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Measurements

Overnight sourdough pizza dough

Makes: 5 equal dough balls; 344 g each
Heat: Set by the final pizza or focaccia recipe
Cooking time: No baking in this dough recipe

Prepare the dough here, then follow the chosen pizza or focaccia finish.

Pizza dough

Overnight sourdough pizza dough

Naturally leavened pizza with a modest 10% prefermented flour share.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Levain build	Mature active levain	50 g	80% hydration; 80:20 white:whole-wheat flour, consistent with this feed
Levain build	White flour	200 g
Levain build	Whole wheat flour	50 g
Levain build	Water	200 g	Warm
Final dough	White flour	900 g
Final dough	Water	620 g	Warm
Final dough	Fine sea salt	20 g
Final dough	Ripe levain from build	180 g	Contains 100 g flour + 80 g water at 80% hydration
Handling	Olive oil and flour	as needed	Tub coating and dusting

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Levain tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Mixing tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Bench scraper	Use a firm food-safe spatula for lifting dough, or a kitchen knife for dividing it. Avoid sharp edges on nonstick surfaces.
Covered tray	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.

Timing & recipe details

Time & temperature

Heat: Set by the final pizza or focaccia recipe
Cooking time: No baking in this dough recipe

Prepare the dough here, then follow the chosen pizza or focaccia finish.

Makes: 5 equal dough balls; 344 g each
Heat: Dough component; choose an included pizza or focaccia finish
Plan for: 8–10 hours levain build + 12–14 hours bulk + at least 6 hours chill

1,000 g total flour70% hydration2% salt0% instant yeast10% prefermented flour

Use the recipe tools

Core dough totals include the flour and water in the portion of preferment used. Extra feeding culture, toppings and inclusions are separate.

Method

01 · Build levain
8–10 hours
Use: Levain-build ingredients
About 24 hours after the previous feeding, retain 50 g mature levain and mix with its listed flour and water. Cover.
Ready when: Expanded, bubbly, active levain. Build totals 500 g; only 180 g enters final dough.
01 Build levainMix the levain build and cover; let it become expanded and bubbly.
02 · Autolyse
20–30 minutes
Use: Final flour + 620 g water
Mix until uniformly moistened, then cover.
Ready when: No dry flour remains.
02 AutolyseWet all the flour before covering the dough for its rest.
03 · Mix
Until combined
Use: Autolysed dough, 20 g salt, 180 g ripe levain
Weigh levain in a clean tared container and scrape it into the dough. Sprinkle salt, fold to enclose, then alternate pinching and folding until uniform.
Ready when: Final dough 25–26°C.
03 MixPinch and fold the weighed levain and salt evenly into the dough.
04 · Fold + bulk
12–14 hours from mixing
Use: Dough
With a wet hand, lift one side until it resists and fold across the dough; repeat around all four sides. Stop before tearing. Cover again. Give 1–2 folds; first at 30–60 minutes. After the last, lightly oil dough and tub. Keep covered.
Ready when: 2–2½ times starting volume.
04 Fold + bulkGive the dough gentle folds early in the rise, then leave it covered.
05 · Divide + round
About 15 minutes
Use: Fermented dough
Gently ease onto a floured counter and divide equally. Fold each piece’s edges into its centre; turn seam down, cup and drag on a flour-free patch, rotating 2–3 times, to make a medium-tight ball. Preserve internal gas.
Ready when: Five 344 g balls, or portion for your pan.
05 Divide + roundMake five smooth, medium-tight balls without squeezing out all the gas.
06 · Proof + chill
At least 6 hours preferred
Use: Balls
Space on floured tray, oil/flour tops, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Faster option: 1 hour at room temperature then at least 30 minutes cold.
Ready when: Cold, relaxed dough ready to stretch; refrigerate unused dough 2–3 days.
06 Proof + chillCover the separated balls and chill until cold and easy to stretch.

What to look for

Stage	Look and feel	Needs attention
Levain	Reliable rise after feeding; bubbles throughout.	Using a dormant unfed starter on the same schedule.
Bulk	2–2½-fold expansion; aerated but still coherent.	Waiting through collapse in a warm room.

Troubleshooting

If you see	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Dough tears while stretching	It is too warm, under-relaxed, or stretched too thin	Patch a small tear; rest a resisting ball briefly, or chill a soft one; stretch over fists without tossing.	Complete folds, refrigerate before shaping, and keep toppings modest.
Bulk rise is slower than the schedule	Cool dough or weak leavening	Wait for the stated volume and bubbles; use a moderately warmer spot.	Measure dough temperature and verify active yeast or a reliably rising levain.

Recipe notes

Adjust water temperature for the flour and room to reach the stated final dough temperature. Divide the whole batch equally; portion sizes are approximate. Use 200 g for a thin 23 cm skillet pizza and about 340–350 g for a thick skillet pizza or a 30 cm stone pizza. Finish with a pizza or focaccia recipe. The levain build makes 500 g. Take only 180 g for this dough; 320 g remains. Retain and feed what is needed for maintenance. Allow more time in a cool kitchen rather than increasing levain without adjusting the flour and water totals.

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Recipe

Overnight sourdough pizza dough

This dough uses sourdough starter, also called levain. Prepare the starter first; only the stated portion goes into the dough.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Levain build	Mature active levain	50 g	80% hydration; 80:20 white:whole-wheat flour, consistent with this feed
Levain build	White flour	200 g
Levain build	Whole wheat flour	50 g
Levain build	Water	200 g	Warm
Final dough	White flour	900 g
Final dough	Water	620 g	Warm
Final dough	Fine sea salt	20 g
Final dough	Ripe levain from build	180 g	Contains 100 g flour + 80 g water at 80% hydration
Handling	Olive oil and flour	as needed	Tub coating and dusting

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Levain tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Mixing tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Bench scraper	Use a firm food-safe spatula for lifting dough, or a kitchen knife for dividing it. Avoid sharp edges on nonstick surfaces.
Covered tray	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.

Timing & recipe details

Makes: 5 equal dough balls; 344 g each
Heat: Dough component; choose an included pizza or focaccia finish
Allow: 8–10 hours levain build + 12–14 hours bulk + at least 6 hours chill

How do I make it?

Feed the starter
8–10 hours
About 24 hours after its last feeding, keep 50 g of mature sourdough starter and mix in the flour and water listed for the starter build. Cover and leave it to become bubbly; you are making 500 g but will use only 180 g in the pizza dough.
Mix the levain build and cover; let it become expanded and bubbly.
Ready when: Expanded, bubbly, active levain. Build totals 500 g; only 180 g enters final dough.
Mix flour and water
20–30 minutes
Mix the final-dough flour with 620 g water until all the flour is wet, then cover and let it rest.
Wet all the flour before covering the dough for its rest.
Ready when: No dry flour remains.
Add starter and salt
Until combined
Zero the scale with a clean container on it, weigh 180 g of the bubbly starter and scrape it into the dough. Add 20 g salt, fold the dough over it, then keep pinching and folding until it is evenly mixed.
Pinch and fold the weighed levain and salt evenly into the dough.
Ready when: Final dough 25–26°C.
Fold and let rise
12–14 hours from mixing
Wet your hand, lift one side of the dough until it starts to resist, then fold it across the top; do this on all four sides without tearing it. Do 1–2 sets of folds, with the first set 30–60 minutes after mixing. After the last set, lightly oil the dough and container and cover again.
Give the dough gentle folds early in the rise, then leave it covered.
Ready when: 2–2½ times starting volume.
Make dough balls
About 15 minutes
Gently tip the dough onto a floured counter and divide it equally, keeping the air bubbles inside. Fold each piece’s edges into the middle, turn the join underneath, then cup your hands around it and gently drag and rotate it 2–3 times on an unfloured spot to make a lightly tightened ball.
Make five smooth, medium-tight balls without squeezing out all the gas.
Ready when: Five 344 g balls, or portion for your pan.
Chill the balls
At least 6 hours preferred
Space the balls on a floured tray, lightly oil or flour the tops, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. For a faster option, leave them at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cover the separated balls and chill until cold and easy to stretch.
Ready when: Cold, relaxed dough ready to stretch; refrigerate unused dough 2–3 days.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Dough tears while stretching	It is too warm, under-relaxed, or stretched too thin	Patch a small tear; rest a resisting ball briefly, or chill a soft one; stretch over fists without tossing. Complete folds, refrigerate before shaping, and keep toppings modest.
Bulk rise is slower than the schedule	Cool dough or weak leavening	Wait for the stated volume and bubbles; use a moderately warmer spot. Measure dough temperature and verify active yeast or a reliably rising levain.

Useful recipe notes

Adjust water temperature for the flour and room to reach the stated final dough temperature. Divide the whole batch equally; portion sizes are approximate. Use 200 g for a thin 23 cm skillet pizza and about 340–350 g for a thick skillet pizza or a 30 cm stone pizza. Finish with a pizza or focaccia recipe. The levain build makes 500 g. Take only 180 g for this dough; 320 g remains. Retain and feed what is needed for maintenance. Allow more time in a cool kitchen rather than increasing levain without adjusting the flour and water totals.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Overnight sourdough pizza dough at a glance

Makes: 5 equal dough balls; 344 g each
Heat: Set by the final pizza or focaccia recipe
Cooking time: No baking in this dough recipe
Dough hydration: 70%
Prefermented flour: 10% of total flour
Leavening: Sourdough starter
Bulk fermentation: 12–14 hours from mixing · 2–2½ times starting volume.

How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Core dough totals include the flour and water in the portion of starter or preferment used. Do not add them again. Toppings, fillings and dusting flour are separate.

Formula component	Grams	Flour = 100%
Total flour	1000 g	100%
Total water	700 g	70%
Salt	20 g	2%
Instant yeast	0 g	0%

Method

01 · Build levain

02 · Autolyse

03 · Mix

04 · Fold + bulk

05 · Divide + round

06 · Proof + chill

What to look for

Troubleshooting

Recipe notes

How do I make it?

Feed the starter

Mix flour and water

Add starter and salt

Fold and let rise

Make dough balls

Chill the balls

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

Overnight sourdough pizza dough at a glance