Making Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough is one of my favorite ways to use up sourdough discard. It's delicious and everyone loves a homemade pizza night! Plus the dough only needs just over an hour of rise time, so you don't need to get started too early to have this quick and easy recipe ready for dinner! This recipe makes a thin, crispy crust for your favorite pizza toppings.
To be clear, this is not a pizza recipe - this is a recipe for the dough. From there, you can add whatever toppings you like and cook to perfection. I do share a few notes on how I personally like to do that, but feel free to take this dough and make whatever pizza recipe you like.
If you're looking for more sourdough discard recipes, check out these Sourdough Discard Bagels, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, and Sourdough Discard Focaccia. They're great ways to use up some of your sourdough discard!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
- Expert baking tips
- Variation: Thick-Crust Pizza Dough
- How to top & bake your pizza
- Why does this recipe use yeast?
- Can you freeze Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough?
- Equipment
- My Favorite Half-Sheet Baking Pan
- Storage
- Recipe FAQ
- Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
Why you'll love this recipe
- This same-day recipe makes a thin and crispy pizza dough with great crunch.
- This is a quick recipe with less than 30 minutes of hands-on prep time! The rest of the time is for the dough rising.
- This is an easy recipe that you can easily adapt with your favorite toppings to make any kind of pizza!
- You can make a variation of this recipe for a thick-crust pizza dough.
- You can freeze this pizza dough to save for later!
- There is no egg or butter involved in this recipe, so it's a great vegan or dairy-free option.
Ingredients
As long as you have a sourdough starter (therefore, sourdough discard) there are only a few pantry staples that you'll need to make this Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough.
- Bread flour: Bread flour will give you a crispier crust. If needed, you could substitute all-purpose flour for a softer, chewier crust. You'll also use some flour for dusting your work surface.
- Instant dry yeast: Even though we are using sourdough discard, you will still need to add instant yeast to this recipe to make sure the dough rises predictably.
- Sourdough discard: This recipe is designed for a sourdough discard with a 1:1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part starter, 1 part flour, 1 part water). If your sourdough starter uses a different ratio, you will need to adjust some of the ingredients. Also, the sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature before being added to the recipe.
- Semolina flour: I like to use semolina flour to dust the baking sheet or pizza stone before I flatten out the pizza crust. This helps keep it from sticking to the surface. If you don't have semolina flour, you can also use all-purpose flour or even cornmeal.
See full recipe below for detailed instructions.
The best and easiest discard pizza dough! I make it weekly. Thanks for a great recipe!
- Antoinette
Substitutions
There are a few easy substitutions that you can make to suit this recipe to your personal preferences.
- Use active sourdough starter: If you'd rather use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can. To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (a 1:1 substitute). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
- Use whole wheat flour: Looking for a whole wheat pizza dough? Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour in this recipe.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
The key to this recipe is having patience for the rise. There are just a few steps you'll need to follow to make this dough.
Combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to combine.
Add sourdough discard. While the mixer is on low, pour in the water and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and wraps around the dough hook.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes until a smooth dough forms. If needed, add more water or flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach the desired consistency. The dough should be soft, smooth, and not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour, until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a round. This will make two pizza crusts.
Shape each half into a round, and slightly flatten. Place on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
Use your hands to press and flatten the dough to your desired shape and thickness. You're now ready for your toppings!
Expert baking tips
- Make sure to knead the dough long enough so you have a smooth, soft dough!
- Every sourdough starter, and therefore discard, is different. If needed, add more flour or water to the dough to reach your desired consistency. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
- Be patient with the rise! Rise times will vary depending on the temperature of your room (dough will rise faster in a warmer room). If needed, give it some extra time!
- This recipe makes two medium-sized pizza crusts. Enjoy them as personal pizzas, or freeze one for later!
- If your dough is bouncing back as you're pressing it into shape for your pizza (and not holding its shape), cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then, shape again!
Variation: Thick-Crust Pizza Dough
You can also use this recipe to make a thick-crust pizza!
Instead of dividing the dough into two portions, leave it as one portion. Press the dough into one pizza crust, about 12-14 inches in diameter, then top with your desired toppings.
Continue with the baking directions / suggestions as written below.
How to top & bake your pizza
Once the dough is ready for toppings, feel free to follow a specific pizza recipe, or top with your favorite items.
I like to press my dough into a fairly thin crust, load it up with all kinds of toppings, drizzle the crust with a little olive oil, then bake at 450 degrees (F) for about 20-30 minutes until crispy. I may also give it a little extra olive oil once it comes out of the oven!
Why does this recipe use yeast?
Even though we're working with sourdough discard, you still need to use yeast. Sourdough discard is not as active as sourdough starter, so you still need to use a leavening agent (in this case, yeast) to make sure the dough rises in a predictable way.
But don't worry! The dough will get the benefit of added lift from the discard, as well as some of that delicious sourdough tang.
Can you freeze Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough?
Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough freezes well and it's a great storage option if you want to make a batch to use later, or freeze one of the two crusts.
After the first rise, divide the dough into two balls. Transfer the dough balls to individual airtight containers or freezer-safe bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use the dough, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the dough come to room temperature before pressing and shaping to create your pizza, and continuing with the instructions as written.
Equipment
I like to mix the dough in a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer, but that is optional. You can also make this dough in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Use a kitchen scale to measure the sourdough discard. You'll also need a large bowl for the dough to rise in.
To bake your pizza, you're welcome to use whatever surface you like best: a baking sheet, pizza stone, or if you're working with a pizza oven (wow!) you might have something else in mind!
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Half-Sheet Baking Pan
The perfect baking pan for everything from bagels to pretzels to pizza night!
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: This dough is great used fresh, but you can store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. After the first rise, divide the dough into two balls. Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1-3 days.
When you're ready to use it, let the dough come to room temperature, then continue the steps as written (divide the dough, let rise 10 minutes, flatten and add your toppings).
Freezer Storage: Freezing the pizza dough is a great option. After the first rise, divide the dough into two balls. Transfer the dough balls to individual airtight containers or freezer-safe bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use the dough, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the dough come to room temperature before pressing and shaping to create your pizza, and continuing with the instructions as written.
Recipe FAQ
Sourdough discard is what you have leftover after feeding a sourdough starter. You can either literally discard it (trash or compost), or you can use it for delicious sourdough discard recipes like this one.
If you're new to working with sourdough, these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard and tips for struggling sourdough starter will be helpful.
Your dough likely needs a little bit more flour. Add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, kneading to combine fully before adding more. A little goes a long way!
Once you have the dough, you can follow any pizza recipe you like. You can also simply top the pizza with your favorite toppings, drizzle the crust with olive oil, and then bake at 450 degrees (F) for 20-25 minutes. Keep in mind, the time needed to bake may vary depending on the thickness of your crust (shorter baking time for thin crust, longer time for thicker crust).
If your dough is bouncing back during shaping, cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, try again.
If you want to make this dough ahead of time and let it sit overnight, you can! Combine the ingredients for the dough, then let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, let the dough come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then continue with the recipe as written (dividing the dough into two portions and pressing it into your pizza shape).
You can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitute). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook*, combine bread flour, yeast, salt and granulated sugar. Mix to combine.
- Add sourdough discard. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in ¾ cup of warm water and the olive oil. Increase speed to medium until a shaggy dough forms and wraps around the dough hook. If needed, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until a soft, smooth dough forms. The dough should not be sticky. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly dust two baking sheets with semolina flour and set aside**.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide in two equal-sized pieces. Shape each into a round and place on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Gently press the dough to shape your crust into the desired shape and thickness. If you find the dough bouncing back and not holding shape, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape again. Add your favorite toppings, drizzle the curst with olive oil (optional) and bake for 20-30 minutes (see notes).
Maurissa says
Perfect recipe!! So easy!! Dough was super easy to knead and was true to the 2-3 minute time frame of kneading to get a smooth ball :). Turned out super delicious!! I loved it! Thank you!! Thank you Abba 🙂
Courtney says
Regarding the nutrition facts, is the dough 462 calories for the entire dough or is it 462 calories per serving?
Jessica Vogl says
The recipe makes 4 servings, and it is 462 calories per serving. I typically divide the dough into two portions, and make two individual pizzas (but each pizza is more than one person would tyipcally eat in a meal). I hope that helps!
Diane says
My discard is a 1:4:4 ratio. Why can I not use it in this recipe?. I'm new to sourdough. I don't understand why I can only use a 1:1:1 ratio discard.
Jessica Vogl says
It's ok! Since you're still feeding your starter the same amount of flour and water, you can use this recipe as written. If, for example, you were feeding your starter more flour than water, then you'd need to adjust things (but that's not the case for you!).
Kcee says
I am attempting this now but I want a longer fermentation for lower gluten. I will be leaving it out to rise overnight then a cold proof tomorrow until time to cook. I also did not knead by hand so I’ll need all the finger crossed this works out. I am curious why the sugar is added. All the pizza dough I find says sugar but I don’t understand why. I did add it just wanted to know if it’s necessary in the future.
Jessica Vogl says
The sugar is to feed the yeast.
Mike Grommes says
After the second proof and stretching the dough into the circle can you freeze it at this point, and then must you thaw it out or put on your toppings and bake right away? Trying to make ready made crust for friends that love this recipe
Jessica Vogl says
Yes, you can! Just keep in mind that freezing these already shaped takes up quite a bit of space in your freezer. When you're ready, you'd want to let the dough come to room temperature, then add your toppings and bake.
Mary says
I am at the beginning of my sourdough journey and have been looking for all the ways to use discard and this pizza seemed the easiest one that didn't require a cast iron skillet or stone. I've made two different types of pizza with this crust and it's delicious and easy. I made the crust ahead of time and it sat in the fridge for a day or two before using it and it was still great.
Samantha says
Do you have any suggestions on freezing?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes! After the first rise, divide the dough into two balls. Transfer the dough balls to individual airtight containers or freezer-safe bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use the dough, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the dough come to room temperature before pressing and shaping to create your pizza, and continuing with the baking instructions as written.
Kim says
I used it to make Stromboli…. Tuned out great!
Emily says
Great recipe. I made it the other day. My first discard recipe I did. Turned out amazing.
Emily says
Can u cut into 4s and put in the fridge or freeze?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes! There are some notes for both refrigerator and freezer storage in the "storage" section above! That will give you details on how to store and what to do when you're ready to use it.
Lana says
Can I use 00 flour instead of bread flour?
Jessica Vogl says
It's not something I've tried!
Beth says
This recipe was great! Easy to mix up, baked great on my preheated stone at 450. Took 12-15 mins. I used corn meal when i stretched my crust on parchment. Can't wait for weather to get warm so I can grill it!
Fiona says
Just tried it tonight with 00... Worked like a charm, although I did have to add slightly more warm water and Olive oil in the initial mix, I just did a teaspoon of each at a time in my mixer until a satisfactory texture was reached (it began extremely stiff, I just got it to the point of being slightly more supple but still quite stiff).
Steffanie Martin says
Any way to make this GF? Maybe with almond flour or GF flour ?
Jessica Vogl says
It's not something I've tried!
Elizabeth says
The grams of sourdough is way more than 3/4 of a cup for me. Should I go by the grams or the cup ratio?
Jessica Vogl says
Go by the grams! If your sourdough discard is still a bit active / bubbly, it can be way more than 3/4 cup. It'll be ok and it will still work out, but I would go with the 200g measurement.
Laurie Moore says
Would this work in a Detroit style pizza pan?
Jessica Vogl says
It should!
Christy says
We have tried this a few times I tagged you on IG so you can see the pictures; getting ready to make more dough tonight .
Jessica Vogl says
Woohoo! Glad you loved it, Christy!
Michelle Cervoni says
My friend and I made this tonight for girls pizza dinner and we were impressed. I don’t have a stand mixer so I did everything by hand and it still came out great! Definitely bookmarking this recipe for the future. I did mine in a cast iron and it was crispy but still light and fluffy
Lori says
I only have active dry yeast and not instant. Can I use it instead and if so do I add it to water to let it bloom before and just adjust the water measurement?
Jessica Vogl says
Hi Lori! Yes, you can use active yeast. You would need to let it bloom on the warm water for 5 minutes (until foamy) before adding the other ingredients.
Katy H says
I have made this dough multiple times now and it has changed my family’s pizza night for the better by far!! Such a simple recipe to perfect. So glad I found this website!
Jessica Vogl says
So glad to hear it! We make this one a lot at our house (planning on it for tonight, too!).
Chari Dalsheim says
Thanks for sharing such a tasty pizza discard recipe. I appreciate the time you took to write it up and share.
Kate says
Can I use all purpose flour?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes. It won't be quite as crispy of a crust (it will be softer), but it will work.
Lauren Daraskevich says
Hi! Excited to make this 🙂 if the starter HAS been fed, do I not use any yeast? Or maybe half?
Jessica Vogl says
If you're using active starter, you would omit the yeast (and replace the discard with active starter in a 1:1 substitute). You'll also need to adjust the rise times.
Brooke says
Hi! What do I need to be looking for in regards to rise time when using active starter? Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
Hi! I don't have times for you, but you're still looking for the dough to double in size (it will defintely take longer than the recipe as written, with discard + yeast).
Kann Mary J says
So how much total active starter should I use?
Jessica Vogl says
If using activer starter, you would omit the yeast and replace the discard with active starter (200g). You will also need to increase the rise time.