Most sourdough pizza crust recipes call for added yeast, and the ones that don't require fussy extra steps and fancy flours. Not mine! For this no yeast pizza dough, you only need four simple ingredients (sourdough starter, water, salt, and bread flour), and the kneading time and effort are minimal.
Just mix the dough, let it rise overnight, ball it up, and let it rise some more before stretching and topping. You'll need at least 13 hours or up to 24 hours to achieve optimal texture and flavor. In case it helps, here's how I plan it out: Mix the dough right before bed (for me, 10:30pm-ish). If you want pizza for lunch, let the dough rise until 11am the next day, then ball it up and let it rest until noon before stretching. If you're having pizza for dinner, let the dough rise until 4 or 5pm, then ball it up and let it rest for an hour while you preheat the oven and prep the toppings.
You can also make the dough ahead of time, let it rise, and then ball it up and freeze it for up to 3 months. Click here for detailed instructions and tips for freezing pizza dough.
Need some pizza dough stretching tips? I've got you covered there, too. Check out this video tutorial on my IGTV channel, and let me know if you have questions, either in the comments here or on Instagram.
Of course, this isn't the only way to make pizza dough without yeast. If you can't find yeast and don't have sourdough starter handy, try making my Beer Pizza Dough instead.
No Yeast Sourdough Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Sturdy wooden spoon or dough whisk
- Large bowl with lid
- Bench scraper
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- ½ cup unfed sourdough starter (a.k.a. sourdough starter discard) at room temperature (130 grams)
- 1¼ cups warm water (~282 grams)
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3⅓ cups bread flour, dipped and leveled (483 grams), plus more as needed
Instructions
- Measure the flour into a large bowl that has a tight-fitting lid.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, and salt. Mix with a dough whisk or sturdy wooden spoon until the starter is about half dissolved into the water.
- Dump the starter mixture into the bowl with the flour, and mix with the dough hook or wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough begins to form.
- Take off your rings and get your hands in there, squishing the dough in your fists, turning it over, and squishing again until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough. At this point, the dough will be rather sticky.
- Once all the flour is incorporated, dust your hands with flour and use the heel of your hand to knead the dough into a smooth ball. (Press down on the dough with the heel of your hand, fold the dough up and over, turn, and repeat, dusting your hands with more flour as needed. You are done when the dough has morphed into a smooth-looking ball.)
- Cover the bowl with its lid and let it rise at room temperature for 12 to 20 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- After the dough has finished rising, scrape it out onto an unfloured work surface. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 2 equal-size pieces, and form each piece into a ball. Place the two balls in one large rectangular airtight container or two separate airtight containers (they will need extra space to spread out as they rise).
- Seal the container(s) and let the dough rest at room temperature until the balls have spread out and puffed up and are very pliable, 1 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, seal the container(s) and refrigerate the dough balls for 24 to 48 hours. Or, place each dough ball in a separate zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.)
- Transfer the dough balls to a floured work surface. (If you refrigerated your dough, let it come completely to room temperature before you stretch it; this will take about 2 hours. If you froze your dough, take it out of the freezer the morning of your pizza night, and let it defrost on the counter until dinner time.)
- Stretch out each dough ball to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a floured peel or parchment-lined baking sheet. Top and bake the pizza until the crust is golden and charred in spots (at 500°F for about 10 minutes on a baking sheet; at the hottest your oven will get for 6 to 8 minutes on a baking steel/stone).
Pamela says
Excellent sourdough pizza crust! Thank you for sharing. Takes a while, but has amazing sour taste that works.
Sarah Alberg says
I have tried this twice and both times at step 8 when I'm removing from the container, the dough has completely lost its shape and is stuck all over the bottom of the container. What am I doing wrong? Am I supposed to be doing some kneading or folding in step 7? All I did at that step was cut the dough in half and form rounds, but no folding or kneading. Then sealed and refrigerated for about 34 hrs. When I first put them into the containers, I THOUGHT they seemed to have a bit of shape to them but clearly not because it doesn't hold. The flavor is also turning out quite sour. Has fermentation gone too long? Should I have used fed starter instead of hungry? I want this to work so bad!
Peggy Paul Casella says
Hmmm. That hasn't happened to me with this recipe, but it does sound like your dough has overfermented. I always use hungry starter, but you can absolutely try it with fed starter instead. Also, since it's summer and natural fermentation always works fastest in the heat, in step 6, only let it rise until it about doubles in size (this might be less than 12 hours).
One other thought: How are you balling up the dough? This is an important step, as it helps give the dough structure and traps air bubbles inside, which contribute to both taste and texture. Here is the best way I've found to ball up the dough:
1. Dust the dough with flour if it feels sticky.
2. Place the dough in the palm of your hand. With the other hand, gently stretch one end underneath the dough, and squeeze the seam together with the hand holding the dough.
3. Rotate the dough one-quarter turn, stretch the dough underneath itself, and squeeze the seam together.
4. Repeat about 5 times total, until the top of your dough ball is smooth, then place it on a lightly floured work surface, seam-side down, and roll it gently with the palm of your hand.
I really want this to work for you, too! Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Valerie says
you say to use sourdough starter, but your recipe calls for discard. Which one do you use??
Peggy Paul Casella says
Sourdough discard is simply starter that is hungry. You can use either fed or unfed starter, but I prefer unfed (discard).
Valerie says
I re-read your post and comments after I commented of course, and I realized I was wrong. I think I just got confused about discard/hungry/unfed, which all kind of mean the same thing.
I made my first two dough balls last night, the first one was not that great, I don't think my oven was hot enough. I will try again tomorrow and see if the dough benefits from a couple days in the fridge.
Hiddy Sonday says
Love your posts. Question... Why do you prefer unfed starter?
Peggy Paul Casella says
You can use fed starter, too, but I like using unfed because it's a great way to use up the discard.
Santa-Kevin says
I plan to make this tomorrow or next day. Will use fed starter. I don't ever have "discard" . I know how much starter I need and feed my scrapings in my starter jar. I leave about 1-1/2 tablespoons between bakings. I bake a lot of sourdouhgs.
But in answer to the person who said oven to cold. Use a pizza stone and crank up the heat to around 500F and will come out great. Just keep an eye in it as it bakes. Same temp my favorite Italian Restaurant uses.
Bake more bread and enjoy.
Stay safe with the Covid-19
Ann says
This recipe looks so good....and a great use of my discard starter. In step 8, if I am going to freeze the dough...do i have to let it rest first for 1-3 hours or can i put it right in the freezer?
Peggy Paul Casella says
You can stick it in the freezer right after you ball it up. No need to let it proof first!
Matt Miller says
Just made the dough, and used a scale for the measurements, except the salt. The dough looks good. I used a dough hook to knead it for a few minutes. I turned on my oven light, and have the dough in the mixer bowl covered, in the oven. We will see how long it takes to do the first rise/bulk fermentation. I'll refrigerate tonight, and make pizza tomorrow night.
Any thoughts on olive oil? I was tempted to add a little to the dough, but held off...at least for this first batch. Also, I might try par-cooking the crust on a grill mat, in a preheated grill. It gets up to around 700°F.
Peggy Paul Casella says
You can add a tablespoon of olive oil to the dough, but that would just be for flavor, and I think the sourdough is delicious as is. Let me know how it turns out!
Vida says
Best Easiest pizza dough recipe! Have made several times - no fail.
Cristina says
What hydration % is your starter? I think most US recipes I have seen is 100% hydration but I am not sure if I should consider it the standard for your country always (where I'm from 50% is the norm).
Peggy Paul Casella says
Mine is 50%.
Janet says
Tried this today, after setting it out last night to rise. Was very proud of mis discard, it really rose well, probably more than double in 12 hrs. Nice dough to work with, set it out in the garage to proof before rolling out. First effort with our new Bertollo pizza oven so we got a little scorched, but the dough rose nicely, and tasted great. We need to work on rolling a bit more thinly, probably making 3 balls for 12" pizzas next time. Thanks!
Chris says
Hi Cristina
Just thought it might be of interest to you...
I live in the UK, and here a ‘bread baker’s percentage’ refers to the weight of an ingredient compared to the weight of the flour. Sourdough starter recipes I use are made up of equal weights of flour and water. We would refer to this as a baker’s percentage of 100% hydration.
Daniel says
Hm, this is the first pizza dough I've made that didn't work out at all! The dough had practically no extensibility--I make 12" neopolitan style pies with 200-250g balls (so this would be a 4 pie recipe), but I couldn't even get 10" without it tearing. Maybe my starter discard was too unfed? Or is this dough not meant to be stretched thinly?
Chris says
Hi Cristina
I agree with you about making 3 pizzas out of this recipe, especially if you prefer a thin crust napolitana. 300g dough makes a decent 12” pizza for my liking.
Also, thought it might be of interest to you ref. your previous comment on percentages...
I live in the UK, and here a ‘bread baker’s percentage’ refers to the weight of an ingredient compared to the weight of the flour. Sourdough starter recipes I use are made up of equal weights of flour and water. We would refer to this as a baker’s percentage of 100% hydration.
Chris says
Sorry Cristina. It was Janet who mentioned making 3 pizzas out of this recipe...
Chris says
Hi Cristina
Thought it might be of interest to you ref. your previous comment on percentages...
I live in the UK, and here a ‘bread baker’s percentage’ refers to the weight of an ingredient compared to the weight of the flour. Sourdough starter recipes I use are made up of equal weights of flour and water. We would refer to this as a baker’s percentage of 100% hydration.
Karina says
My new go to sourdough pizza! The dough was so pliable and wanted to be stretched! It had doubled in about 12 hours (using cool unfed sd discard - sal is energetic) but the timing didn't work so I made it go 17 hours. And it was ready to be stretched at about the 2 hour mark. Just notes to keep for myself. But it was chilly and dry so may even be faster on a normal socal day! Thanks for sharing!
Vida says
Love this recipe. Very easy and amazing crust.
Gary & Sarah says
Superb ! excellent recipe , will be using again, thank you for sharing.
Gary & Sarah says
Superb recipe ! thanks for sharing ! just made brilliant pizzas for tea !
Tracy says
Made this recipe this week and it is now my go-to crust. I made one the next day and the other sat in the refrigerator for 3 days. I think the second one was my favorite as it didn't stretch too thin in spots like the first. I honestly think that is more user-error than the recipe as I need to improve my stretching skills for sure!
Nancy says
This is a great recipe, thank you! I am hosting a small pizza party this coming week and wanted to do as much ahead as possible. I used about 50g whole wheat flour and added a touch more water because of that and I got 5 small boule shapes, weighing about 188 grams, which I final proofed on a floured cookie sheet. After about 3 or so hours shaped the crusts. Then I heated up a 12 inch cast iron skillet and precooked the crusts on the bottom for about 5 minutes. My hope is to provide everyone with a crust they can add their own toppings to and then pop into a hot oven for 3-5 minutes to warm toppings and melt cheese. I found the dough easy to work with and has great elasticity and chew. Beautiful bubbles throughout too. Thanks!
Nancy Costa says
As a quick follow up to my previous reply; I made 5 batches of this dough for the party. I was able to yield 5 crusts per batch. Once I cooked them inside my cast iron skillet I let them cook, then stacked them in plastic freezer bags separated by sheets of parchment. I let them defrost in the fridge the night before we used them. These crusts were a huge hit and we had such a fantastic time! Thanks! Nancy
Abigail says
Is it possible to do this by fermenting in the fridge rather than at room temp? If so, how long would you suggest?
Peggy Paul Casella says
Sure! I haven't cold-fermented this dough myself, but I would guess that refrigerating it in an airtight container for 24 to 48 hours would work great. Let me know how it turns out!
Hildur says
Followed the instructions and it came out beautifully, definitely the best pizza dough I've ever made at home.
Megan says
Am I reading this wrong?
3 1/3 cups (120 g a cup) of bread flour is 400 grams, at 530 grams, hi this recipe is only 59% hydration.
Barb Kass says
I wondered the same thing, 530 g much more than 3 1/3 c.
Barbara says
Do you know if it’s 3 1/3 cup or 530 grams would greatly appreciate the answer. Thank You
Kermione says
I just have to say - this is a wonderful recipe. I've made it probably about half a dozen times, with my starter in various states ranging from unfed to starving. In my experience, this crust is very forgiving. I bake it on a pizza stone, and there has been nary a soggy bottom among my bakes. I love that it gets slightly bubbly. You can sink your teeth into it, but it also has a pleasantly crispy bite. I think it strikes the perfect balance between thick and thin crust (obviously, this depends on how much or how little you stretch it). Thank you so much for this recipe - it's nice to have such a reliably delicious way to use sourdough discard that is not labor-intensive. (P.S. I use all-purpose flour. I imagine that bread flour would render it even more delicious, although that is difficult to imagine.)
Fran says
I wanted to make 6 balls of dough for this recipe and used the auto calculator when you click on the “Print” button. I noticed that gram measurements didn’t adjust only the cups did. This was confusing and when I noticed, had to make another batch with the correct measurements. Any chance in getting this fixed so that this feature works?
Kathy W. says
OMG!!!! Just baked a pizza with this crust, oven and baking stones pre-heated to 550 for an hour, dough stretched to 12", topped with pizza sauce, fresh mozz, and topped with fresh torn basil leaves as soon as it came out of the oven.
Made the dough, formed the balls, and put in the freezer. Was defrosted, then formed into crust. I can't even find the words for the chewy, crispy, sour DELICIOUSNESS of it. THANK YOU for this recipe. It is AMAZING. Wish I could post a pic.
Peggy Paul Casella says
This just made my day! Thanks for your comment. So glad your pizza turned out great!
kg says
I have my discard coming to room temp as I write this!! Quick comment about the print feature for the recipe. I love the ability to adjust the yield. However, the imperial units adjust accordingly but the metric units do not. I find it easier to measure by weight. Wonder if that is just a coding thing??? Regardless...I look forward to yummy pizza soon!
Nicole Gertz-Ross says
Made it today with a mix of 50/50 whole wheat and bread flour.... it worked out better than any other recipe that I tried for whole wheat .. super awesome !
Barbara says
On the sourdough pizza should I use 3 1/3 cups or 530 grams? Thank you, Barb
Peggy Paul Casella says
Hi Barb! Use 3-1/3 dipped and leveled cups of flour
Barb says
Thank you
Maria says
feel tempted to use beer on this dough !! Marvelous recipes, I'll be trying this one first. Thanks!
Kathi S Peters says
Can you please provide macros for this recipe? It could be for the whole 2 pizzas, then I could figure out per slice.
For example...
How many carbs (total)
How much fiber
How much protein
How much fat
Thanks so much
Peggy Paul Casella says
Unfortunately, I do not have the tools to calculate macros for my resumes.
Samantha says
Easy and very good pizza dough. Was my first time making my own crust and it came out fantastic!
Peggy Paul Casella says
Thanks, Samantha. So glad it worked so well for you!