Homemade Sourdough Pizza Dough

Day 1, Mix the Dough: In a bowl, mix the flour, water, starter, salt, olive oil. Mix well, cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap or towel. Let sit for thirty minutes to one hour. Tip: take the dough temperature each time you handle it to assess fermentation time.

Day 1, Stretch and Fold: Perform four stretch and fold sessions every thirty minutes for two hours. Take one portion of dough and fold it over itself, pulling to the point of resistance. Cover and let sit between sessions.

Day 1, Bulk Fermentation: Bulk fermentation started when the dough was mixed. After the stretch and folds, leave the dough to rise around 50% (it's okay if a little less or more). Depending on dough temperature, this could take one hour to a few hours.

Day 1, Cold Fermentation: After bulk fermentation, store your covered dough in the refrigerator. From here the dough can sit for up to five days, taking portions as you plan to use them.

Day 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5), Divide and Final Proof: Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough on a lightly floured surface. For this batch I like to divide in three or four portions. Shape each portion into a round and rest on a baking pan dusted with corn meal. Cover and let rise until doubled. The surface will be doubled and bubbly. This can take a couple of hours or longer.

Day 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5), Shape and Bake: Preheat your oven to 450ºF with your baking stone. Once it has reached temperature, shape each dough round by spreading on a pizza peel or parchment paper to make it easier. Lightly dust with corn meal for easier handling. Stretch the round by gently pulling it into shape. It should be easy to handle. Keep the rim of the dough thicker than the center. Assemble each pizza with your favorite toppings and transfer onto the baking stone (I like to brush the edge with a little olive oil for extra color). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the pizza has reached desired doneness. Repeat for remaining pizzas.