Sourdough Boule w/flavor variations and Pizza Crust options

I know we posted pictures of the mini bread loaves that we made for Christmas gifts and I might have mentioned that we used a similar recipe for pizza crust after my kiddos kept commenting on how much the bread dough made the kitchen smell like a pizzeria… we’ve been playing around with the recipes and finally have something we think is good enough to share.

This may not be the easiest recipe to make but it is well worth the effort and it gets easier the more times that you make it. Mr. Awesome has even said that this pizza dough is the best we’ve ever made and he really enjoys it… that says a lot coming from a former Pizza Hut fan!

I’ve also seen some Bagel recipes that are very similar to this bread recipe so I might try that one day… this may just be a one-dough-fits-all kind of situation that would simplify my life a lot right now! We generally use Mondays as our Meal Prep day but sometimes the only thing I actually get prepped is the bread dough for the week… it is so nice to be able to just pull a lump of dough out and have fresh bread whenever we want it or need it!

Just remember that everyone’s kitchen is different and your oven may be different than ours too as ours has not been acting very well lately but we have made these several times and these are the directions that we have been using. The printable recipe is at the bottom of the page.

If you want a recipe for more of a sandwich-type bread then try our Easy Homemade Bread recipe.

Sourdough Boule w/flavor variations and Pizza Crust options

Basic Bread Ingredients:

5 – 6 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. wheat flour (or use all-purpose)
1 c. active sourdough starter, fed 4-12 hours beforehand
2 2/3 c. water
4 t. salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Sometimes it may be a little stiffer or a little looser depending on various circumstances, but it should be fine.

Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Stretch the dough by getting your hands slightly wet and gently grabbing a side of dough, pick up and fold in towards the center. Turn your bowl a quarter of a turn and do this again. Repeat for 2-3 more times.

Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes and then do another stretch. Repeat after 15-20 minutes.

After the 3^rd set of stretches then let the dough rest for 30 minutes and then do 3 more sets of stretches.

After the dough has rested for the final stretch, it will be time to shape it. Divide your dough into halves and fold the corners towards the center to make a ball.

Gently roll the ball of dough, seam side down, on a floured surface just to firm the ball up a little.

Repeat with the second half.

Let rest for 15-20 minutes.

You may shape the dough any way you like but I like to leave it round and then I place it on a piece of floured parchment paper and then into a small bowl. I then cover it with plastic and place it in the refrigerator for 12 hours or more, until I’m ready to bake it.

When ready to bake I turn it out of the bowl and place it on a fresh sheet of parchment paper with a little flour underneath.

I then score the bread and place into a Dutch oven or turkey roaster pan if baking two loaves together. I place 2-3 ice cubes in the pan. Make sure the parchment paper is between the loaf and the ice.

I cover the pan and place it in the cold oven. Turn the oven to 475 and bake for 30 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 425 and remove the lid. Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when you knock on them.

Remove from the pan and place on cooling racks.

Pizza Dough:

The basic bread recipe can be made into pizza dough by adding 4 T. olive oil to the dough when mixing together.

Let the dough rest for at least 6 hours or overnight.

You would then do 1-2 sets of stretches before using or you could place it in the fridge for an optional cold ferment. (up to 36 hours!)

If using it right away, then go to the shaping instructions. If pulling it out of the fridge then let it sit for 30 minutes before shaping.

Divide your dough into 8 pieces and roll them into balls. Let them rest for 20 – 30 minutes while you prepare your pizza toppings.

Preheat your oven to 400 and get some pans or parchment paper ready. We like to use well-greased cast iron pans for ours.

Roll or pat the dough into the shape you need. Place in/on the greased pan or parchment paper.

Bake the crusts for 5-10 minutes in the oven and then pull out. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings, if desired,

You don’t need it to be completely cooked and the time depends on how thick you make your crust.

Add your toppings and bake another 5-10 minutes until hot and bubbly.

This will make 8 nice size pizzas! (8-10 inch rounds)

½ batch ingredients: (4 pizzas)

4 c. all-purpose flour (or a combination of wheat and all-purpose)
½ c. starter (you can use discard for this recipe)
1 1/3 c. water
2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil

Note: You could freeze these after the first bake (before the toppings). Just let them cool and wrap well with plastic wrap. Just thaw completely before using.

These are optional flavor variations that my family like… they have been wanting to try some of them as a pizza dough which I think would be delicious!

Flavor variations:

These can be added when you mix the dough together or folded in during the stretches. I prefer to mix it all together at one time but do whatever is easier for you.

Caramelized onions: