Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes active | Rest Time: 1–24 hours (flexible)
Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (minimum) to 24 hours (maximum)
Intensity Level: Moderate (requires planning, not skill)

Why This Recipe Works

Stop throwing away that sourdough discard! This pizza crust turns “unfed” starter from a waste problem into a chewy, tangy, crispy dinner hero. Unlike standard pizza dough, this version requires no long fermentation or commercial yeast — it leverages the existing acidity and mild fermentation power of your discard to create a digestible, flavorful crust in under two hours (or overnight if you plan ahead).

Key benefits:

• Uses 100% unfed discard (straight from the fridge)

• No yeast packet needed

• Crispy bottom, airy interior, sourdough tang

• Freezes beautifully for meal prep

Time & Intensity Breakdown

Overall Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) — Great for confident beginners.

Ingredients

For the dough (makes 2 x 10–12 inch pizzas):

• 250g (about 1 cup) sourdough discard (unfed, at any hydration 100% is ideal but 80–125% works)

• 250g (2 cups) bread flour (or all-purpose + 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten)

• 5g (1 tsp) salt

• 10g (2 tsp) olive oil (plus more for hands & bowl)

• 120g (½ cup) warm water (90–100°F / 32–38°C)

• Optional: 5g (1 tsp) sugar or honey (helps browning if your discard is very old/sour)

For assembly:

• Semolina or cornmeal (for the peel/stone)

• Toppings of your choice

• 2–3 tbsp extra olive oil or garlic butter for brushing the edge

Nutrition Information (per ½ crust, before toppings)

*Approximate values. Calculated for 1 serving = ¼ of total dough (one small pizza).*