Pizza with a Sourdough Crust

As mentioned in my last post I am going to blog about sourdough pizza.  This post isn't a recipe per se but rather an algorithm or set of rules for making pizza.  In future blogs you'll see me refer to 'Kitchen Sink Meals'.  I consider 'Kitchen Sink Meals' to be a basic framework for being creative in the kitchen. Chili and pizza are exemplars of  'Kitchen Sink Meals' as are stews and casseroles.  It's a basic meal that you can make as simply or as complex as you wish.

First up, Dough

This recipe is actually just a basic sourdough bread recipe with a slight twist:

First feed your starter and proof it for 12 hours at room temperature (or in a proofing box at a higher temperature if it suits your starter).  You'll need about the final amount of starter to be about 3 cups (1-1/2 cups for the recipe and one cup for the starter jar).

Combine the 1-1/2 cups of starter 1cup  of water and mix, add 2-1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and knead until satiny smooth.  On a floured board roll out the dough until it is just a bit larger than your pizza stone or pan. (I recommend the pizza stone).  When the dough has begun to rise place the pizza stone in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees .  Once the temperature is reached place the dough on the stone and roll/fold the edges back to until the dough is the same size as the pizza stone.  Pierce the dough all over and brush with olive oil.  Watch the crust closely and pierce any bubbles that form or you'll end up with a pita of unusual size (speaking from experience).

Pizza Sauce

Once the crust is cooked it's time to load up the pizza.  First the pizza sauce, get a can of crushed tomatoes and add pesto until you get a level of flavor that tantalizes you taste buds this gives you a basic but tasty pizza sauce.  You can also add a bit of oregano, marjoram, onion powder, hot pepper flakes...whatever tickles your fancy.  Load the pizza up with your favorite toppings and pop it back in the oven on a low broiler setting.

Toppings

Toppings can be divvied up into two broad categories as far as I'm concerned, above the cheese and below the cheese.  Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.  Some toppings are best place on top of the cheese, things like sliced tomato or cubed pancetta.  Anything else can go below the cheese.  Given the algorithm I've described things like onions and peppers should go just below the cheese to ensure that they cook through under the broiler.

Let Me Sum Up

If you're sourdough fan (and I am) then sourdough pizza crusts are a real treat.  You get that little hint of sourness underlying all that cheesy tomato sauce goodness. The downside of course is that like a conventional homemade pizza crust it requires a bit more planning and preparation than just ordering a pizza.  The upside is that you get exactly what you want on your pizza.  This is what Mrs. Bugbear and I had on our pizza Saturday night:

• Chorizo
• Mushrooms
• Diced Onions
• Sliced Yellow Peppers
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Cubed Feta Cheese
• Cubed Pancetta
• Sliced Tomato

You might note that the list of toppings seems large.  When I described making the crust I mentioned rolling the dough out larger than your pan or pizza stoneand then rolling or folding  up the edges.   The advantage of this is that you create a kind of faux deep dish pizza.  At the end of the day despite my endorsement of sourdough crusts, pizza is all about what's on top!