This sourdough discard pizza dough is easy to make with discard and instant yeast. The crust is chewy, thin and crispy with loads of flavor in a short amount of time!

Sourdough discard pizza topped with marinara, melted mozzarella, and fresh basil, sliced into pieces.

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Quick Sourdough Pizza Crust

Sourdough discard pizza dough uses sourdough starter and a little less yeast than traditional homemade pizza dough, which gives the crust extra flavor, and it can still be made in one day.

Just like my classic Margherita pizza it’s the kind of crust you devour, even if you don’t usually eat the crust! I have plenty of homemade pizza recipes to try with this dough.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • I love the crisp, wood-fire oven, charred flavor and look of this Neapolitan style homemade pizza!
  • Easy to make with or without a stand mixer and using commercial yeast for leavening means a shorter wait time to enjoy your sourdough pizza.

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients for sourdough discard pizza dough measured out: flour, water, sourdough starter, yeast, salt, and oil.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Warm water and instant yeast: Make sure your yeast hasn’t expired, otherwise it won’t activate. The water needs to be warm (not too hot or too cold). Using a little bit of yeast will help it rise faster.
  • Sourdough discard: You can use any active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. If you don’t have any discard, replace it with 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast.
  • All-purpose flour and salt: I used ’00’ flour, which is extremely fine flour but all-purpose flour works as well. I highly recommend a kitchen scale to ensure all of your measurements are correct.

Using Instant Yeast in Sourdough Discard Recipes

For this quick sourdough discard pizza dough, instant yeast is added help leaven the pizza crust. It’s important to add yeast to the discard because as the name implies, it is discard from the starter and has already completed a fermentation cycle which means it does not have the same leavening capabilities as a sourdough starter.

Making pizza dough with sourdough discard gives the crust moisture and flavor while also reducing waste!

XO - Jamielyn

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use a dough hook or your hands to mix the dough until it comes together, forming a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit in a warm place for a couple of hours until it bulks up.

Flour and wet ingredients in a bowl before mixing sourdough discard pizza dough.

Divide the dough into two pieces. You’ll notice the dough is a bit sticky, but that’s ok! If needed, turn it out onto a floured work surface and sprinkle in a small amount to make it workable.

Lightly oil the dough with olive oil and set the dough balls on a baking sheet. Cover with a dish towel and let them rest for another 2-4 hours. At this point, if you’re not ready to use it yet, you can refrigerate the sourdough pizza dough for up to 3 days.

Two sourdough discard pizza dough balls resting on a baking sheet after rising.

About 45 minutes before you’re ready to cook your pizza, place a pizza stone (or upside down baking sheet) into the oven and preheat it to 500°F. Over a well-floured surface, use your hands to press dough out into desired pizza shape, starting at the center and working towards the edges.

Assemble sourdough pizza with your favorite sauce and toppings!

Stretched sourdough discard pizza dough on a floured pizza peel, ready for toppings.

Baking Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust

At this point, your oven should be nice and hot. Change the temperature of the oven to broil. Use a large metal spatula, a pizza peel, or paddle to slide your pizzas into the oven onto the pizza stone.

Cook for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is cooked to a crispy crust and the top is golden and bubbly. Enjoy immediately!

Recipe Tips

  • Although not necessary, you can knead the discarded sourdough pizza dough in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment.
  • Be sure to give yourself enough time to heat the oven. It takes at least 30 minutes.
  • Form the dough into a pizza shape with your hands. Using a rolling pin will only overwork the dough, making it tough. You don’t want to lose those air pockets in your homemade sourdough pizza crust!
  • Once your toppings are set on your discard pizza crust, bake it right away. This way the pizza won’t become soggy as it sits.
  • For this sourdough discard pizza, I used pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. Use whatever toppings you like!
Close-up of sliced sourdough discard pizza with bubbly mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil leaves.

Love sourdough? Try these sourdough waffles or same day sourdough, too!

More Sourdough Recipes

Sourdough discard pizza.

Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Dough Rise: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 24 minutes
Servings: 4
This sourdough discard pizza dough is easy to make with discard and instant yeast. The crust is chewy, thin and crispy with loads of flavor plus ready to bake the same day!
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Ingredients 

  • 320 grams warm water (1 1/2 cups)
  • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 77 grams sourdough discard (1/3 cup)
  • 500 grams all-purpose or '00' flour (3 cups)
  • 15 grams salt (2 1/2 teaspoons)

Sauce and toppings, as desired

Instructions

  • Make dough: In a large mixing bowl, add 320 grams warm water, 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, 77 grams sourdough starter, 500 grams flour, and 15 grams salt. Using your hands, mix the dough until it comes together and forms a shaggy dough. Cover with a dish towel and let sit for 2 hours.
  • Divide dough and rise: Divide dough into 2 pieces and form them into balls. Lightly oil the dough, set on a baking sheet and cover with dish towel for 2 – 4 more hours. You may alternatively place in the refrigerator at this point for up to 3 days.
  • Preheat oven: 45 minutes before you are ready to cook the pizza, preheat oven to 500°F with a pizza stone in it.
  • Press out dough: Over a floured surface, use your hands to press the dough out into a pizza shape. Start in the center of the dough and work towards the edges. Make sure there is plenty of flour under the dough so it doesn't stick.
  • Top the pizza: Assemble the pizzas as desired with sauces and toppings.
  • Change oven to broil: Change the temperature of the oven to broil.
  • Cook pizzas: Using a pizza peel, or paddle, slide the pizzas in the oven onto the pizza stone. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom is cooked. Serve immediately.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Don’t worry if you have no sourdough starter! Just substitute 1 teaspoon dry yeast.
  • Store (fridge): After the first rise, divide into 2 dough balls and refrigerate up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: Wrap each dough ball tightly and freeze in a freezer bag or container up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp before shaping.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal, Carbohydrates: 132g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 1947mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 0.5g, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 8mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.