Elaine's Sourdough Pizza Base Recipe
Ingredients
Version One Ingredients (60%):
- 20g starter
- 270g water
- 450g Cotswold Pizza Flour
- Salt to taste
Version Two Ingredients (65%):
- 20g starter
- 290g water
- 450g Cotswold Pizza Flour
- Salt to taste
- Fine semolina flour or rice flour
This recipe uses my master recipe as a base, and the dough is made with Cotswold Pizza Flour. This flour has been created specifically for making pizzas (but is also great for making sourdough loaves too, as I can fully attest).
It’s made with strong white bread flour plus vitamin C powder (aka ascorbic acid) which works as a flour conditioner. This helps produce both a great structure in the dough and makes it wonderfully relaxed and easy to stretch. This is ideal for making pizzas.
- Baker: Elaine “Foodbod” Boddy
- IG: @elaine_foodbod
- Makes: 3 large 12” Pizzas
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Proving Time: Minimum 4 hours - best results prove over night or for longer (see below)
- Bake Time: Depends on your chosen toppings and cooking method
- Flour used: Cotswold Pizza Flour
What you need to know about my sourdough pizza dough recipe…
Water:
I’ve got two versions of the same recipe, the only difference being how much water is used in the mix. I never talk about hydration percentages, as I find it redundant information, I’m only using them here as an example to explain what I’m sharing. For information only and to compare, my standard master recipe is 70% hydration; all that means is that as a standard, the water content (350g) is 70% of the flour content (500g).
The first version of the recipe therefore uses what equates to 60% hydration and the second version equates to 65%. The one with less water is a perfect starting point for your pizza making as it produces dough that is easy to work with and not too soft and scary. This version is also ideal if you are doing the first mixes in an electric mixer.
If you feel comfortable with that level of water, then try using the slightly higher ratio version to see how it feels. Both options produce perfectly light and airy pizza crusts and tasty bases.
Starter:
I’ve used less starter than usual in these recipes, as it’s summer and this is a great time for pizza making. Feel free to increase it to my standard 50g if you feel it’s needed, bearing in mind all of the information about making sourdough and how it is affected by the weather and heat.
Yield:
As there are three of us in my family, these recipes produce three balls of dough. Each ball is perfect for a 12” pizza base. You can easily scale this up or down based on your requirements.
Timing:
These doughs REALLY benefit from a long rest in the fridge, 2-3 days works well, I’ve even left them for 5 days before using the dough balls and they’ve been fine. This can really help with planning ahead.
Equipment:
A covered pan like the one I use is perfect for proving the dough balls in the fridge, if you can I highly recommend getting one or some, plus these will work well for making focaccia and other things. Mine is a ‘Nordic Ware Naturals Baker’s Quarter Sheet with Lid, Aluminium Baking Tray’.
Flour:
As mentioned above, this is made using Cotswold Pizza Flour – which is also available now at Waitrose stores across the UK.
Also needed:
- Mixing bowl
- Digital scales
- Bowl scraper
- Shower cap
Sourdough Pizza Base Recipe Method
- Late afternoon/early evening, roughly mix together all the ingredients in your mixing bowl, cover with your shower cap and leave the bowl on the counter.
- After two hours, perform one set of pulls and folds on the dough, lifting and pulling the dough up and over and across the bowl, repeatedly, all the way round and round the bowl, until it becomes smooth. The dough will be stretchy. Cover the bowl again and leave it on the counter.
- After one hour, perform two more sets of pulls and folds, each time the dough should come into an easy bouncy smooth ball. Each time it comes into a ball, cover the bowl again and leave it on the counter. These actions do not need to be a set time apart.
- Leave to prove overnight/until doubled in size.
- Split the dough equally into 3 pieces. Sprinkle semolina or rice flour in your pan/tub and over the counter. Shape the dough pieces into tight balls, place them smooth side up in your prepared pan, cover it, and place it into the fridge. It will prove again and the dough will develop into the beautiful orbs of dough you can see in my photos.
- To then use the dough, my pizza advisor Scott Deley’s best advice (see below) - and what I’ve been doing as a result - is to take the covered pan holding the balls of proved dough from the fridge a few hours before needing to use them. This helps the dough to relax, which makes them easier to stretch and handle.
To use:
Shape your base, top with your favourite topping, and cook/bake it as you always do.
For more details about how I make my dough and what this recipe is based on, visit my full master recipe: https://foodbodsourdough.com/the-process/
For lots of tips and to see and hear more about this, watch our new podcast episode with Scott Deley (Scott’s Pizza Project) and see him give me a lesson in shaping pizza bases. In this episode I’m using sourdough pizza doughs made exactly as above, so you’ll be able to see it in action. Have your dough made and ready!
Listen to the latest Foodbod Pod episode (and catchup on the full Season 2) here.
You can also watch the episode on the YouTube player below!
← Older Post Newer Post →
