust with soft middle. Definitely making again!
Amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. Loved it!
I think my boys comments say it all “this is the best pizza ever”. Nothing else will do now. I start mine in a heavy frying pan on the hob and then place under the grill, this is the best pizza oven taste I’ve found without a pizza oven!
Thank you for this fabulous pizza recipe Vanessa!
My grandsons favourite, so I thought this being a very child friendly pizza to make, invite the boys over, which is heaven in itself as I love bringing the family together! Sharing the love of this recipe is a joy, it’s so easy!
The simplicity of this bake is such that my grandsons who are 11 and 14 found it a doodle and we had so much fun.
I think the low cost and ease of this particular process makes it accessible to all ages!
We spoke about the new pizza’s awaiting release shortly and the boys begged grandpa and I to bake again ASAP.
For me sharing the love of this basic but beautiful sourdough pizza gives my family and I quality time to bake, eat, and laugh over a healthy meal and what great conversation we all had about what variety of toppings will be used next time!!
In my opinion you can’t beat this formula, it’s our go to pizza, so win win!
Great recipe
Works well in a pizza oven
Great recipe, really easy to follow! Definitely a game changer in the pizza stakes! The dough was really nice to work with and even the boy approved!
We have pizza night every week and I’m always trying out new crust recipes on my family but had never found a good sourdough recipe that we all liked. I’ve finally found it! I love all of Vanessa Kimbell’s stuff so I’m not surprised that it’s wonderful.
I’ve made this with the Gilchesters pizza flour and it’s utterly delicious. I have found that using a lower hydration dough helps when using a peel and outdoor oven as the structure is stronger and less prone to tears.
This recipe is absolutely perfect and soo easy. Definitely a NEVERFAIL recipe.
This is much more of a pizza recipe, this is a experience that a person should try to do at least once time in the life for understand the unique value of something born from the incredible power of a sourdough starter.
You that reading this comment, please believe me, when I tell you that this is best pizza that you will ever eat!
Great recipe and a beautifully light pizza with a great crust!!
I make this a lot and love it! If you are familiar with making an ambient boule the instructions are very similar. The dough is great to work with and easy to prepare and keep in the fridge. This is the best pizza you will ever eat and my whole family love them ?
This is a great pizza recipe It fits in so well with a busy lifestyle You are including wholegrains too an added bonus
If you haven’t used your starter for a long time make sure to give it some TLC
The recipe always works I prefer a cooked tomato sauce I make a big batch and freeze Save your parmesan rinds to add to the sauce I freeze the sauce.
A great way to start with sourdough too with children
I bake in my small oven on a granite worktop as my pizza stone didn’t hack the 250 c in my Neff oven and it works so well Remember to heat the stone for at least 45 mins I use an infrared thermometer to check temperature of stone
I bake for 8 mins then add Mozzarella and I have a very happy husband enjoying his weekly Friday night date with a yummie pizza
It’s a FAILPROOF recipe