A slow-fermented pizza dough for the working week—mix it one afternoon, bake it 2–3 days later. No commercial yeast, just patient fermentation and sourdough discard.
This recipe asks the dough to maintain structural integrity over several days in the refrigerator. The commercial yeast from the original King Arthur recipe is eliminated entirely. We rely on cold fermentation to develop flavor without exhausting the gluten network. What you sacrifice in speed, you gain in flavor and convenience.
If your dough becomes very slack and extensible by day 3, consider switching to bread flour for a stronger gluten network that holds up better under extended fermentation.
Stir any liquid on top of your refrigerated starter back into it before measuring 1 cup (227g). This is a good time to feed the remainder of your starter if needed.
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cold water (use 50–60°F water), flour, salt, and pizza dough flavor with the sourdough starter. Start with the lesser amount of water. Mix to combine, adding remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough looks dry.
Knead for about 7 minutes using a stand mixer with dough hook, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly greased container with a lid. Cover and transfer directly to the refrigerator. Do not allow it to rise at room temperature. The cold environment puts the brakes on fermentation from the start.
Let the dough ferment in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. During this time, the lactobacilli in your discard work their slow magic, developing flavor while the cold temperature throttles gas production.
When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes to take the chill off. Divide the dough in half.
For two thin-crust pizzas: Shape each piece into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12" round pizza pans with olive oil and brush to coat evenly. Place dough in pans, cover, and let rest 15 minutes. Gently press toward edges of pan, allowing 15-minute rests if dough resists. Proof at room temperature until puffy, approximately 2–3 hours depending on room temperature.
Toward the end of the proof, preheat your oven to 450°F. Add sauce and toppings, but hold the cheese.
Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven, add cheese, then return and bake 5–7 minutes more until cheese is melted and crust is golden. For thick-crust pizza in a 14" pan or half-sheet: bake 10 minutes before adding cheese, then 5–7 minutes more.
Remove from oven and serve hot. Store leftover pizza well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cold water: Using water at 50–60°F slows the initial fermentation rate. You want the dough to barely wake up before it goes into the refrigerator, preventing premature fermentation that would exhaust the gluten over multiple days.
No yeast: The original recipe's ½ teaspoon of instant yeast is the primary culprit in over-fermentation. Your discard has enough wild yeast to do the job over 2–3 days. Commercial yeast would eat through the sugars too quickly, leaving you with exhausted, over-proofed dough.
Increased salt: Salt inhibits yeast activity and provides another brake on fermentation. The bump from 1 teaspoon to 1¼ teaspoons gives you slightly better control over the extended timeline.
Division timing: Keep the dough as one mass in the refrigerator. Don't divide until you're ready for final shaping. A larger mass maintains temperature stability better and dividing cold, dense dough is easier than handling slack, room-temperature dough.
Timeline: Mix dough in the afternoon. Place immediately into refrigerator. Bake 2–3 days later: remove from fridge, warm 30–60 minutes, divide, shape into pans, proof 2–3 hours at room temperature, sauce, bake.
Adapted from King Arthur Baking's Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, modified for extended cold fermentation without commercial yeast.