Sourdough Pizza

Dad is the pizza baker in our house, and I am the sourdough baker.  He was away for the night, so I thought I'd try making sourdough pizza.  This should, in theory be started the evening before, but I started the morning I was making pizza for dinner and it worked out fine, if lacking a strong sourdough flavour

100g lively sourdough starter
375 g water

10 g salt 

500g bread flour 

Mix sourdough starter, water and salt in a bowl in a large mixing bowl with a strong plastic spatula.  Stir in flour until it forms a sticky dough.

Cover with a plastic bag, shower cap, or tea bowl and leave to rest for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, wet the fingers of one hand and 'stretch and fold' the dough, pushing your fingers down one side of the bowl, lifting and stretching this handful up and folding it down onto the centre like an envelope flap. Do this the oppposite side to where you first folded and then either side.

Stretch and fold more times at 30 minute intervals (set a timer as a reminder).  

Cover the stretched dough and leave to prove for 6-12 hours, or until doubled in size.

Tip out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces (roughly
246g each). Shape into balls and place into individual covered containers in the fridge for at least 6 hours, and up to 3 days.  Pizza dough can be frozen at this stage, but the longer it is stored in the freezer the less bubbly the cooked base will be.

A hour before cooking, take the dough out of the fridge. Cut greaseproof paper to fit the baking trays or pizza stones you are using, flour lightly, and tip a ball of dough onto each one.  

Turn the oven on to preheat to 250C or as high as it goes, and put the baking trays/stones in.

Carefully stretch the dough out into a round with your hands, trying not to squash all bubbles.

Top as desired.  Ours usually have a homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella and then the children choose toppings such as pepperoni, jalapeños, anchovies, olives, sliced mushrooms, bacon lardons, cooked or cured ham, and my son's favourite - pineapple (pictured).  We have also made non-tomato pizzas with creme fraiche, garlic, mushrooms, and lardons. And a favourite of mine is rocket, goats cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil.

When the pizza is ready, and the oven is up to temperature, take the trays/stones out of the oven one at a time.  Place on a heatproof surface near the prepared pizza and slide the greaseproof paper onto the tray/stone. Place back in the oven and cook 10 minutes or until the edges of the pizza are brown and crispy.  If your oven does not go to 250C your pizzas will take longer to cook.

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