Pizza with Sourdough Crust!

Your sourdough starter should be really happy by now so here is another use for it. I just love not having to run out to the store for yeast because I am out. With a starter going I never run out. With a little planning you can have your crust and eat it too! Pizza is great comfort food as far as I am concerned. I did my term paper for English in college on pizza. My teacher told us to remember your audience when picking our topics. So I did. He was Italian and what Italian doesn't love pizza! Needless to say I aced it! LOL! Didn't hurt bringing in samples either! So you get up in the morning and say to yourself what should I make for dinner that night. Hmmm how about some easy pizza? Great! Let's begin!

Sourdough starter

Flour

Salt

Olive oil

can of diced tomatoes

Mozzarella cheese

Basil

Garlic powder

Topping of choice

 

In the morning take at least two cups of starter in a bowl. Add about a tablespoon of salt, three tablespoons of olive oil and you can add some fresh chopped rosemary and sage if you like to jazz it up. Mix in some flour till it pulls from the sides without sticking. Roll it around in the bowl turning and punching. This way you don't have to mess up your counter with kneading and having flour flying all over the place. Put a clean dish towel over the bowl and place in a draft free area and off to work we go. That night when you get home punch it down and take out of the bowl and give it a little kneading and pat down on your pizza plate or cookie sheet that has been coated with spray or olive oil. You can sprinkle corn meal too for easy release. I was out of cornmeal so I used Pam.  

Let it sit and get happy while we prepare our toppings. We are going to be making a classic Margherita pizza with a Andouille sausage topping to satisfy the meat eater in the house. I like to slice my sausage partial frozen so I get thin even slices. I used Johnsonville Andouille Sausage.

Open a 8 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained and put in a bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, salt to taste, basil, garlic powder and stir up. Set aside. Grate your mozzarella into a bowl and set that aside.

By this time your crust is puffing up a little. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your rack as low as you can in your oven. I usually use a pizza stone or 9-6x6 unglazed quarry tiles but for this I am assuming you don't have something like that and I want anyone to make this. If you are using a stone put that on your rack while the oven is coming up to temp. You want it to be the same temp as the oven. Back to the crust. Spread your tomatoes over the crust.

Add the cheese, about 1/2 pound...I love cheese!

Now your topping...

Looking good! Ding! Your oven is hot! Pop that puppy into the oven. Set timer for 30 min. You will have to keep an eye on it after 20 minutes depending if you are using a stone or not. The crust should be turning a golden brown and the cheese should start to be bubbly. Keep checking till it is nice and even. We don't want the cheese to turn brown.

Now here is the trick for a crunchy crust. Take it out and loosen from the pan with a little shake and shake right onto the rack. The pie should have enough body so it will sit ok on the rack. Let it bake for another 10 minutes and remove back to your pan.

Oh doesn't that look yummy!

There you have it! Let cool a bit before you slice it up. This type of pizza is great as there isn't any sauce to prepare so it is quick and easy. Your family will think you ordered out! Don't forget to feed your starter! Keep it happy and it will keep you happy! Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. I will be happy to answer you.

Ejoy!

Steph
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