Not into sourdough yet? You can use this recipe for a pizza crust , which uses an easy and foolproof yeasted dough!
If you are a sourdough fan, it is only natural to extend the bread baking into pizza making! When my kids were little I once foolishly promised that every Friday night will be pizza night. As you can imagine, I couldn’t deliver on my promise. Even I, who cooks for a living, didn’t want to make pizzas weekly! That being said, treating your friends and family to a delicious and restaurant worthy homemade pizza once in a while is truly special. And doable! Adding the sourdough to the mix takes this whole affair to another level of deliciousness! Let’s get started.
How to Make Sourdough Pizza at Home
The main process for the sourdough pizza is no different than for a sourdough bread. The only difference is in what happens after an overnight fermentation. Instead of of baking a loaf of bread you will portion your sourdough into pizza dough. Other than that the process is identical. You will have to feed your starter in the morning, wait for it to double in size, then mix a batch of dough as you would for a loaf of bread. And just like with bread you will have to start on your dough a day ahead. So if you want to have a pizza night on Friday, you need to get going on Thursday morning.
Prepare your dough following this detailed guide. The following morning after 16 hours of fermentation, take your dough out of the banneton and divide it into 4 equal parts. Shape them into balls without handling too much and put them in a well-oiled baking sheet or roasting pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them sit at a room temperature for 3 to 4 hours prior to baking. I highly recommend having your sourdough pizza dough at room temperature as it will make shaping and stretching the pizzas much easier. Handle your sourdough pizza lightly. Unlike the yeasted dough sourdough doesn’t spring back after it’s been knocked down. Take care not to squash the bubbles as that will deflate the crust when baked. Bake your pizza on a preheated pizza stone in a very hot oven. I preheat mine as high as it would go. My oven heats t0 220C-450F but higher is even better!
Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pizza Recipe
This particular pizza was inspired by one of our favourite Italian pizza restaurants in London. Sausage and broccoli rabe is a classic Italian combination that comes from the south. This pasta recipe is one of the incarnations of it. It’s quite impossible to source broccoli rabe in London without going to specialty shops or farmers markets. So I used tenderstem broccoli instead. I also used a regular cumberland sausage and added the southern Italian flavours like chilli flakes, fennel seeds, dried basil and oregano. Then topped the lot with fresh mozzarella and a touch of smoked gouda. The latter is optional.
Pizza Sauce Recipe
The pizza sauce I use is homemade and quite basic. I simply mix tomato passata, or you can use crushed tomatoes, with a tablespoon of olive oil, then add 4-5 chopped basil leaves, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and salt. Easy and delicious. This recipe makes 4 individual pizzas or 2 big ones. If you want to mix it up and make all 4 in different flavours here are our favourites. Pizza Topping Options:
Margherita Pizza Smoked Gouda and Chorizo Pizza Ham, Mushroom and Mascarpone Pizza Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant Pizza
