Niki’s Sourdough Pizza

Is there be anything better than a home cooked pizza? How about a pizza with no kneading involved? My no fuss sourdough is so yummy due to the long slow fermentation but takes hardly any effort to bring together. Here’s the recipe for you all:

Ingredients:

Strong white flour 550g

Sea salt 10g

Sourdough starter 200g

1/4 tsp of dried yeast

Tepid water 325ml

Olive oil 70ml

Method:

1. Start off by mixing the flour with your sea salt in a large clean bowl. Add your yeast and water into the flour along with the olive oil and sourdough starter. Combine all the ingredients to form a rough dough. This dough requires no more than 30 seconds of kneading, I promise!
2. Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with cling film and place into the fridge to ferment for 24 hours minimum.
3. Take out the dough and knock it back, which literally means to knock the air of out the dough. Divide the dough into six equal portions which will equate to about 200g each. Shape into rounds and then place the dough onto a generously floured baking tray. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and allow to prove for about 60 to 90 minutes, and then no more waiting after this stage!
4. Preheat the oven to its very highest setting, trust me! Place into the oven a large flat baking tray turned upside down and allow it to heat. You will use the surface of the baking tray to bake your pizza base, the easiest way.
5. To shape your pizza based, transfer one of the rolled dough balls to a nicely floured work counter. Using your fingertips flatten out the dough. Gently moving the dough from one hand to another stretch and shape the dough to the desired size. Alternatively using a rolling pin is no problem, Transfer the pizza base onto a wooden chopping board dusted with semolina. The board will be used to slide the pizza base directly onto the preheated baking tray/pizza stone in your oven.
6. Cover the surface of the pizza base with tomato sauce or olive oil if you’re doing a pizza bianco and top the pizza base with your chosen toppings. When you’re ready to bake, place the pizza directly onto the pizza stone by sliding the pizza base from the floured tray onto the pizza stone. Bake for about 10- 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Allow to cool slightly (don’t burn your mouth like I did) and enjoy!

Niki xxx