Sourdough Pizza Dough (in a Stand Mixer)

Measure out all your ingredients into the bowl of your Thermomix or stand mixer. You don't have to pre mix, you can just add them all in on top of one another. This dough is extremely forgiving.

Using the knead function on your Thermomix or stand mixer, combine all the ingredients and knead for around 4-5 minutes.Thermomix - Dough function for 4 minutes.Check the texture of your dough. It should be smooth and silky and coming away from the sides of the bowl. If your dough is still sticky, sprinkle a little extra flour and knead for a further minute or two until it becomes silky smooth.

Turn the dough out into a warm, lightly oiled bowl (I warm a bowl with water while the dough is kneading, then dry it). Cover with cling wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rise until it has doubled. This may take several hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Watch the dough and it will show you when it's ready, rather than going by a set amount of time. Using 200g of sourdough starter means the process will happen faster than if you used less.

Once the dough has doubled, separate the dough into smaller balls so they are ready to be rolled out. 290g per ball will give you a nice size pizza when it's rolled out. Leave the balls on your counter top, covered with a tea towel, for around 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Once you're ready to make your bases, use your fingers to press your dough into a pizza round. If you need to stretch the dough, pick it up and move your hands around the edges, allowing the dough's own weight to stretch it out into a round. Avoid using a rolling pin if you can to maintain your dough's sourdough character.

Place your pizza dough onto pizza trays ready to top with your favorite toppings! When you are ready to bake, pre heat your oven to 230C/450F and make sure it's HOT!! Place your pizzas into the hot oven for around 15 minutes or until toppings are cooked and bases are crispy on the bottom.