Easy Sourdough Pizza Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Do Italians use sourdough for pizza? ›

Although not all Neapolitan pizza is made from sourdough, there's no reason it can't be.

The amount of sourdough starter you need to make pizza dough can vary based on the flour used and the fermentation schedule. Typically, I like to have between 10 to 20% sourdough starter in my pizza dough.

The main difference is that pizza dough is often made with a higher protein flour (bread flour is perfect). Bread dough can also be made with bread flour (of course) but some types of bread dough are better made with a lower protein flour like all purpose flour.

Using high-protein white flour (13-14% protein) in your sourdough pizza dough can lead to a chewier pizza. If you'd like to reduce the chewiness, try using a lower protein flour for the pizza dough (like all-purpose flour or Type 00 with lower protein).

Pane di Altamura and Pagnotta del Dittaino are traditional sourdough breads from Italy but are made with durum wheat flour - a hard flour as opposed to the softer variety often including some spelt used in San Francisco. Ciabatta sourdough bread is also very common and made with ordinary white bread flour.

If you are using an active sourdough starter, then no, your sourdough pizza crust does not need yeast. There are many sourdough pizza crust recipes that use yeast to speed up the process and skip the long-fermentation, but my sourdough discard recipe is a true no-yeast sourdough pizza crust.

The best flour for making Deep-Dish Pizza Dough is all-purpose flour. In bakeries and pizzerias, Pizza Flour is often used because it is a high-protein flour that produces a light and airy crust. However, all-purpose flour will also work well for Deep-Dish Pizza Dough.

If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.

However, the best oil to add before cooking—either directly to the dough or brushed onto the crust—would not be pizza oil, because the flavor additions could burn. Rather, a good quality olive oil, like extra virgin, is the best variety for the job.

Should I let pizza dough rise before baking? ›

Cover the dough, and let it rest while you heat your oven to 450°F. For thickest crust, let your pizza rest/rise for 60 minutes before baking.

The original Italian pizza is usually thinner and made with mozzarella and tomatoes. People usually eat this dish for dinner. Italians take extra care and time to create their pizza dough. They allow the dough to sit and rise for three days to make it light and fluffy.

Focaccia is sometimes considered to be a variant of pizza in publications outside Italy, although focaccia is left to rise after being flattened, while pizza is baked immediately.

Sourdough pizza is made with bubbly, active sourdough starter which naturally leavens the dough. The benefit? More flavor, better texture and it's better for you- just like sourdough bread.

Italy has an incredible variety of bread, with many regional versions of flatbread, sourdough, and your traditional loaf. It's definitely worth trying some of the specialist breads that are available – you're sure to find a new favourite!

Tasty: The sourdough in this recipe adds so much flavor and tanginess. Chewy: These crusts have the best chewy consistency. Perfect for a pizza oven or grilling: I love this recipe to make delicious, grilled pizza or wood fired pizza.

Pizza is made of flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent, which can be either a sourdough culture (that is again flour and water) or baker's yeast. Water and salt can affect fermentation and dough characteristics but in principle are just water and salt, so no need for special types of them.