Sourdough pizza recipe: how to make pizza like a pro

Ingredients

• 575g all-purpose flour
• 575g warm water (about 70°F / 21°C)

Instructions

Mixing and fermenting

1. Measure out 115g flour and 115g warm water.
2. Add the flour and water into a container. Use a spoon to mix together, making sure to work some air into the mixture. Mix well until it forms the consistency of a thick batter. Scrape any excess off the sides of the container, and cover the container with a lid, towel or plastic wrap – it should only be loosely covered – and keep the towel/plastic wrap in place with a rubber band.
3. Leave the container to ferment somewhere that has a consistent room temperature for 24 hours.

Feeding the starter

1. After the starter has been fermenting for 24 hours, there should already be some bubbles forming. This is a good sign, and means that the bacteria and yeasts in the mixture are starting to eat the sugar in the flour, producing gases.
2. It’s now time to start feeding the starter to spur on the fermentation process. Add another 115g all-purpose flour and 115g warm water to the container. Again, mix well until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides and loosely seal as before, leaving to rest for a further 24 hours.

Growing the starter

1. The next day, take 230g of your starter mixture and pour it into a clean jar. Add 115g all-purpose flour and 115g warm water. Stir to mix and loosely cover for 24 hours. Repeat the same process of discarding and feeding in a fresh jar every 24 hours for the next two days.

Ingredients

• ...for the levain mix...
• 50g mature sourdough starter
• 50g 00 flour (or bread flour)
• 50g whole grain flour
• 100g warm water
• ...for the final mix...
• 425g 00 flour (or bread flour)
• 75g whole grain flour
• 310g warm water
• 10g salt
• 200g levain mix
• Olive oil, for lining the proving container
• Flour, for dusting the work surface

Instructions

Building the levain mix

1. Take a tall jar and combine 50g sourdough starter with the flour and water. Mix until fully incorporated.
2. Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or until doubled in size.

Building the final mix

1. Once the levain mix is ready, it’s time to make the final mix. In a large bowl, dissolve the salt into the water and stir until completely dissolved.
2. Add 200g levain mix and stir until dissolved. Slowly add the flours, and mix together using your hands. The key is to incorporate the flour slowly so that the dough hydrates fully.
3. Leave to rest on your kitchen countertop uncovered for 10 minutes before beginning the initial kneading.

Kneading the dough

1. Once rested, dust your work surface with flour and begin to knead the dough. If kneading by hand, use the palm of your hand and push the dough in a forward motion to the point that it is almost tearing. Pull the dough back onto itself, rotate it, and push with your palm again. This will take around 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you can also knead the dough using a stand mixer – mix the dough on low speed for 10-15 minutes, then at a higher speed for 5-10 minutes.
2. The dough is finished kneading when it’s smooth, bouncy and its shape bounces back after pressing into the dough with your fingers. You should be able to squeeze it and pull it without any tearing.
3. On your work surface, tighten up the dough by tucking the edge of your hand under the dough and pulling it towards you, moving your way around the edge of the dough to keep tucking the edges underneath. This will help to smooth out the surface of the dough and ensure an even fermentation.

Bulk fermenting the dough

1. Add a little olive oil to a large bowl or tub, spreading it around using your fingers to coat the container.
2. Place the dough inside and cover with a cloth or the lid. Leave to bulk ferment at room temperature on your kitchen countertop for 3 hours. The dough is finished bulk fermenting when it’s at least doubled in size and has lots of air bubbles appearing under the surface.

Dividing and balling up the dough

1. Portion the dough into four roughly equal pieces. Using electric scales, weigh each dough piece out to 238g, and redistribute the dough as needed between each piece.
2. Shape each piece of dough into a ball using the same technique as tightening up the bulk dough – place the dough piece on the countertop and pull it towards you from the edge furthest away from you, tucking the edge of your hand under the dough. Keep doing this, moving your way around the edge of the dough until it’s smooth and round.
3. Once shaped, dust a proving tray with flour or line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the pizza dough balls on the tray. Cover with a cloth or the tray’s lid and place inside the fridge to cold prove overnight for 24 hours.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 800g canned whole plum tomatoes
• 2 heaped tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the oil in a pan over a medium heat. When warm, add the garlic. Fry until softened, but not brown.
2. Pour the can of plum tomatoes into the pan and use a masher or fork to crush them down.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, then simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes – or until the flavour has deepened and the sauce has thickened slightly.