Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust with Freshly Milled Flour

This pizza crust recipe is made with sourdough discard, yeast, and freshly milled flour. Giving you some of that sourdough flavor but a quick rise for nights when you need it fast!

We love a good pizza night around here. I used to think homemade pizza was a messy, difficult dinner to make, but the more I make it, the more I realize it’s one of the fastest, simplest meals I can make when I’m in a pinch! This sourdough discard pizza crust recipe makes life even easier. I don’t need to mess around with fermentation times; I can mix, knead, let it rise for about 1 hour on the counter, then give it a little fridge time to chill, and dinner comes together really fast after that!

Main Ingredients & Swaps

• Hard white wheat flour: I use my freshly milled hard white wheat as my main flour in the recipe. You can substitute all-purpose flour; you may need a little extra. See Q&A on substituting with all-purpose flour.
• Freshly milled Khorasan Flour: This ancient grain is particularly high in protein and health benefits. I like to include some Khorasan in my pizza recipe for the health benefits, and the flavor is buttery, nutty, and delicious!
• Sourdough Discard: If you have a sourdough starter hanging out in the back of your fridge, feeling alone and forgotten, it’s time for it to shine. This recipe doesn’t rely on an active starter, so use up your discard and add a little extra flavor. You can also use an active sourdough starter here, but it will rise faster and develop more bubbles (hey, not a bad thing!).
• Yeast: This is where we are getting a quick rise for this recipe! You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast here. I really don’t notice any difference either way I make it. I used active dry when I made this.
• Sugar: We like a little sugar in our pizza dough, not enough for ot to be sweet, but just enough to make it super tasty!
• Olive Oil: Olive oil softens the dough a bit and is also used to grease the bowls that your dough will rise in.
• Semolina flour: This helps prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza peel. It also gives the bottom of the crust a little extra texture.

Equipment I Use

• Stand mixer: A stand mixer with a dough hook makes kneading the pizza dough much easier. I use an Ankarsrum mixer because it’s really gently on freshly milled flours and helps develop the gluten.
• Grain Mill: This is the mill I use to turn wheat berries into freshly milled flour.
• Kitchen scale: Weighing the wheat berries before you mill is how I make all of my freshly milled flour recipes.
• Pizza peel: This makes it easier to transfer the shaped dough onto the hot pizza pan.
• Cast iron pizza pan or pizza stone: Preheating the pan or stone gives the crust a crisp bottom and helps it rise quickly.
• Parchment paper: Parchment makes transferring the pizza easier and can be especially helpful if the dough is sticky.

The Process:

Prepare the Pizza Dough

I start by weighing out your wheat for milling and set that flour aside. Set the bowl of your stand mixer on a kitchen scale and add in your water, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast. Let the yeast bloom for a few minutes. Then turn the mixer on and add the flour until it’s fully incorporated. Turn the mixer off and let the flour sit and absorb the water for 15 minutes. Next, knead this dough for 10-15 minutes (I do 15 minutes on my Ankarsrum mixer). By the end, the dough should be smooth and elastic. Remove the mixing paddle or roller, scoop the dough out with one hand, lightly grease the bowl with olive oil in the other, and place the dough back in. Cover this bowl and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.

Then I dump it onto a floured surface, divide it into two portions, and shape each portion into a ball. I put each dough ball in its own lightly oiled bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Cold pizza dough is firmer, less sticky, and much easier to stretch out gently.

Shape and Parbake the Crust

I preheat my oven to 500°F, or 260°C, with a cast iron pizza pan or pizza stone inside. The baking surface needs to be very hot before the dough goes into the oven. I sprinkle a pizza peel with semolina flour and sometimes add a sheet of parchment paper for extra protection against sticking. Working with one cold dough ball at a time, I gently stretch it outward into a large round. I try to preserve as many air bubbles as possible, especially around the edge.

I transfer the dough to the hot pizza pan and bake it for about 5 minutes. The goal is to set the crust without fully browning or baking it.

Why Parbake the Pizza Crust?

Parbaking simply means partially baking the pizza crust before adding the sauce and toppings. The crust goes into a very hot oven for about 5 minutes, which is just enough time to set the dough without fully baking it. This creates a sturdy base to add toppings without the dough getting soggy. When the pizza goes back into the oven, the crust finishes baking while the cheese melts and the toppings heat through.

Top & Bake the Pizza

After parbaking, add sauce and cheese and return it to the hot oven for about 10-12 more minutes. I like to add a really simple pizza sauce with pieces of low moisture mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan. You can also add pepperoni, cooked sausage, vegetables, or any other toppings your family enjoys.

Watch my YouTube video below to see me make the dough, parbake the crusts, add the toppings, and prepare these homemade pizzas for the freezer.

Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust with Freshly Milled Flour

This sourdough discard pizza crust uses freshly milled hard white wheat and Khorasan flour to create two flavorful pizzas with crisp bottoms and chewy, airy edges. This recipe utilizes sourdough discard and yeast for a fast rise when you need it!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 large pizzas

Course: Basics, Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 400 grams freshly milled hard white wheat
• 200 grams freshly milled Khorasan flour
• 425 grams water
• 120 grams sourdough discard active starter can also be use, expect more air bubbles & faster rise
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 13 grams salt
• Extra olive oil for the bowls
• Semolina flour for shaping

Notes

• For the most accurate results, weigh the freshly milled flour. Cup measurements can vary depending on the grain and how tightly the flour is packed.
• If using all purpose flour instead of freshly milled flour, you may need to add a little more flour until the dough reaches the proper consistency.
• If you do not have sourdough starter or discard, combine 60 grams water with 60 grams flour. Use this mixture in place of the 120 grams of discard. It will not provide the same sourdough flavor or fermentation benefits, but it will allow you to make the recipe without a starter.
• For homemade frozen pizzas, parbake the crust for 5 minutes and let it cool completely. Add the sauce, cheese, and toppings, then flash freeze before wrapping and storing.

Method

 

1. Add the water, sourdough discard, cane sugar, olive oil, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn the mixer on and gradually add both flours, mixing until a dough forms. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes so the freshly milled flour can absorb the water.
2. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Once dough has doubled, divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, creating tension across the surface. Place each dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, covered. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour before shaping. For more developed flavor, refrigerate it overnight and reduce the yeast to ½ teaspoon.
4. Preheat the oven to 500°F, or 260°C, with a cast iron pizza pan or pizza stone inside.
5. Sprinkle a pizza peel with semolina flour. For easier transferring, place a sheet of parchment paper on the peel and sprinkle the parchment with semolina. Place one dough ball in the center and gently stretch it outward, about 12 inches wide, taking care not to flatten all the air bubbles around the edges.
6. Transfer the dough to the hot pizza pan or stone. Parbake for 5 minutes, until the crust is set and almost fully baked. (For freezer pizza, stop here, let it cool down, add your toppings and flash freeze before wrapping it up for the freezer.)
7. Remove the crust from the oven and add the sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Return it to the oven and bake for about 10 more minutes, until the crust is fully cooked and the cheese is melted and browned. Repeat with the remaining dough ball.

Video

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