Whole Wheat Sourdough Saga: Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 5.

I usually make at least some of our own pizza when we have a Pizza And Movie night, and since I'm on a roll, it was sourdough today. Actually, The Daddy got almost everything ready while I wasn't paying attention (he's sweet like that), and I quick threw in an extra pizza because the dough needed to be turned into something. So I slapped it into one of my cast iron pans, tossed some stuff on top an BAM! Pizza. I've used the same recipe for loaf bread and pizza bread for a long time with great results; it's all bread.

Shoulda been two pizzas, though; the crust was too thick. And that made the sourdough flavor, which is stronger than white even when the start is being cycled this often, a little too prominent. I'd increased the oil again this time, and it rose a lot more than the last batch - almost as much as my regular yeast bread. But it was still very dense in the crust. I will probably try this one again, and make it into a loaf in my dutch oven, so that I'm able to compare it in a more apples to apples kind of way. Anyway. My kids ate it, so it's a success - but I'm not done playing around to see if I can make it better. This is what I did today:


Sourdough Pizza Crust
3/4c sourdough start

1c water

2T oil

1t salt 

~3 1/2-4c whole wheat flour

Mix start, water, oil and salt in a stand mixer. Add 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour; dough should be moist enough to be tacky, almost sticky. Roll onto two pizza stones or press into a pair of large cast iron pans. Prick with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes; top with sauce and toppings of your choice. Return to oven for another 10 minutes, until cheese is melty. Let sit 5 minutes; slice. Eat.