Sourdough Pizza Dough

For my beloved New Haven style 'a-piz'

Pizza is our Friday meatless go-to. When we have the population, I make one or two extra, with pepperoni or sausage, for Saturday lunch (by far my least favorite meal of the week!). (I already posted about this here, but as I’m always tinkering, I thought I’d re-up with my latest situation.)

This is my method for making one pizza’s worth of dough (I used to make four big ones, filling my mixer — my yeasted dough process can be found here and here, but I have changed things since using natural fermentation in my bread-making). You can scale it for your needs.

Using two types of flour makes the right style of dough for a crisp crust that’s not too tough but also has a chewy texture. The texture of the dough is the hardest part to get right — I want it thin, tender, crispy, blistery, chewy, big bubbles, not doughy, sturdy enough to eat with my hands but not thick. I have tried all the kinds of flour (including Italian Typo 00) and this mix does it for me. Whatever you use will produce pizza, so don’t worry — there’s always next time!

Pizza Dough

About 1/4 cup of starter (right out of the fridge)
A pinch (scant 1/8 tsp) yeast (not necessary, but adds a little something)
1/3 cup whole white wheat flour, wheat flour, or use regular AP flour if it’s what you have.
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Enough water for a dough soft enough to mix with a Danish whisk or wooden spoon. I find that when I use my mixer I end up with a too-stiff dough.

Mix well, let rest for half an hour. Fold to develop the gluten, rest. Give a few folds as you go about your morning. (Coil fold method here)

Let rise, put in the fridge. Proceed with your normal recipe, taking it out and forming it cold, and pushing it outwards from the middle, being sure not to de-gas the edges. Bake the pizza in a very hot oven on an oiled pizza pan.

Good luck!

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