Sourdough Recipes · Recipe

Easy Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe for a Crisp, Chewy Crust

Use your active starter to make a flexible pizza dough with a crisp edge and chewy centre. Includes same-day and overnight timing options.

By Lifetipme•9 min read•Updated October 2026
Homemade sourdough loaf in a bright kitchen
Homemade sourdough loaf in a bright kitchen · Lifetipme editorial image
Quick answer

Mix flour, water, active starter, salt, and olive oil, strengthen the dough with folds, ferment until puffy, divide, and cold-proof for better flavour.

A pizza dough you can plan around

Sourdough pizza is less about a complicated formula and more about timing. The dough needs enough fermentation to become extensible, but not so much that it loses strength. A cold overnight proof gives you flexibility and develops flavour.

Recipe overview

Prep30 min
Fermentation8–24 hr
Bake6–10 min
Yield2 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour
  • 350 g water
  • 100 g active sourdough starter
  • 10 g salt
  • 15 g olive oil
  • Light toppings of your choice

Step-by-step method

  1. 01
    Mix flour and water and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. 02
    Add starter, salt, and olive oil. Mix until cohesive.
  3. 03
    Complete three folds during the first 90 minutes.
  4. 04
    Bulk ferment until the dough looks puffy and aerated.
  5. 05
    Divide into two pieces, shape into balls, and refrigerate overnight or proof at room temperature.
  6. 06
    Preheat the oven and baking surface to 250–280°C if possible.
  7. 07
    Stretch gently, top lightly, and bake until the rim is puffed and browned.

Same-day vs. overnight timing

For a same-day pizza, mix in the morning, divide in the afternoon, and bake in the evening. For more flavour and easier planning, divide the dough after bulk fermentation, refrigerate it overnight, and let it relax at room temperature before stretching.

How to stretch without tearing

Dust the surface lightly, turn the dough ball out, and press from the centre toward the edge while keeping a thicker rim. Lift the dough over your hands and let gravity help. Avoid using a rolling pin if you want to keep the fermented edge airy.

If you are still learning how starter activity affects dough, this beginner sourdough bread recipe explains the same core rhythm from active starter to finished bake.

Common mistakes

Pizza feels toughWhy: The dough was not fermented long enough or was rolled flat.Try: Give it more time and stretch gently by hand.
Pizza spreadsWhy: The dough is over-fermented or too warm.Try: Chill it, shorten fermentation, and use stronger shaping tension.
Pale crustWhy: The oven or baking surface was not fully heated.Try: Preheat longer and bake on a hot steel, stone, or heavy tray.

Storage

Keep dough balls covered in the fridge for up to three days. Freeze shaped dough balls after a short room-temperature rest, then thaw overnight before baking.

Recipe card

Easy Sourdough Pizza Dough

Easy
Prep30 min
Fermentation8–24 hr
Bake6–10 min
Total9–25 hr
Yield2 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour
  • 350 g water
  • 100 g active sourdough starter
  • 10 g salt
  • 15 g olive oil
  • Toppings of your choice

Instructions

  1. 01
    Mix flour and water, then rest for 30 minutes.
  2. 02
    Add starter, salt, and olive oil. Mix until the dough is cohesive.
  3. 03
    Complete three folds over 90 minutes, then cover and ferment until puffy.
  4. 04
    Divide into two pieces, shape into tight balls, and place in lightly oiled containers.
  5. 05
    Refrigerate overnight or proof at room temperature until relaxed and airy.
  6. 06
    Heat the oven and baking steel or tray as high as it safely goes, ideally 250–280°C.
  7. 07
    Stretch each dough ball gently, top lightly, and bake until the rim is puffed and browned.
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