Fluffy and crispy pizza with enchanting sourdough flavor.
A good crust is the key to a good pizza, and—at least in my opinion—a sourdough crust is hard to beat. This homemade pan pizza not only has enticing sourdough flavor, but is also fluffy and crisp, in the style of a traditional American pizzeria. It bakes on a sheet pan, which makes the process a breeze. If you do own a pizza stone you can certainly use it to ensure a perfectly golden-brown bottom, but it is by no means necessary for outstanding results. The sauce and the toppings are entirely up to you, so have fun with it! That’s part of the joy of making pizza at home.
Sourdough Pan Pizza
A fluffy, crisp, and flavorful sourdough pizza, baked on a sheet pan, and loaded with whatever sauce and toppings you like.
Ingredients
- 213 grams (1½ cups) bread flour
- 3 grams (½ tsp) salt
- 60 grams (¼ cup) water
- 60 grams (¼ cup) milk
- 60 grams (¼ cup) sourdough starter active/fed
- 12 grams (1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil plus more for pan
- 21 grams (1 tbsp) honey
- Cornmeal optional
- ½ cup sauce for topping
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese for topping
- Toppings as desired
Instructions
- Combine bread flour and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- In a medium bowl combine water, milk, starter, olive oil, and honey. Whisk until evenly incorporated.
- Add wet ingredient mixture to dry ingredient mixture. Mix until a a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead dough by hand or with mixer and dough hook on medium speed. Knead until soft, smooth, and tacky but not sticky. It should take about 10-12 minutes by hand or 5-7 minutes by machine.
- Transfer dough to a clear bowl or container. Mark the position of the top of the dough with a washable marker or rubber band. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and proof until doubled in volume. This may take around 4-6 hours but will depend on the ambient temperature and the strength of your starter (see note).
- Once dough has doubled punch it down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Pull the sides of the dough into the center to form a ball.
- Grease a 10×14-inch sheet pan or 9×13-inch metal baking pan with 1-2 tbsps olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough ball in the center of pan. Using both hands, push your finger tips into the dough, starting in the middle and working your way out, to stretch the dough to the edge of the pan. If dough starts to resist further stretching, stop, cover, and allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes. Continue until the dough reaches the edge of the pan (you may need to let it rest several times). Cover and allow to proof until puffy and about doubled in volume, about 2-4 hours.
- About an hour before you plan to bake place a baking stone on an upper oven shelf and preheat oven to 500°. Alternatively, if not using a pizza stone, position a rack in the middle of the oven. After oven has been at 500° for about an hour, cover dough with sauce, cheese, and toppings, as desired.
- Place sheet pan on baking stone or middle rack and bake for 7-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and browning. Lift the pizza with a spatula to check if bottom is browned.
- Transfer pizza to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then cut and serve.
Notes
If room temperature is below 70°F (21°C) consider proofing in an empty oven with the light on (but leave yourself a note so you don’t accidentally heat the oven while it is in there).
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