A classic sourdough pizza recipe
Learning Objective
You will learn how to make a sourdough pizza from start to finish.
Makes: | 4 pizzas |
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Level: | Beginner |
Created Over: | 3 days |
Kind of Bake: | Ambient overnight – 10-minute style – mixed in the evening and baked in the morning |
Gut Factor: | Most shop bought pizzas are devoid of fibre. These pizzas have wholegrain incorporated and have homemade tomato sauce too. |
Diversity Score: | 23 (including Botanical Blend No. 2) |
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Suggested Botanical Blend: | Any Botanical Blend or wholegrain flour |
Prebiotic: | Even 30% wholegrain helps deliver more fibre |
Recommended For: |
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Margherita sourdough pizza is the classic: tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Simple, but it takes the best-quality ingredients – and a really good, crusty base – to make well. This sourdough Margherita pizza is always a favourite when we light the oven for a family pizza night.
When it comes to pizzas, the baking temperature is really important. If you are baking in a domestic oven, the advice I always give is to heat your oven to the highest possible temperature and have a preheated stone ready to slide the pizza on to.
For a cheap baking stone you can use a large terracotta floor tile which I season with oil and then use as a baking stone. Its a really inexpensive option. Note: terracotta NOT ceramic.
I use the Gozney Roccbox and the Stadler Made Outdoor Oven, as well as my brick-built outdoor pizza oven at the School to bake my pizzas. However the instructions here are for a domestic oven.
I use a peel to slide pizzas smoothly into the oven, and again for taking them out. If you don't have a peel, a piece of stiff cardboard is a cheap and cheerful alternative. The important thing to remember is to dust your peel (or cardboard) with some polenta before you use it. The polenta acts like tiny ball bearings and allows the dough to slide off easily.
It can be tempting to load on the toppings, but this can leave you with a soggy rather than crusty base. I try to choose really tasty toppings that I can use sparingly.
If you are using a tomato sauce, put a blob in the centre of the pizza and swirl it outwards, a 2.5cm (1 inch) border of dough around the edge of the pizza. This gives you that crispy but chewy crust every good pizza should have.
For more on getting the best from your home-baked pizzas, read our top tips.
Dividing dough and shaping into rounds:
Equipment
- Medium, bowl for mixing leaven
- Clean tea towel or wax cloth
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Dough scraper
- Peel
- Baking stone
Tin Size
- No Tin
Suggested Starter
- any starter (as long as the refreshment is timed so it is very lively)
Status of Starter
bubbly, lively second-build starter
Hydration
63%
DDT
22°C (72°F)
Flours
For The Dough
- 100g bubbly, lively second-build starter
- 300g water at 21°C/70°F
- 350g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g Botanical Blend No. 2, freshly milled (or Gilchesters Organic Wholewheat)
- 10g fine sea salt
- olive oil, for oiling the dough
- polenta, for dusting
- FOR THE TOPPING
- 280g raw pizza sauce (70g per pizza)
- 8 small (30g) mozzarella balls (2 per pizza)
- about 20 fresh basil leaves (4 or 5 per pizza)
Baking Time
6–7 minutes
Oven Position
top shelf
Bake At
Preheat oven to its highest possible temperature, ideally 300°C (575°F)
Tutorials
Total Active Time: 10 minutes
Step | Timings | Active Time (min) |
---|---|---|
Refresh starter (1st build) | Day 1, 8pm | 1 |
Refresh starter (2nd build) | Day 1, 8am | 1 |
Mix the starter water, flour and salt to make dough (yes, add the salt!) | Day 2, 8pm | 2 |
Leave to prove overnight, on side in kitchen | Day 2, 8:05pm | 1 |
Divide dough, shape into rounds. Leave to rest for 1½ hours, transfer to the fridge | Day 3, 8am | 2 |
Remove from fridge to come to room temperature | Day 3, 1 hour before baking | |
Preheat oven and baking stone | Day 3, 30 minutes before baking | |
Shape and add toppings | Day 3, when ready to bake | 3 |
Bake. Add fresh herbs | Day 3 | |
Total Active Time | 10 |
Guidance, tips & techniques
Method:
This is a 10-minute ambient method Margherita sourdough pizza technique that uses your starter to leaven (ferment) your dough, and it is an excellent way to begin learning dough handling before you begin shaping your boules. You can get familiar with and practice tensioning the dough and get used to the feel of the dough for pizza, which will make the shaping of a boule for the first time a whole lot easier. Please note that Adam uses the term leaven interchangeably in this recipe so the starter is the leaven.
It also tests the quality of your dough and your ingredients. There are no other ingredients to hide behind. So use good quality ingredients.
The evening before you want to bake combine the dough ingredients (except the oil and polenta) in a large bowl and start to mix using a wooden spatula or your hands. Once the ingredients begin to come together, use your hands to squeeze the dough until all the water is absorbed and there is no dry flour left. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove on the kitchen side overnight.
In the morning, divide your dough into four equal-sized pieces and shape each one into a round. Oil the dough pieces, cover and leave to rest for one and a half hours. Transfer the oiled dough balls to the fridge until you are ready to bake later in the day – just remember to take the dough out of the fridge an hour before shaping so it can come up to room temperature.
When you're ready to shape the dough, take one dough piece at a time and, using a little extra flour as needed, gently dimple the top of the round to spread it slightly. Then use your fingers to gently stretch the dough out as you turn it. As the circle of dough becomes bigger, you can pick it up and give it a few turns, using gravity to help stretch the dough further. Repeat this with each of the dough pieces.
Basic pizza shaping:
Dust your peel with polenta before putting the pizza base on. Add about 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce to the centre of each pizza and gently swirl it outwards using the back of a spoon, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) gap at the edge of the dough. Break up the mozzarella balls and scatter the cheese across the top of the pizza, then finally add the basil leaves. Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone in the hot oven. The baking time will vary depending on how hot you can get your oven: 6–7 minutes should be enough. Keep an eye on your pizza as it bakes.
Enjoy your freshly baked Margherita sourdough pizza!
Probiotic Serving Suggestion
Elderflower, Wild Strawberry & Rose Water Kefir
How to Store
These rarely store as they get eaten!
![Fresh basil](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sourdough-pizza-Vanessa-Kimbell_-330x413.jpg)
![Tomato sauce for pizza](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sourdough-pizza-Vanessa-Kimbell_-40-330x413.jpg)
![Mozzarella balls](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sourdough-pizza-Vanessa-Kimbell_-79-330x413.jpg)
Learning Outcome
You will know how to make a pizza that is more nutritious and understand the process of making, shaping and baking a sourdough pizza.