It’s Alive! Fresh Sour Starter is the best way to make pizza dough
It’s Alive! Pizza Dough made with Sour Starter Satisfies!
The first time I knowingly had pizza dough with sour starter was at the Luggage Room, a pizza restaurant in the heart of Pasadena, California. The Luggage Room became weekly staple in our diet. I lived in Altadena, California at the time and The Luggage Room was just the perfect atmosphere and the pizza. Well, the pizza was absolutely to die for.
When COVID-19 hit and everything shut down the love for the Luggage Room faded. It had changed, now you had to check yourself in and everything was hands-off. We moved to Wrightwood and after that, I am not sure I ever returned to my favorite pizza place. Now it was up to us to make our own pizzas. I missed that beautiful, sour, chewy yet thin dough, so I had to figure out how to replicate or better yet, improve on the recipe.
Now I have my own secret weapon. Sour starter from the local Pasadena grain mill, Grist & Toll. Grist & Toll mills local wheats into flour. They also have heirloom corn meals (pink!) and fresh starter.
I love the starter, but managing the starter can get out of hand. Some days you have so much and when it’s warm, the jars explode. It gets hungry especially in the warmer months.
But all that time, effort and cleaning up the explosions becomes worth it when you bite into your slice of pizza.
Since going Plant Based, I have not eaten much cheese. I was always worried pizza without cheese would disappoint. I tried many different vegan cheeses. I decided in the end I like just a touch of vegan cheese if any at all. Pizza, or flatbread if you will if calling it pizza without cheese triggers you (it’s OK, I won’t tell anyone you were triggered.)
I do love to use my homemade almond “goat” cheese… but that is for another story.
If you’re having trouble finding good pizza, it might be time to make your own. I love sour starter crafted dough with local grain (or you can settle for some King Arthur which is the. Next best thing). And it is so satisfying to make your own pizza. If you do use cheese, please please please use quality Mozz. Don’t buy the pre-shredded garbage. And be mindful of the ingredients you use. Fresh is always best. Since my own really only goes to 550F, I like to pre cook many of my veggies like mushrooms, shallots and the like. I roast bell peppers. It also helps you throw the water from the veggies before they are placed the pizza.
Well, if you don’t feel like making your own, come on over, I love making a fresh pizza dough!
To make pizza dough with starter, measure using a gram scale. I live at high altitude, so I need to use a bit more water than low altitude bakers.
Recipe:
120g starter
240g water (warm, maybe around 100F)
360g flour (I prefer to use locally milled hard white flour from Grist & Toll, but King Arthur’s Organic Bread Flour is suitable)
2 tsp salt (I use Redmond’s RealSalt)
3 TBSP EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
I begin with the starter and mix in the warm water. Then I add the salt and the oil. I mix it well then begin to add the flour. I slowly add the flour. At high altitude, in dry climates, you may need more hydration (or use less flour). You want the dough to be a little moist. Once it’s mixed, knead by hand for a few minutes until it forms a nice ball without lumps. Cover it well and keep in a warm spot until it’s ready for use. If you’re strictly using starter, depending upon the strength of the starter it may be 24 hours before the dough is ready.
You can stretch this dough by hand. I like to paint some olive oil on top especially the exposed crust areas. Then add sauce or pesto, basil, cheese (plant based of course!) then your toppings. I prefer to pre-cook some of my toppings so they don’t throw too much water on the pizza. This includes mushrooms. I precook alliums just so they are certainly not raw. Oven should be at 550 minimum, cook the pizza for 5-6 minutes then turn and finish for another 5-6 minutes.
bon apetit!