Sourdough Pizza Dough

Mrs.Dr.Fork

2 33-cm pizzas

subheading: Feed the starter:

25 g tepid water

25g strong white bread flour

subheading: Dough:

50g lively sourdough starter

260g tepid water (plus 25g to feed the starter)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

350g strong white bread flour

25g wholemeal bread flour

8g fine sea salt

subheading: Starter:

In the morning the day before you want to eat pizza, feed 25g starter with 25g each water and bread flour. Let it work for 4 to 6 hours.

subheading: Dough:

In a measuring jug, weight 50g lively sourdough starter and 260g water, mix until combined, then stir in the 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a separate mixing bowl, combine both flours with the salt. Pour the starter mixture into the flour, then mix with a dough scraper, spatula, or a wet hand to bring together into a shaggy dough. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to rest for 30 minutes.

With floured hands, turning the bowl as you go, stretch and fold the dough over itself, pressing into the middle, until is starts to feel more resistant and firm. Put in an an oiled bowl, cover with a plastic bag and leave to rest at room temperature overnight 16 to 18 hours. The room needs to be quite warm, so if your kitchen is cold it might be best to put the bowl in an airing cupboard.

The next morning, divide the dough into 4 (or 2 large) equal pieces, then shape each into a ball. to do this, first stretch the dough and fold it over itself to form a round shape, then turn the dough ball over and, with cupped hands, pull the dough towards you, turning a few times to create a taught surface. Transfer the dough to a floured baking dish or put in separate lidded containers covered with a plastic bag/cling film, ten leave to prove for 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. If you're not eating until the evening (or the next day or later) put in the fridge to slow-prove.

Heat oven to 500°F or turn on the broiler to high.

On a floured surface, using floured hands, gently pull and stretch out a doughball to form a circle roughly 22 to 24 cm in diameter for a regular pizza or 32 to 34cm for a large pizza. Don't let the dough tear.

Oven only: Slide pizza off peel onto pizza steel. Cook for a few minutes, keeping careful watch.

Hob/oven method: put dough in oven safe pan, top, then cook on the hob until until the dough puffs around the edges and the base is crisp. Transfer to broiler and cook the top, keeping careful watch.

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