Looking for a fun, delicious way to use up your sourdough discard? This easy sourdough discard pizza recipe is a weekly favorite in our house—not just because it’s tasty, but because the kids love getting creative with the dough. Whether it’s a spooky skull for Halloween or a heart-shaped pie for Valentine’s Day, this recipe turns pizza night into a family tradition.
And the best part? It’s super versatile. From sauces to toppings to the crust itself, there’s room to play with flavors and get resourceful with leftovers. Keep reading for our go-to recipe, creative topping ideas, and how to turn your crust into the star of the show!
Why Use Sourdough Discard for Pizza Dough?
Sourdough isn’t just any bread—it’s a living, bubbling mixture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. When you make a sourdough starter, you’re essentially cultivating a tiny microbial ecosystem using just flour and water. Over time, naturally occurring yeast and beneficial bacteria begin to thrive.
Here’s how it works:
- Wild yeast (like Saccharomyces exiguus) helps the dough rise, just like commercial yeast.
- Lactic acid bacteria (like Lactobacillus) produce acids that give sourdough its tangy flavor and break down components of the flour.
These microbes work together in a process called fermentation, and that’s where the gut-friendly magic happens. So while your sourdough discard pizza crust might just taste amazing, it’s also doing your body a favor. Thanks to the natural fermentation process, sourdough supports a healthy gut microbiome, improved digestion and enhanced nutrient absorption
Jump to Recipe
Family Fun: Let the Kids Shape Their Own Pizzas!
One of our favorite parts of pizza night? Watching the kids go wild with shapes! Our little ones love:
- A skull-shaped pizza with olive eyes for Halloween
- A sweet heart-shaped pizza for Valentine’s Day
- “Mini pizzas” in silly shapes that they invent on the spot
It’s messy, yes—but it’s also hilarious and memory-making. I just divide the dough into smaller portions and let each kid go to town. They take their pizzas very seriously, especially when it comes to decorating with toppings!
Creative Sauce Options Beyond Tomato
Sometimes we switch it up from the usual marinara. Here are our favorite pizza sauce alternatives:
- BBQ sauce – pairs perfectly with leftover chicken or beef
- Ranch dressing – creamy, tangy, and surprisingly good with veggies
- Pesto – rich, garlicky, and great with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes
- Alfredo – decadent and dreamy with spinach and mushrooms
Topping Favorites: BBQ Chicken + Cheddar Goodness
My personal favorite combo? It’s a fridge-cleanout win and a flavor bomb:
- Shredded leftover BBQ chicken
- A mix of mozzarella and sharp cheddar
- Red onions for a pop of color and bite
- Fresh cilantro right after baking—it adds such a bright finish!
Add a little cracked pepper, and you’ve got a pizza that tastes like it came from a wood-fired oven (but with way less effort).
Flavor Boost: Don’t Forget the Crust!
Want to elevate your pizza even more? Don’t skip the crust finish. A quick brush of melted butter, garlic, garlic salt, and fennel seeds before baking makes the edges extra tasty—almost like garlic bread with every bite.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 c bread flour
- 1 3/4 c sourdough discard
- 1 1/4 c warm water (microwaved for about 20 seconds) warm, not hot
- 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix warm water, sourdough discard and kosher salt together until disolved.
- Add flour to mixture and mix until a dough is formed. The dough will likely be sticky. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Perform the stretches & folds: Lightly wet your hands with water. Stretch one edge of the dough and fold it onto itself. Rotate bowl and stretch dough from top right cover to bottom left corner. Repeat until all four “sides” of the dough have been stretched. Let dough rest seam side down and covered for 20 minutes. Repeat stretches and folds 5-6 times or until the dough is elastic.
- Rise: After stretches and folds are completed, place the dough in a warm space (such as a closed oven, turned off with the light on). Let the dough rise for 2-4 hours. The warmer your kitchen, the faster the dough should rise.
- Shape & Rest: Drop the dough onto a floured surface. Dive the dough into 2-4 pieces, depending on the size of pizza you prefer. Shape the dough into balls and cover with plastic wrap, seam side down. Let the dough rest covered on a floured surface for 20 minutes.
- Options for baking or storing: Roll out dough, top with your favorite toppings and bake at 500 degrees. Or you can grill it! A pizza stone will make your crust even crispier on the bottom.orStore dough in sealed container in the fridge for up to four days.orStore dough in sealed container in the fridge for up to two months.
Notes
This homemade sourdough discard pizza is one of those recipes that grows with your family. The dough is easy enough for kids to help with, and the customization options keep things exciting week after week. Plus, using your discard means less waste and more flavor—win-win!
Whether you’re shaping it into holiday-themed fun or loading it up with leftover toppings, this pizza never disappoints. And honestly? Watching the kids take pride in their oddly-shaped (but adorable) creations makes this recipe a forever keeper.
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