When you don’t have time for your sourdough to rise at room temperature then cold ferment in the fridge overnight, you just need pizza for dinner tonight… I’ve got you, friend! Enjoy this thick crust sourdough pizza dough for dinner this evening!
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Family got to be the guinea pigs and they LOVED it
It’s a little wild to me that I spent a Monday afternoon prepping this glorious pizza for my family to enjoy for dinner while I was away at a church meeting eating a sandwich instead. Yet there I was doing it– serving my family.
I don’t hate it, though.
This sourdough pizza I was able to enjoy the next day reheated, which according to my husband, was way better than the night before when they tried to eat it piping hot from the oven. A lot of hasafasahasa going on around the dinner table for them.
It was quite wonderful the next day for me too!
Here’s the kicker about this pizza: it was 95% homemade!
It was supposed to be 100% but the husband decided to add some organic cheddar cheese with the mozzarella I made earlier that day. No harm done.
A few weeks ago I prepared a marinara sauce great for any Italian dish in a pinch. Spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce, this one would make do when in need.
I had one jar not seal properly so I placed that one in the fridge to use later. And that later date came around pretty fast as I pondered what to do with my sourdough starter that faithful Monday afternoon.
I’ve tried pouring the sourdough starter straight in the pan and it’s okay but the kids don’t love the tanginess of the sourdough. To avoid complaint, I went in search of a pizza dough recipe to use with sourdough starter discard.
Alas, the Thick Crust Cast Iron Sourdough Pizza Dough!
All I found in my very short trip to the internet were ones that called for long hours of rise and ferment times. This day, I ain’t have no time for THAT! So I went forth with an idea that served my family well and I want to share it with you today.
Jump to RecipeThick Crust Cast Iron Sourdough Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1/2 cup sourdough starter (active or discard matters not)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt (Redmond’s is my favorite)
2 tsp avocado or olive oil
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I’ll have to experiment with freshly milled and report back later!)
1 tbsp bacon grease or avocado/oil olive (for greasing skillet)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together starter, water, oil, and salt. Combine ingredients well. Then add in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk as best you can until the dough becomes too thick. Then use your hands to continue combining all the ingredients together into one large dough ball. The dough should be shaggy when it is ready for a short rest.
Now leave the dough in the large mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a silicone cover and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Anything up to 8 hours is fine too.
To prepare your dough for crust, preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a cast iron skillet with bacon grease or oil of choice.
Ready to Bake:
Next, unwrap the mixing bowl and using your hands, stretch the dough into a large circle like a pizza crust, trying to get the dough the same measure of thickness all the way around. Tossing the dough in the air like a true Italian pizza artisan is NOT advised.
Gently place the dough in the skillet while allowing the dough to rest on the edge of the skillet or slightly over it. The edges may appear much thicker than the rest of the dough and that is okay.
Now use your fingers to press the dough onto the edge of the cast iron skillet. Again, it is okay if some dough hangs over the skillet’s edge. This will make your thick crust.
Insert skillet into the oven and allow the crust to bake for 12 minutes or until lightly brown.
When the time is up, remove the skillet from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
At this point, you can dress your pizza however you choose with marinara or pizza sauce, cheeses, and toppings. Then you will place the skillet back into the oven and bake for anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes or until cheese is melted like you prefer.
Notes and Tips:
if you have fresh toppings like peppers, onions, and mushrooms you’d like cooked more, then during the baking of the crust, reduce time to 10 minutes. Then up the time for baking with toppings on to a full 10 minutes. This will help your crust not get too dark. Keep an eye on the baking process so you don’t burn the crust!
Additionally, you can reduce the heat for the toppings baking to 375 degrees for 10 minutes or longer to thoroughly cook the fresh toppings. Or simply cook your toppings for a few minutes in a separate pan before adding to the pizza crust.
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together starter, water, oil, and salt. Combine ingredients well.
- Then add in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk as best you can until the dough becomes too thick. Use your hands to continue combining all the ingredients together into one large dough ball. The dough should be shaggy when it is ready.
- Now leave the dough in the large mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a silicone cover and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Anything up to 8 hours is fine too.
- To prepare your dough for crust, preheat oven to 450 degrees and get a cast iron skillet and grease it with bacon grease or oil.
- Unwrap the mixing bowl and using your hands, stretch the dough into a large circle like a pizza crust, trying to get the dough the same measure of thickness all the way around.
- Gently place the dough in the skillet while allowing the dough to rest on the edge of the skillet or slightly over it. The edges may appear much thicker than the rest of the dough and that is okay.
- Now use your fingers to press the dough onto the edge of the cast iron skillet. Again, it is okay if some dough hangs over the skillet's edge. This will make your thick crust. Try not to leave air bubbles in the bottom of the dough. Lift the edge and lightly press the air bubble to release the air but not tear the dough.
- Insert skillet into the oven and allow the crust to bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
- When the time is up, remove the skillet from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
- At this point, you can dress your pizza however you choose with marinara or pizza sauce, cheeses, and toppings. Then you will place the skillet back into the oven and bake for anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes or until cheese is melted like you prefer.
Notes
Ain’t it fun?
Feeding your family nutritious and delicious homemade foods?
Maybe. Maybe not.
BUT– you can sleep well knowing every single ingredient!
Yes, I was a little *extra* by making mozzarella from raw cow’s milk that day and canning a marinara sauce with fresh vegetables all completely from my summer kitchen garden.
Yes, it can be a WHOLE lot of work to do that.
But the reward outweighs it all! It’s a reward you can’t see immediately, which to some is discouraging. Have good cheer! Your gut thanks you for now feeding it non-inflammatory ingredients when you prepare wholesome, real food meals.
We don’t always get it right around here. But little steps DO lead to big changes over time.
Hope your family loves this thick crust sourdough pizza crust in a cast iron skillet as much as mine!
More Sourdough Ideas
Straight sourdough pizza crust
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What is the size of the cast iron that you use?
It’s a 10 inch cast iron pan. Hope that helps you, Angela!
Thank you for answering my question!
Absolutely! Anytime. Hope your pizza dough turns out great!