Easy Homemade Sourdough Pizza Crust (Crispy & Chewy)

Baking the perfect pizza at home is now easier than ever. This sourdough pizza crust recipe is foolproof. It combines crispy edges with a chewy center, all thanks to sourdough’s rich, tangy flavor.

Why I Love This Recipe

I’ve found that using a sourdough starter makes the ultimate pizza crust. It adds a depth of flavor that’s unmatched. Plus, sourdough makes the crust tender yet strong, perfect for holding our favorite pizza toppings.

If you’re new to sourdough baking, this is the perfect recipe to get you started. You may want to check out my posts on sourdough myths and these 33 sourdough tips I wish I knew before starting out. Then be sure you know how to store your sourdough starter.

If you’re looking for a gluten-free sourdough option, you can learn the best flour for gluten-free sourdough baking here. And finally, if you’re not quite ready to tackle a sourdough option, grab my 5-minute no-knead bread dough recipe as this makes a great easy pizza crust.

What Makes a Good Pizza

Making a great pizza is all about a few key elements that make a pizza stand out:

• Quality of Ingredients – Quality pizza ingredients are a must for a good pizza. If your fresh produce is starting to go bad or your sauce and cheese are full of fillers, it will make a noticeable difference in the flavor. 
• Balance of Flavors – Balanced pizza flavors are key. You want a mix of sweet, salty, savory, and spicy. 
• Texture and Consistency – Do not overlook the importance of pizza texture and consistency. You want a crispy and chewy crust, just-right sauce, and non-soggy toppings.

Tips for the Best Pizza Crust

In addition to choosing the best pizza toppings, attention should be directed towards making the perfect pizza crust:

• Choose the Right Flour – Use high-protein flour like bread flour for a chewy crust that holds toppings well. We like to use half white and half whole-wheat flour, along with our sourdough starter.
• Kneading – When making homemade pizza dough, focus on kneading. Knead just enough to develop the gluten, but not too much, as it will make the dough tough. Homesteading Hack: Use what bakers call the “windowpane test.” Stretch a portion of dough in your hands. If the gluten is properly developed, it can be stretched so thin that it’s translucent.
• Use No-Knead Dough – If you are new to baking and aren’t quite ready for a sourdough recipe, try this no-knead dough recipe. It relies on rest times instead of kneading to develop the gluten.
• Bake at High Heat – High heat makes the crust crispy on the outside and soft inside. 

How to Make Sourdough Pizza Crust

Supplies Needed

Though this entire process can be done by hand, we do love our conveniences of this modern-day homestead living! The hero of this recipe is our Bosch mixer. It’s a workhorse in our kitchen, making everything from fudgy sourdough brownies to sourdough parker house rolls.

• Mixer – As I mentioned, we love our Bosch mixer. But a KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook will get the job done as well.
• Large bowl – We like using food-grade bins with a lid to let our dough rest in the refrigerator. But a large bowl and some saran wrap (or reuseable beeswax wrap) will do.
• Rolling Pin – If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can hand-toss or press your pizza crust to the desired shape.
• Pizza Pan – You can use a cookie sheet, a cast iron pan, or an inverted baking sheet.
• Cutting Board – Save those countertops!
• Sharp Knife – Practice knife sharpening basics to keep these important kitchen tools in good working order.

Ingredients Needed

Making a delicious sourdough pizza crust begins with knowing the right ingredients. As a passionate home baker, I’ve tried many combinations to find the perfect mix of taste and texture. It turns out, the best flavor comes from a basic recipe!

• 3 1/2 c. Warm Water – You don’t need the water hot if using sourdough starter, just luke warm will do. However, if you’re making your dough with yeast, the water should be between 105° and 115°F.
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar (or Honey) – We’ve tried both and they’re equally delicious.
• 1 c. Sourdough Starter (or 2 Tbsp Yeast) – A healthy, active sourdough starter is at the core of any sourdough recipe. It’s a mix of flour and water that gives your crust its tangy flavor and chewy texture. Keeping your starter alive and active is key, so make sure to feed it often and keep it at the right temperature. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can substitute this with two tablespoons of yeast.
• ½ c. Olive Oil – We prefer the flavor of olive oil, but avocado oil will work just as well (you’ll just miss some of the flavor).
• 1 Tablespoon Salt – Salt boosts the flavors of any recipe. We love using Redmond Real Salt (using that link will get you 15% off your order at checkout).
• 10 c. White Flour – We use half white and half whole wheat flour for our crust. We find the whole wheat flour adds flavor and structure (chewiness) to the dough, while the white all-purpose flour makes the crust lighter and more tender. Plus, we get the benefits of added nutrition from baking with freshly milled flour.
• Toppings – Check out this post on our favorite pizza toppings for some inspiration.

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Combine water, sugar, sourdough starter, olive oil, and salt.
2. Add enough flour to form a nice soft dough (you might not need all ten cups).
3. Knead until elastic and smooth (use the windowpane test if you’re not sure).
4. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning it to coat all sides so it doesn’t stick.
5. Refrigerate the dough for six hours (or overnight).
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough.
8. Place the dough onto a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork (this is to prevent large bubbles from forming).
9. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 425°F.
10. Brush the crust with additional olive oil, and pizza sauce. Add cheese and your favorite toppings.
11. Bake at 425°F until bubbly and slightly brown (about 5-10 minutes depending on toppings).

Troubleshooting Tips

If you find your sourdough pizza crust is too hard, it could be a couple of things. First, was the dough overworked? It’s important to knead the dough to develop the gluten (which holds the dough together), but not too much that it makes the dough tough.

If you don’t think you overworked the dough, maybe it was baked for too long. We like to pre-bake the crust prior to putting toppings on because this helps keep it from getting soggy. Because of this, it only needs to be baked with the toppings just until everything is warmed through and the cheese is bubbly.

Finally, if neither of those is the cause, it could be the flour. Did you use a combination of flours? Did you use too much flour? Experiment with your flour choice next time to see if that improves the results.

How to Store Pizza Dough

If you want to double this recipe you can mix up the dough and let it sit in the refrigerator for up to a week! This is a great option for batch cooking ahead on the weekend for quick and easy weeknight dinners.

More Recipes You May Enjoy

• Homemade Sourdough Starter
• Sourdough Pancakes
• Parker House Sourdough Rolls
• Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
• No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
• No-Knead Dough Recipe Ideas
• Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls