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Chewy, Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza crust. Dough can be made 1–2 days ahead; refrigerate after dividing into portions. Makes 4 mini pizzas or 2 Medium.
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
12 hrs 40 min
Total Time
4
Servings
Dough can be refrigerated 1–2 days; longer refrigeration increases sourness. Do not knead; use gentle pull-and-folds. Generously flour pizza peel for easy removal.
Day 1: In a large bowl stir together the lukewarm water, sourdough starter, and salt.
Add the flour and mix with your hand like a spatula until no dry spots remain. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
First fold: Remove cover, gently pull one side of the dough and fold into the center; turn the bowl and repeat. Repeat pull-and-fold to total 8 folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Second fold: Repeat the pull-and-fold sequence, then rest another 30 minutes. You should have done pull-and-fold three times total. If dough is not smooth and elastic, repeat once more.
Final rise: Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 4–16 hours until roughly doubled, depending on temperature and starter strength.
Day 2: Transfer dough to a very lightly floured surface. Do not punch down; pull from edges to preserve air pockets.
Using a bench scraper or knife divide dough into 3 equal portions. Shape each portion into a tight ball using the stickiness of the dough and pressing the bottom inward with your pinky.
Place dough balls in a covered baking pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
When ready to bake remove dough from fridge and let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes while oven or pizza oven heats.
Oven: Preheat oven to 500 F. Place a large baking pan or pizza stone in the oven while preheating.
Pizza oven: Heat until at least 500 F (test with infrared thermometer or heat at least 15 minutes).
If using a pizza peel, generously dust it with flour for easy removal.
Place one dough ball on a lightly floured surface and press with fingers to outline the crust. Stretch dough from the center by hand until desired thickness.
Add desired toppings.
Oven bake: Bake 6–12 minutes, then optionally broil 1–2 minutes until crust is done.
Pizza oven cook: Cook 40–60 seconds, pull out and rotate 180 degrees, then cook additional 30–60 seconds until desired crust.
Top pizzas as desired from the topping options and finish with fresh herbs or cracked black pepper as listed.