This make-ahead sourdough pizza dough recipe is a game-changing kitchen staple – your ticket to stress-free and delicious pizza nights. Bake in your home oven or outdoor pizza oven!

My favorite thing about this recipe is the convenience of pulling the already-made dough out of my freezer. Today I’m going to show you how you can have your freezer stocked with homemade sourdough pizza dough that can feed a crowd in almost no time!

Honestly, who doesn’t like pizza? I mean, I happen to have a child who isn’t a fan but really almost everyone loves a good slice of pizza.

As a momma of 5, pizza is an easy and inexpensive way to full tummies. Once you have dough already made in your freezer, you can have homemade pizza on the table just as quickly as you can heat a frozen pizza. Not only is it a quick meal, but you can feel good about the ingredients and nutritional value as well.

Table of Contents

New to Sourdough?

If you’re new to sourdough or intimidated by the thought of creating your own sourdough starter, I have a Sourdough Basics Video Course where I walk you through each step from establishing a sourdough starter to baking delicious loaves of bread.

I’d also love to offer you my free guide to establishing a starter in just over a week.

And if you’re looking for a few beginner’s recipes, I recommend starting with this country sourdough loaf or this same-day sandwich bread recipe.

Example Bakers Schedule for Busy Moms

10 am- Mix dough and set aside to rest.

10:30 am- Add salt, incorporate, rest for 30 minutes.

11:00 am- First set of coil folds. Cover and rest.

11:30 am- Second set of coil folds. Cover and rest.

Noon- Last set of coil folds. Cover and allow time to bulk rise (double in size).

4:00 pm- Split dough into equal pieces, shape, and bake OR shape into balls to freeze.

Example Bakers Schedule for Overnight Ferment

6:00 pm- Mix dough and set aside to rest.

6:30 pm- Add salt, incorporate, rest for 30 minutes.

7:00 pm- First set of coil folds. Cover and rest.

7:30 pm- Second set of coil folds. Cover and rest.

8:00 pm- Last set of coil folds. Place it in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for bulk fermentation overnight.

The Next Day…

5:00 pm- Remove from fridge and allow it to come to room temp. Divide, shape, and bake.

Ingredients and Tools

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Water
Salt– I prefer Redmond Real Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil– Helps dough to soften and stretch
Active Sourdough Starter– Starter that has been fed 4-8 hours before mixing dough. It should be active and bubbly so that you get the most rise out of your dough.
Stand Mixer– This is optional but saves time by not having to knead by hand.
Pizza Stone or Steel– These help conduct heat and cook the pizza faster making a crispy crust.

How to Make Sourdough Pizza Dough

Add the flour, water, and sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix using the dough hook attachment for 3 minutes or work the ingredients together by hand. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Add salt and mix again using the stand mixer for 3-5 minutes or again by hand until the salt is fully incorporated. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Perform 3 sets of coil folds allowing 30 minutes of rest in between each.

After the last coil fold, cover and allow the dough time to bulk ferment. Let your dough rise 2-6 hours depending on the temperature. For best results, do not let the dough proof for more than 8 hours at room temperature.

Once the dough has doubled, place it on a floured work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. From here you can shape and bake or freeze each ball of dough according to the directions below.

*Print or Pin the full recipe below

How to Bake Homemade Pizza

Preheat oven to 500° with a pizza stone or baking steel one down from the top rack. Prepare your favorite toppings.

Shape the dough by placing it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out using your hands to shape and stretch. Place it on a piece of parchment paper.

Add your favorite, sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings.

Slide the pizza onto your preheated pizza stone or steel using a pizza slider and switch to a broil setting.

Broil for 3-4 minutes (watch carefully) and then drop the temperature to 450° and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the center of the dough is done.

Be sure to keep an eye on your pizza as all ovens cook differently!

How to Freeze Sourdough Pizza Dough

Once you realize just how simple it is to freeze this pizza dough recipe, you’ll be kicking yourself for not stocking your freezer sooner! Follow these simple steps to frozen pizza dough…

1. Divide your dough into 4 equal dough balls.

2. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your hands a rub each section of dough before shaping into a tight ball.

3. Place each pizza dough ball into an airtight bag and freeze!

How to Thaw Frozen Homemade Pizza Dough

You’ll only need a little thought to take your frozen dough from the freezer and give it a little thaw before shaping.

If you know you’re going to be using your frozen dough the next day, just take it out of the freezer and move it into the refrigerator to thaw overnight. This typically takes 8-12 hours. Then you’ll want to move it to the counter, remove it from the container or bag, and shape it into a ball.

Add a little oil and cover it so that it can get to room temperature and allow it to rise (about 2-4 hours) before shaping and baking.

If you’re like me and you didn’t think that far ahead, no worries! Simply remove the dough from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature for an hour or two. Once it’s thawed, remove it from the bag or container and follow the same steps as above allowing ample time to rise before baking.

Pizza Ideas and Variations

Meat Lovers- Pepperoni, sausage, bacon
BBQ Chicken- Skip the tomato sauce and replace it with a thin layer of BBQ sauce, cubed chicken, cheese, and onion
Margherita Pizza- Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato, and fresh basil
Fridge Pizza- Clean out your fridge and toss it on your pizza… leftover veggies, meats, maybe even a fruit or two

I’d love to know your favorite pizza combinations and toppings. Once you try this sourdough pizza recipe you’ll see just how easy it is to have a family pizza night from scratch!

If you try the recipe and love it, I would appreciate it so much if you gave it a 5-star review!