Easy Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust

This post is all about making an easy sourdough discard pizza crust.

If you have a jar of sourdough discard sitting in the refrigerator, homemade pizza is one of the easiest ways to use it.

I love recipes that give sourdough discard a purpose instead of throwing it away.

This pizza crust is one of those recipes you’ll want to keep around because it’s:

• An easy way to use sourdough discard
• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• Crispy on the outside and chewy inside
• Perfect for family pizza night
• Easy to customize with different toppings
• Great with homemade pizza sauce or marinara

It also doesn’t require you to plan your entire day around an active sourdough starter.

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is simply the portion of sourdough starter you remove before feeding your starter with fresh flour and water.

It still contains fermented flour and water and adds wonderful flavor to recipes.

Unlike recipes that rely entirely on active sourdough starter for their rise, discard recipes can use another leavening method.

For this pizza dough, we’ll use a small amount of yeast so you get a reliable rise without needing your discard to be active.

Ingredients

You’ll need:

• 1 cup sourdough discard
• ½ cup warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional

A Note About Flour

Sourdough starters aren’t all exactly the same.

Some discard is very thick, while other discard has a much thinner consistency.

Start with about 2 cups of flour and add a little more if needed.

You’re looking for a soft, slightly tacky dough rather than a dry, stiff dough.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust

1. Mix the Dough

Add the sourdough discard, warm water, yeast, olive oil, and honey to a large mixing bowl.

Stir until combined.

Add the flour and salt.

Mix until a shaggy dough begins to form.

2. Knead

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead for about 5–7 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

You can also knead it with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

If the dough is extremely sticky, add flour about a tablespoon at a time.

Try not to add too much. A slightly tacky dough will give you a better crust than a dry dough.

3. Let the Dough Rise

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.

Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

Allow it to rise in a warm place for approximately 1–2 hours, or until noticeably puffy and close to doubled in size.

4. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 475°F.

If you’re using a pizza stone or pizza steel, place it in the oven while the oven preheats.

Give the stone or steel plenty of time to get hot. A very hot surface is one of the secrets to a crispy homemade pizza crust.

5. Shape the Pizza

Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.

For two thinner pizzas, divide the dough in half.

Gently stretch or roll each portion into a thin circle.

I prefer a thinner crust because it gets wonderfully crisp around the edges while still having some chew in the middle.

Don’t worry about making a perfectly round pizza. Rustic homemade pizza is part of the fun.

6. Add Your Toppings

Transfer the dough to parchment paper or a floured pizza peel.

Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the crust.

Add shredded mozzarella and your favorite toppings.

Try not to overload the pizza. Too much sauce or too many wet toppings can make it harder for the center of a thin crust to get crispy.

7. Bake

Bake at 475°F for approximately 10–14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crust and your oven.

The pizza is ready when the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown with crisp edges.

Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.

How to Get a Thin and Crispy Sourdough Pizza Crust

There are a few little things that make a big difference.

Preheat your oven well. Don’t put your pizza into an oven that has only just reached temperature.

Use a pizza stone or steel if you have one. The hot surface helps cook the bottom of the crust quickly.

Stretch the dough thin. If you want that crispy pizza-night crust, don’t leave a thick layer of dough in the center.

Go easy on the sauce. More isn’t necessarily better here.

Don’t overload your toppings. Too much moisture can make the middle soggy.

For an extra-crisp crust, you can also par-bake the plain crust for 3–4 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings.

Can I Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough Ahead of Time?

Yes!

In fact, this is a great dough to prepare ahead.

After mixing and kneading the dough, place it in a covered container and refrigerate it.

You can let it slowly ferment in the refrigerator overnight.

When you’re ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and give it time to warm up before stretching.

The longer fermentation also develops even more sourdough flavor.

Can I Use Cold Sourdough Discard?

Yes.

Your sourdough discard does not have to be freshly fed or at its peak for this recipe.

That’s the whole reason this recipe is so convenient.

You can take discard from your refrigerator and use it for pizza dough.

I prefer letting very cold discard sit on the counter briefly so it’s easier to incorporate with the other ingredients.

Can I Make This Without Yeast?

You can make sourdough pizza without commercial yeast, but you’ll need an active starter and a longer fermentation time.

That’s really a different style of recipe.

If you want to make pizza using active sourdough starter rather than discard, use my Easy Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe instead.

For this recipe, the yeast makes it quick and reliable while the discard provides the sourdough flavor.

Can You Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough?

Yes.

After the first rise, divide the dough into individual pizza portions.

Lightly coat each dough ball with olive oil and place it in a freezer bag.

Freeze until you’re ready to use it.

Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator, then allow it to come closer to room temperature before stretching.

This is one of my favorite ways to make future pizza nights easier.

Our Favorite Pizza Toppings

Once you’ve got the crust figured out, pizza night can be different every time.

Some easy combinations include:

Classic: Pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni

Margherita: Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil

Garden: Peppers, onions, mushrooms and fresh herbs

Spicy: Pepperoni, jalapeños and hot honey

White pizza: Olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta and herbs

And if you preserve tomatoes during the summer, homemade pizza is a great excuse to open a jar.

Try this crust with my Canning Pizza Sauce or Canning Marinara Sauce for an almost completely homemade pizza night.