Get Creative with Your Pizza Toppings: Making Sourdough Bread Pizza
If you’re a pizza lover looking to take your homemade pies to the next level, consider making sourdough bread pizza.
Not only does this type of pizza offer a deliciously tangy flavor and a unique texture, but it’s also a great way to use up any leftover sourdough starter you might have.
Plus, by making your own pizza crust from scratch, you can customize it to your liking and ensure that it’s made with high-quality ingredients.
In this article, we’ll take you through the steps of making sourdough bread pizza, from creating the dough to baking it in the oven. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this delicious twist on a classic dish!
Making the Sourdough Bread Dough
It begins with making sourdough bread dough for the pizza. A sourdough starter will be necessary for this.
Mix equal parts of flour and water and leave it to ferment for a few days if you don’t already have one. Follow these steps to make a sourdough bread dough once your starter is active:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 cups bread flour
- two teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
Instructions:
- Stir together the bread flour, water, and starter in a large bowl.
- Stir until the dough becomes shaggy.
- After adding the salt, stir well to combine.
- Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth. And allow it to rest at room temperature for 6-8 hours or until it has doubled.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts. Once the parts have been shaped, let them rest for another two hours.
Preparing the Pizza Toppings
As the sourdough bread dough rests, prepare the pizza toppings. If you choose to top your sourdough bread pizza with classic toppings, here are some suggestions:
- Mozzarella cheese
- Tomato sauce
- Basil leaves
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Pepperoni
- Olives
- Sausage
It’s up to you what toppings you want to combine. There are plenty of suggestions here for you to choose. Preparation ahead of time will make them easier for you to add to your pizza.
Assembling the Pizza
The pizza can be assembled as soon as the dough rests and the toppings are ready. You will need to follow these steps:
Ingredients:
- Tomato sauce
- one ball of sourdough bread dough from the recipe above
- Toppings of your choice
- Mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
- You will need to preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Using floured hands, stretch out the dough into a thin pizza base. It may be easier to use a rolling pin if that suits you better.
- You can place the base on either a baking sheet or a pizza stone.
- Make sure the tomato sauce is spread evenly over the pizza base.
- Then, top the sauce with the mozzarella cheese.
- Then top it with the toppings of your choice.
- For a golden brown crust and bubbling cheese, bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice and serve the pizza after it cools a little.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Sourdough Bread Pizza
Getting the best sourdough bread pizza can be challenging. For this recipe, you will need plenty of preparation time.
Below are the key ingredients to making excellent pizza at home, regardless of whether you are using yeast or sourdough.
1. High-hydration Dough: When handled properly, dough with a high proportion of water bakes into beautiful pockets of balloon-like crusts.
2. 1 Hour At Room Temperature: Leaving the dough at room temperature for one hour before baking will make shaping easier — room temperature dough can be shaped more easily than cold dough.
3. Refrigerator Time: Refrigerating pizza dough (at least six hours and up to three days) further develops flavor and improves texture.
4. Minimal Handling Of Dough: Gently shaping the dough preserves the air pockets formed during fermentation.
5. Make Sure The Sourdough Is The Right Consistency: sticky or dry sourdough won’t make a great pizza crust.
6. Start With A Sourdough Starter At Its Peak: For the best sourdough bread pizza, make sure your starter has reached its peak before using it. It would be best if you used the starter before making sourdough bread dough only when it is bubbly and active.
7. Let The Dough Rest: In order for the gluten to build and the dough to rise after you have made the sourdough bread dough, you must allow it to rest for a few hours. You will achieve lightness and airiness in the pizza crust this way.
8. Make A Variety Of Toppings: Sourdough bread pizza is versatile, so don’t be afraid to get creative. It’s easy to customize pizza by adding different vegetables, cheeses, meats, or even fruits.
9. Stretch The Dough Thin: Pizza dough made from sourdough bread can be quite thick and heavy, so stretch it thin to prevent a dense and heavy crust. If you want to stretch out the dough, you can use a rolling pin or your hands. Make sure there are no holes in the sourdough.
10. Preheat The Oven: You must preheat your oven prior to baking the pizza. You will achieve a crispy crust and melted cheese if you do this.
11. Don’t Overload The Pizza: While it can be tempting to pile on lots of toppings, resist this temptation. If you put too many toppings on your pizza, it may become heavy and soggy.
12. Use A Pizza Stone: Use the pizza stone to bake the pizza if you have one. It is easier to produce a crispy crust by using a pizza stone, which distributes the heat evenly.
Can You Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough?
Yes. I have found that frozen pizzas do not spring as high after baking, but they still taste good.
Additionally, the longer dough stays in the freezer, the fewer air bubbles it retains. I can expect my dough to bake beautifully after one week in the freezer.
With three weeks in the freezer, my dough will have less bubbliness and bake into a thinner, crispier crust.
How To Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough?
Put the dough portions into quart-size containers. After that, place the quart containers in the freezer.
If you want to thaw the frozen dough, remove one or more containers. You can let it thaw at room temperature for eight hours or in the refrigerator for one day. Then, proceed with the recipe.
Is Sourdough Good For Pizza?
Does sourdough work well for pizza? There is no question that sourdough (natural leavening) can be used to make pizza.
A sourdough pizza has a more pronounced flavor, is easier to digest (due to the long fermentation process), and it is more tender.
What’s The Difference Between Pizza Dough And Sourdough?
You need active dry yeast for a regular pizza base, which reacts with gluten to cause the dough to rise. But sourdough requires the use of a ‘starter.’ This starter combines yeast and lactobacilli to form a living culture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making sourdough bread pizza is a fun and tasty way to elevate your pizza game. The unique flavor profile of sourdough bread combined with your favorite pizza toppings creates a delicious and satisfying meal that’s sure to impress.
And with a little bit of practice and experimentation, you can create your own signature sourdough bread pizza that’s suitable for any occasion.
So, whether you’re a seasoned sourdough baker or just starting out, don’t be afraid to try this wonderful and versatile dish.
With a little bit of creativity and a lot of love, you can make the most delicious sourdough bread pizza that will have everyone coming back for more.
So, get ready to roll up your sleeves, fire up your oven, and let’s make some mouth-watering sourdough bread pizza!
