Looking for a way to use up some of that sourdough starter? Why not make a delicious pizza crust that everyone will love!?!
This is my family’s most requested sourdough recipe and it is so versatile!! This crust is great as sweet or savory and can be served as a cool veggie pizza on a hot summer day, grilled for a delicious flatbread-style pizza or made into a traditional pizza.
The options really are endless. We have made all sorts of pizzas from a reuben-style pizza to BBQ chicken pizza to cheeseburger pizza to breakfast pizza to spaghetti pizza to traditional pepperoni and ham and even dessert pizza! It is delicious no matter what toppings you choose! You can also fold it over to make pizza pockets or add marshmallow and chocolate for a s’mores hand pie, perfect to cook while camping!
You can also make this crust either with yeast for a thick-rise crust or without yeast for a thin crust style — whichever you prefer!
Let’s get to it!
To start, place sourdough starter in a bowl with oil, warm water, salt and yeast if you are using it. Add flour, stirring until a dough comes together. Knead on a floured counter until no longer sticky. Let stand on counter for 15 minutes.
Flour counter as well as dough. Roll out to desired thickness. We often divide this dough to make 3 individual size pizzas or 1 large rectangular pizza or 1 small and 1 individual.
We love using stoneware for pizzas! It makes the most delicious crust — a bit chewy yet a bit crispy. We lightly oil the stoneware and then sprinkle with cornmeal to prevent sticking. If the stoneware is well seasoned, just sprinkle with cornmeal.
You can roll the edges on the crust to keep the toppings in and make a stuffed-crust (like below) or leave them flat (like above).
Spread your favorite pizza sauce or BBQ sauce and your favorite toppings. My family enjoys throwing an assortment of toppings on like this ham and 3 cheese pizza!! Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
We made this scrumptious Spaghetti Pizza (pictured below) and it was an instant hit! In a deep-dish stoneware pan, I sprinkled the bottom with cornmeal and placed the crust on the bottom and up the edges. I prepared my spaghetti ahead of time so it would be just warm (almost room temperature). Tossing hot pasta into a cold crust makes the bottom gummy and that is just not appetizing!
Cook pasta of your choice according to package directions, drain and set aside. Pour your favorite sauce over pasta and toss together, or make your own sauce like I did! I sauteed an onion until translucent in a splash of oil and water, salt and pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning. I then poured in a can of tomatoes and tomato sauce (or you can also use pre-made spaghetti sauce), 2 tbsp wine, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp sugar, salt and pepper and cooked for 1 hour on low heat. Taste and add more seasonings if necessary. You can also add bell peppers and mushrooms to the sauce. Once ready, I tossed in the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese and let cool to almost room temperature. Scatter a bit of pizza sauce and cheese in the bottom of the crust, then layer prepared spaghetti and cheese, finishing off with shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and golden.
Why not make Breakfast Pizza? We used leftover turkey bacon, cooked scrambled eggs (that had been cooked with chopped bell peppers and green onion) and homemade hashbrowns. Place pizza sauce on crust, add bacon or turkey bacon (or your favorite breakfast meat), scrambled eggs and hashbrowns or cooked potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until crust is golden.
BBQ Chicken Pizza is another favorite in our house! Over the prepared crust, spread your favorite BBQ sauce (homemade works fantastic too!), as well as cooked chicken, crumbled cooked bacon, thinly sliced onion and bell peppers or any other veggies you like and shredded cheese. I have also added pineapple which I enjoy, but my family does not care much for!! Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until crust is golden.
Traditional ham and cheese pizza is always fantastic too! We added pineapple and some green onions too.
Here, we made a Reuben-Style Pizza. On a prepared crust, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, slice an onion and place in skillet with a splash of water and oil, salt and pepper and cook until translucent. Add chopped corned beef or Montreal smoked beef and sauerkraut. Saute until onions are cooked through and is slightly golden. Put beef, onion and sauerkraut mixture over top cooked crust. Drizzle with thousand island dressing before serving. This is absolutely delicious and totally kid approved!
Dilly Veggie Pizza is great to have on a hot summer day or a delicious way to eat more veggies and is totally kid approved! Prepare crust and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
In a bowl, combined softened cream cheese, 2 cloves garlic, fresh cracked salt and pepper and 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill. Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese and stir well. Spread over crust and top with your favorite vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli, green onion, cucumber, bell peppers and so on. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Cheeseburger Pizza will be a well-loved pizza by everyone you serve this too! Using leftover hamburgers that have been grilled adds a delicious flavor to this pizza! It has become our favorite and will become yours too! And it is a great way to use up those leftovers (exactly why we came up with this pizza)!
Prepare crust. Spread pizza sauce over bottom. Scatter cooked hamburger (or cheeseburger) patties that have been chopped up. Add chopped bell peppers, onion and any other toppings you would like. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. To serve, drizzle cheeseburger pizza with ketchup (and mustard if you would like), lettuce and dill pickles.
Now that we have shared some of our favorite pizzas, lets get to the pizza crust! This crust freezes well. If you make the crusts to freeze, place in between parchment paper. When ready to use, place on cooking pan or stone, spread sauce and scatter toppings and bake — no need to thaw!
Thin Crust Sourdough Pizza Crust
1-1/2 cups sourdough starter
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil – optional (turns out great with or without oil)
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour of choice
Homestyle Pan (Thick-Style) Sourdough Pizza Crust
2/3 cup water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
1 cup sourdough starter
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil – optional
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour of choice
Pour warm water into a bowl with sugar and stir. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit 5 minutes. Add starter, salt, oil and flour. Mix until dough comes together. On a floured surface, knead dough until no longer sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on counter for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll.
Cut dough in half. Roll crust out. We make 2 small 10” personal size pizzas and 1 large pizza or a large rectangular pizza or 3 small personal size.
Oil pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough over top. Use your favourite sauce and toppings. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
