Chewy, bubbly, quick and easy to make, this same day Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust is sure to become a regular on your weekly menu. This easy dough comes together in no time and is a great way to use up sourdough discard whether you are new to sourdough or a seasoned pro.
Recipe Background and Details
We are big fans of pizza in our house and we like to switch up the crusts. Whether it's my No-Yeast Sourdough Pizza Crust, Basic Pizza Dough, or this same day Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, we make pizza at home at least once a week. I tend to make this crust the most often because it is the best of both worlds; It not only allows me to use up my unfed sourdough starter and add a little tanginess to my dough but it also allows me to get pizza in the oven in about an hour. We love traditional pizza toppings but every once in awhile we get fancy and make this Fig and Prosciutto Pizza or these cute little Mini Pesto and Cheese Calzones.
If you are new to sourdough be sure to check out my Sourdough Starter Guide for Beginners! If you are looking for more ways to sneak sourdough discard into recipes, make sure to check out my Sourdough Discard Crackers, Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, and Sourdough Discard Banana Bread.
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Ingredients
You will need just a handful of pantry staples to make this easy sourdough discard pizza crust:
- water
- yeast: I always use active dry yeast but you can use instant. See below for how to make this without yeast if you have a very well-established sourdough starter.
- honey: or sugar or other natural sweetener
- olive oil: extra virgin or regular
- unfed sourdough starter aka sourdough discard: I often make this with my fridge stash of discard which is very sour but have also made it with room temperature freshly discarded starter. Both are great but I do love the extra tanginess from the older discard.
- all purpose flour: feel free to use bread flour or fancy pizza flour if you have it. You can also sub in a bit of whole wheat but may need to add a bit of extra water if you do.
- salt: I always use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt when testing my recipes. You will want to use less salt if you are using a table salt or a very fine salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here are the super simple instructions for how to make sourdough discard pizza crust:
First, place warm water, yeast, and honey in bowl of stand mixer and allow to bloom until slightly foamy. Then, stir in sourdough discard and oil followed by flour and salt. Mix with dough hook until a smooth dough forms.
Cover and allow dough to rise until doubled in size. Divide in half for two large pizzas. Press dough into a 10-12 inch round leaving slightly thicker around the edge. If desired, you can let the dough rest and rise a bit at this stage. I sometimes do but not always. It will rise in the oven so it's not necessary but it can be nice if you want a really puffy dough.
Top with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for about 7 minutes until golden.
Can I make this sourdough discard pizza crust without yeast?
Yes, you can make this sourdough discard pizza crust a no yeast recipe if your sourdough starter is well-established, used frequently, and has no trouble doubling in volume after feedings. You will essentially be feeding it by mixing it with the other crust ingredients. It could take several hours to double in size without the addition of yeast though so make sure to plan accordingly. Also, make sure your water is nice and warm and that you place the dough in a warm place to speed up the rising process.
If you are just starting out on your sourdough journey and your starter is not yet active you can still use it for this recipe, but you will need the addition of yeast to ensure a good rise.
Equipment
If you make pizza often, having a pizza stone or Baking Steel is essential in my opinion. I have used both and since getting this Baking Steel several years ago I've never looked back (not an affiliate just a big fan). It lives in my oven and we use it constantly. I like to preheat it for about an hour at the hottest temp my oven will go (500 degrees F). The preheated surface ensures that the crust cooks through by the time the toppings are bubbly and browned. No floppy pizza slices on my watch!
A pizza peel also makes transferring the pizza in and out of the oven a breeze!
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
This dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator until ready to shape and bake.
Store leftover pizza wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
The best way to reheat pizza:
- In the airfryer: Cook at 350 for 2-4 minutes.
- In the oven: Preheat oven to 450 with pizza stone or baking steel. Bake leftover pizza slices for about 4 minutes until crust is crisped and toppings are melted.
- On the stovetop: Preheat a skillet that you have a tight fitting lid for. Once preheated, add pizza slice(s) and a few drops of water and clamp on the lid. Cook for about 2 minutes.
FAQ
Sourdough discard has an almost endless list of uses. You can add it to almost any baked good, use it to thicken soups, gravies, and sauces, add it to granola recipes, make crackers, pizza dough, tortillas, etc. It is incredibly versatile! Check out all of my sourdough recipes for a few more ideas.
If the sourdough starter is active, meaning it is over one week old and has reached the active, bubbly stage before refrigeration, I have found it will last for months if stored in an airtight container and kept very cold. If the starter is new and has not reached the active, bubbly stage, you can still store it in the refrigerator and use it in recipes, but I would try to use it up within a week of refrigeration. Either way, if it is moldy or has an unpleasant smell you should throw it out. It should smell either mild and neutral in the early stages or it should smell very pleasantly sour and tangy like yeasty vinegar in the more developed stages.
Yes you can use unfed sourdough starter straight from the refrigerator for this pizza crust recipe and many other sourdough discard recipes. If there is a recipe that is temperature sensitive such as one that uses yeast and warm water, you may want to allow the sourdough discard to come to room temp to speed up the rising times but I very often use it cold and my recipes turn out great.
More Sourdough Recipes
Looking for other recipes to use up your sourdough discard? Try these:
- Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Muffins
- Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins
- Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
More Dinnertime Inspo
- Peach Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- Sourdough Tortillas (discard or active starter)
- Ground Beef Taco Bowls
- Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken
Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust
Chewy, bubbly, quick and easy to make, this same day Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust is sure to become a regular on your weekly menu. This easy dough comes together in no time and is a great way to use up sourdough discard whether you are new to sourdough or a seasoned pro.
- Total Time: 60-90 minutes
- Yield: 2 large pizzas
Ingredients
1 cup (240 grams) warm water
1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
200 grams (¾ cup) unfed sourdough starter aka sourdough discard
28 grams (2 tablespoons) olive oil
500 grams (4 cups) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
Instructions
To prepare dough:
- Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. add yeast and honey. Stir to combine and let sit until foamy - about 5 minutes.
- Add sourdough discard, olive oil, flour, and salt and mix on low speed until dough begins to come together.
- Turn up to medium speed and allow mixer to run for 5-7 minutes. Adding extra flour one tablespoon at a time if needed until it pulls away from the sides and is no longer sticky.
- After 5-7 minutes of kneading, remove dough hook and allow dough to rise in a warm place for one hour.
- At this point you can proceed with pizza making, or cover dough tightly and stash in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
To prepare pizzas:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees for at least one hour with a baking steel or pizza stone inside.
- Divide risen dough in half for 2 large pizzas, or up to 4 for smaller pizzas.
- On a floured surface, flatten into circles. 12 inches in diameter for large, and about 6 inches in diameter for smaller, personal size. We prefer doing this on parchment that will then be transferred straight onto the baking steel, but if you are a pro with a pizza peel, feel free to proceed as you normally would without the parchment.
- If you want to let your dough rest and rise a bit at this point you can. Give it about 20-30 minutes if you like a puffier crust.
- Top pizzas with your favorite toppings - don't go too heavy with the wet ingredients but other than that have fun!
- Slide pizza onto preheated baking steel - either with a pizza peel or a thin baking tray.
- Bake for 6-7 minutes until crust is golden and bubbly and toppings/cheese are cooked and melty.
- Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
You can make this sourdough discard pizza crust a no yeast recipe if your sourdough starter is well-established, used frequently, and has no trouble doubling in volume after feedings. You will essentially be feeding it by mixing it with the other crust ingredients. It could take several hours to double in size without the addition of yeast though so make sure to plan accordingly. Also, make sure your water is nice and warm and that you place the dough in a warm place to speed up the rising process. If you are just starting out on your sourdough journey and your starter is not yet active you can still use it for this recipe, but you will need the addition of yeast to ensure a good rise.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus rising
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: dinner, sourdough, yeast breads
- Method: baking, sourdough
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Sharryn says
Love this recipe, super easy and works every time
Liz says
Made this pizza dough today, split the dough into 2 large as we like a thick base. next time I will split into 3, as the dough rises beautifully in the oven and I think 3 will still give us a nice thickish base. My family absolutely loves this crust and I have been told to never buy a pizza again from a pizza shop. This recipe is awesome. thankyou so much Anita.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Liz! I'm so happy you and your family love this recipe! Thank you for this helpful feedback and kind review. It means so much! - Anita
Lisa says
The maximum temperature for the parchment paper is 420 degrees. Is it ok to place it on a baking steel preheated to 500 degrees?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Lisa! I have been doing it for about 10 years with no issues, but if it makes you nervous you can try sliding the pizza directly onto the baking steel with a pizza peel or something similar. Just make sure you use a LOT of cornmeal or semolina under the crust so it slides.
Amber says
Absolutely delicious! So easy to make as well. I let my dough rise 2x and baked in a greased cookie sheet. Turned out just like a Sicilian pizza pie, which is my favorite because of the crispy bottom and soft dough inside. Made pizza crust before but the crust was always dry and hard. I feel the sourdough discard made a big difference. Thank you !
Mackenzie S says
this is such an easy, quick recipe that is fool proof! My family loves when I make this!
Abbey says
First pizza dough I’ve tried- IT’S SO EASY! I baked in a large baking sheet sprayed with oil. The dough is so easy to work with and spread to fit easily. I cooked closer to 12-15 minutes because of that, but the flavor is light and holds the toppings easily. Thank you!
Danielle says
Hi there!
Can I use King Arthur’s 00 Pizza Flour instead of AP flour? Do I need to adjust anything? I plan on making a few pizzas for tomorrow’s game.
Thanks!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi! It should be an even swap and will work great! If you feel like your dough is overly sticky just add a couple tablespoons extra. I hope you love it! Thanks for giving this recipe a try. - Anita 🙂
DANIELLE says
I will keep you posted. Thank you for sharing!
DANIELLE says
Amazing recipe! Just tried it with KA 00 Pizza Flour since it was on sale. Def best pizza dough. I made a mistake and cooked the second batch (which I put in the fridge) cold and it blew up with bubbles and all the toppings went to the middle. Second one of that batch I rolled out after a bit and let get to almost room temp and much betters. Thanks again!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Woohoo! I'm so glad you loved this recipe and that the flour swap worked well! Thank you so much for coming back to leave this amazing feedback and rating!! - Anita
Lauren says
Hi! We are looking forward to trying this recipe. We do not have a pizza stone or steel. What modifications should we make to bake this on a sheet pan?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Lauren! You can preheat your sheet pan upside down in the oven and slide the pizza on the parchment right onto the hot pan for similar results to a stone or steel. Just make sure you shape it to fit your pan so the edges don't droop over. If you feel like you'll need smaller pizzas to fit your pan size, you can divide the dough into 3 or even 4 if you prefer a thinner crust.
Or you can forget rolling it into round pizzas and press it out right in the cold pan with parchment or a bit of oil so it doesn't stick, top, and bake in a preheated oven for a softer, but still very delicious crust. If your pan is a half sheet pan (18x13) you can use the full dough recipe for one big pizza. If you have a quarter sheet pan (13x9), I'd divide it in half. If you choose the sheet pan option, I'd lower the oven temp to 425 or so and bake it longer - maybe 15-20 minutes or until the crust is set and toppings are cooked to your liking.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm excited for you to try this recipe! - Anita 🙂
Gail says
This is my 3rd time making this wonderful pizza crust recipe and it will not be the last! This is THE BEST pizza crust recipe I have found!!!! I have tried at least 20 different ones. I am so thankful Anita has shared this wonderful recipe!!!!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Gail! Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback and rating! I'm so happy you've been enjoying this recipe! And that you took the time to come back and leave this comment means the world - thank you, thank you!! xo - Anita
JB ADAMS says
Can I add my sauce and toppings and then freeze them, before baking to make for a quick dinner another time?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi JB. I have never tried this, but after doing a little research, it looks like the best way to make a from-scratch frozen pizza is to roll out the dough, partially bake the crust for about 3-5 minutes until it is mostly baked but still very pale, and then add toppings and freeze. I hope this helps! Good luck. 🙂
Deb says
Could you share the ingredients you used as toppings for this pizza? It looks delicious! Thanks!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Deb! Thank you! I used the white sauce from my Fig and Prosciutto Pizza Recipe and then topped it with mozzarella, fresh parmesan, cracked pepper, and fresh parsley.
Tammy Horrigan says
Hi Anita, this looks absolutely delicious. Just a quick question. If I have an active starter, can I still combine commercial yeast with it to quicken up the proof time? Or is there a risk of over fermenting. Thanks so much. Tammy 🙂
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Tammy! Yes you can absolutely use active starter with the commercial yeast and just keep an eye as it might double in size much quicker. Thanks for your question! Let me know how it turns out! - Anita
Rema says
I've tried several pizza crust recipes, and this one is by far the best. It's light, fluffy, and carries a delightful hint of tanginess.
Jodi says
Dough seems dry and didn’t even add all the flour, will it still rise?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Jodi. The dough will still rise if your yeast is active. The dryness could be due to a number of factors such as the hydration level of your sourdough starter and how you measured your ingredients. Measuring flour by weight is the most accurate method. It is very easy to over measure if you are using cups. I hope this helps. Thanks - Anita
Nichole says
Hi! Can this dough be refrigerated to use another day? If so, would you recommend doing that after the proofing or before? And how would you store it? Plastic wrap, in an oiled bowl?
Thank you!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Nichole! Yes, you can make it ahead. After the first rise you can divide the dough into balls and store them in the fridge in a container with either a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap. You can lightly oil the dough balls to keep them more moist and prevent drying in the fridge. It will last 24-48 hours. When you're ready to bake pizzas, let the dough come to room temp before shaping. Let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks! - Anita
Tori R says
This recipe is IT. I have made this SO many times for my family, even shared my discard with my mom so she could make her own. I purchased small little pizza pans and they work perfectly for the 4 small pizzas. I returned to this recipe again (i almostttt have it memorized at this point) and realized there wasn’t any reviews yet and I HAD to leave a review. THE BEST PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE, hands down! So bubbly and yummy .. my goodness i could go on and on! Must try!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Tori!! Thank you so much for this amazing feedback and 5-star rating! It really means SO MUCH!! I am thrilled you have been enjoying this recipe and I appreciate you taking the time to leave this kind comment! xo - Anita
Laura says
Do you turn down the temperature of the oven before you put the pizza in?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Laura! No, I do not.
Claire says
Hi is it possible to make this by hand if you don’t have a dough hook?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi! Yes absolutely! Just mix in a bowl with a spoon or your hands until it starts to come together and then knead by hand for about 7-10 minutes.
Lillian says
Can I make the pizza dough and freeze it for later use? If so, how long can I freeze it? TIA!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Lillian! Yes, after the first rise you can divide and freeze the dough balls (tightly wrapped/sealed) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and shape and bake as directed!
Lisa says
I don’t see how much olive oil to add
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
two tablespoons - sorry about that!
Rachel says
Can this recipe be used if cooking the pizza in a smoker? If so, how long do you recommend cooking for and at what temperature? My family loves to do smoked pizzas and we usually just use an artisan bread dough recipe for our pizza dough, but I was thinking of testing this out!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Rachel! Smoked pizza sounds amazing! It depends on how hot your smoker gets. I'd say if it gets to 400 degrees F or more, yes this will work. And if it works with your artisan bread pizza dough, I don't see why it wouldn't work with this dough. But I have never tested it so I can't say for sure. Do you use a baking stone or steel or do you place the dough directly on the grates?