We are now into the 5th week of social isolating and remote work. We've settled into a good groove, but are naturally starting to get a bit antsy. Life outside the walls of our apartment feels scary and virus filled. We don't dare venture out without hand sanitizer and a mask, and are grateful for our balcony and the outdoor space it provides. A full work day, meal planning and home cooking is keeping us busy, while online deliveries of local wine, beer, fresh produce and freshly milled flour is keeping us boozy and well fed.
Glen, my sourdough starter, has never been this busy, and it finally felt like the right time for something sourdough to live in this space. In my opinion, the pizza dough is an easier first attempt at sourdough baking - it's just feels less fussy. There's also now a helpful sourdough guide on the blog -- head here for that.
SOURDOUGH PIZZA // serves 2
If you can't get your hands on a sourdough starter, I'd recommend making the pizza dough from either Sprouted Kitchen or The FauxMartha
Ingredients:
200g all-purpose, bread or '00' flour
120g water
5-8g salt
10g olive oil
125g fresh leaven (ie. fed the night before)
What to do:
In the morning, combine all the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms, with no visible areas of dry flour. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 1 hour.
After the rest, knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.
What to do:
In the morning, combine all the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms, with no visible areas of dry flour. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 1 hour.
After the rest, knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 1 hour.
Turn dough out and divide in two equal portions (I use a scale for this). Form each into a tight ball and transfer to a lightly oiled flat surface (baking sheet or rectangular tupperware).
Cover with a tea towel, and let rest on the counter:
- If eating within 1-3 days, for 2 hours, and then transfer to the fridge;
- If eating same night, for 4-6 hours.
About 30 minutes before you want to eat, place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 (ideally convection bake). If the dough is in the fridge, remove it 1 hour before baking.
When the oven is hot, gently stretch the dough, letting gravity help. Place it on a floured peel, and keep stretching if needed. Add your toppings, being careful not to overdo it (you risk weighing down the dough).
Bake for 7-10 minutes in a 500 degree oven, with an extra 1-2 minutes on broil if needed. Slice and enjoy hot!
Bake for 7-10 minutes in a 500 degree oven, with an extra 1-2 minutes on broil if needed. Slice and enjoy hot!