Sourdough Pizza Dough
Makes 8 pizzas
- 500g type 00 flour
- 500g all purpose flour
- 600g + 50g water @ 80°C/27°F
- 25g kosher salt
- 180g sourdough starter
Autolyse
- Add starter and all but 50g of water in a large mixing bowl. Roughly distribute the starter in the water by swishing it around a bit with your fingers.
- Add flour to the bowl, and let it sit for 30 minutes, so the flour can hydrate.
Mix
- Add salt and remaining 50g water. Mix to combine ingredients, alternating between squishing the dough between your fingers, and a few sets of stretch and folds. You want the dough to form a cohesive mass with a bit of strength and stretch to it. This usually takes me 6-10 sets, alternating between the two movements.
- Dump the dough out on to a clean, unfloured surface and knead by hand for 5-7 minutes. Pizza dough generally needs a bit more up-front strength development than a typical sourdough bread dough, so we get ahead of things a bit here before the usual stretch and folds you'd give a bread dough.
Bulk fermentation
- Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds over the next two hours. Keep dough covered, resting at room temperature for another hour and a half.
- Your dough should have been resting at room temperature for about 3.5 hours at this stage. Lightly oil a bowl large enough to hold the dough in the fridge, making sure there's enough space for additional rise.
- Dump dough out on to the counter and shape in to a very tight ball.
- Place dough ball in the oiled bowl, cover with cling film and place in the fridge at least overnight, and for up to 4 days. The longer you're able to wait, the more flavor your dough will develop.
Shape
- Remove the dough from the fridge about 6 hours before you want to make pizza. Dump your dough ball on to an unfloured counter and evenly divide your dough in to 8 pieces. Form each piece in to a very tight ball. You want to make sure your dough balls have a completely closed bottom and a tight skin all over.
Proof
- Place the shaped dough balls on a heavily floured tray, making sure to leave some space between them to account for spread. Cover with cling film and leave to sit at room temperature for 6 hours.
Top & Bake
- After about 6 hours, your dough should be ready. Shape in to bases, top with your favorite ingredients, and bake.
- If you're using a home oven, I highly recommend a baking steel. Crank the oven up as high as it'll go, and let the steel pre-heat for at least an hour before loading your pizza in from a floured peel.