Easy Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust (No Yeast/Dough to Knead)
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Whenever my fridge is overflowing with sourdough discard and I don’t have the time to make a fully-fermented Sourdough Pizza dough, this is the next best thing! All you need is sourdough discard and a few seasonings in order to make one of the quickest and easiest homemade meals.
The crust bakes up thin and crispy in a preheated cast iron skillet and kneading, dough rise, and shaping aren’t needed.
This easy recipe is a lifesaver for busy weeknights, weekend lunches, or casual get-togethers. Swap in your favorite pizza toppings to make every bake your own.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
If you’re into thin-crust pizzas and want something quick that still puts your sourdough starter to good use, this recipe’s a no-brainer. Here are three reasons to keep making it.
One of the easiest sourdough pizzas you’ll ever make:
You don’t need to knead the dough, let it rest in a warm place, or shape it into dough balls. Your pizza can be on the table in about 25 minutes. Simply pour the discard straight into a hot cast iron skillet, bake it for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp, then add toppings and bake for another 8 minutes. It’s the fastest way to make an amazing pizza crust with sourdough discard.
Quick and low effort, but it feels like…success:
On weeknights when I’m too tired to cook or weekends when we just want something fast, homemade, and light, this recipe turns out great every time. I usually make it a day or two after baking sourdough bread, when I have discard to use but don’t want to start a full dough like I would for my regular sourdough pizza dough. The toppings are based on whatever we’re craving.
You can switch things up every time:
I’ve made this with both discard and active starter, and the crust always bakes up nice and crisp. So use whatever you have on hand. As for the toppings, that’s completely up to you. I’ve used everything from homemade sauce and a little fresh mozzarella to pesto, goat cheese, and whatever veggies are in the fridge. It’s a great way to cut down on food waste, and I turn to it whenever I want something quicker than time-consuming thick-crust pizza.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Discard – Use an active sourdough starter or discard. That said, I’ve found sourdough discard spreads more easily across the bottom and up the sides of a cast iron skillet. If using an active starter, be sure to add in the same amount in grams. You can use discard at room temp or straight from the fridge.
- Seasonings-Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt add great flavor to the sourdough pizza crust, but they’re all optional. Feel free to add or skip anything based on your taste.
- Olive Oil: For coating the skillet before pouring in the discard. It helps crisp the crust and keeps it from sticking.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust
- Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in a home oven and preheat to 425°F. Let the skillet heat for at least 10 minutes, or until it’s piping hot.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Drizzle olive oil into the center and use a paper towel to evenly spread the oil on the bottom and sides of the skillet.
- Pour the discard into the hot skillet and evenly spread it on the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt on top of the discard.
- Return the skillet to the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, top with pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
- Put the skillet back into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes more. Slice and enjoy!
Toppings Ideas and Suggestions
One of the best things about this sourdough discard pizza crust is how easy it is to change up the toppings. You can go simple, creative, or just use whatever leftovers are in the fridge.
I’ve made it with everything from fresh mozzarella and pesto to leftover taco meat and roasted veggies. Try not to overload it because the crust is thin. And if you’re using raw meats or vegetables, cook them first since the second bake is just long enough to melt the cheese and heat everything through.
Here are a few topping ideas we’ve loved:
- Tomato sauce and mozzarella: This one’s a regular in our kitchen. A thin layer of pizza sauce, shredded or fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkle of dried oregano or red pepper flakes. If I’ve got pepperoni, olives, or onions, I’ll toss those on too.
- Pesto and goat cheese: I spread pesto on the crust, crumble goat cheese over the top, and add sautéed onions, roasted zucchini, or halved cherry tomatoes. This combo always tastes like more work than it really took.
- Garlic, mushrooms, and greens: Instead of using sauce, I brush the crust with olive oil. Then, I layer on chopped garlic, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella or fontina. After baking, I sometimes throw on a handful of arugula or baby spinach for a fresh finish.
This list doesn’t cover it all. Look around and use whatever toppings sound good to you.
How to Store:
Just the Crust
Plain pizza (just the crust, no toppings) can sit out at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Keep it loosely covered with foil or a clean kitchen towel. If it’s topped with sauce, cheese, or anything perishable, it needs to go in the fridge within 2 hours.
Fridge
Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to 4 days. The crust may soften a bit, especially if it had a lot of sauce or moisture-heavy toppings, but it still tastes great reheated. For the best texture, reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave works too, but expect a softer crust.
Freezer
This pizza freezes well, so let it cool completely, then wrap slices in parchment paper and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. To reheat, place frozen pizza slices directly on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and crispy. No need to thaw first. That helps keep the crust from getting soggy. I use a toaster oven.
FAQs
Yes, you can use an outdoor pizza oven if your cast iron skillet fits inside the oven and you can maintain a temperature around 425°F. Most outdoor pizza ovens are built for high-heat baking and are better suited for traditional pizza doughs that have been fully fermented in a warm spot, shaped into smooth dough balls, and stretched or rolled out. That kind of dough is used for Neapolitan-style pizza crust, which bakes directly on a hot pizza stone at high temperatures.
Traditional pizza dough is usually made with flour, water, salt, and either yeast or a sourdough starter. You mix the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, knead, and let the dough rise before shaping. But this sourdough discard pizza crust recipe skips all of that. There’s no kneading or rise time involved. You just pour the sourdough discard straight into a hot skillet and bake. It’s more like making a batter than dough, which makes it the best when you want pizza fast.
No, you don’t need instant yeast for this pizza recipe. The sourdough discard gives the crust its structure and flavor. This is a quick-bake method and you’re not looking for a big rise, so the discard is enough on its own.
No. All you need is active starter or sourdough discard. It’s more like a pourable pizza batter, so there’s no need for bulk fermentation or an overnight chill. If convenience and speed were recipes, this crust would be it.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust Recipe
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Equipment
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 180 grams sourdough discard 3/4 cup
- 15 grams olive oil 1 Tablespoon
- 1 gram Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 gram garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- toppings of choice
Instructions
- Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in an off oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Preheat for at least 10 minutes or until piping hot.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and drizzle the olive oil in the center. Use a paper towel to evenly spread the oil on the bottom and sides of the skillet.15 grams olive oil
- Pour the discard into the hot skillet and evenly spread on the bottom and sides of the cast iron skillet with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt on top of the discard.180 grams sourdough discard, 1 gram Italian seasoning, 1 gram garlic powder, 3 grams salt
- Place the skillet back into the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are gold brown and crispy. The pizza crust should easily pop out of the skillet.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, top with pizza sauce, cheese and favorite toppings. See notes for recommendations and quantities.toppings of choice
- Pop the skillet back into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes more. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Tips:
- It’s important that the cast iron skillet is piping hot! If not, the sourdough starter will still and be challenging to remove from the pan.
- If you plan to top your pizza with sausage or raw veggies, it is important to cook these prior to assembling your sourdough pizzas. The second bake is mainly to melt the cheese, so raw meats and crunchy veggies won’t be cooked through in that short amount of time.
- The sourdough discard pizza crust is thin and crispy, but it is important to not be too heavy on the pizza sauce, otherwise, it can become soft. Still delicious, but if you prefer a crispy crust, I like to top the crust with about 2-3 Tablespoons of sauce.
- If you are making multiple pizza crusts, I like to remove the pizza crust after the first bake and placed it on large baking sheet, then top with toppings. Bake until the cheese is melted. That way, the cast iron skillet is free to start the next round of pizza crusts!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough Discard – Use an active sourdough starter or discard. That said, I’ve found sourdough discard spreads more easily across the bottom and up the sides of a cast iron skillet. If using an active starter, be sure to add in the same amount in grams. You can use discard at room temp or straight from the fridge.
- Seasonings-Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt add great flavor to the sourdough pizza crust, but they’re all optional. Feel free to add or skip anything based on your taste.
- Olive Oil: For coating the skillet before pouring in the discard. It helps crisp the crust and keeps it from sticking.
Here are a few topping ideas we’ve loved:
- Tomato sauce and mozzarella: This one’s a regular in our kitchen. A thin layer of pizza sauce, shredded or fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkle of dried oregano or red pepper flakes. If I’ve got pepperoni, olives, or onions, I’ll toss those on too.
- Pesto and goat cheese: I spread pesto on the crust, crumble goat cheese over the top, and add sautéed onions, roasted zucchini, or halved cherry tomatoes. This combo always tastes like more work than it really took.
- Garlic, mushrooms, and greens: Instead of using sauce, I brush the crust with olive oil. Then, I layer on chopped garlic, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella or fontina. After baking, I sometimes throw on a handful of arugula or baby spinach for a fresh finish.
This recipe couldn’t be simpler! My whole family loves how thin and crispy the crust is.
So happy I found your recipe!! My family and I love it!! Homemade pizza nights here we come!!
Woo! So thrilled this has become a new family favorite. Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this a couple weeks ago for the first time. I put Italian sausage and mushrooms for the toppings, and it was so good. Tonight, I’m trying pepperoni. I can’t wait. I won’t be buying pizza crust again!!
Yay!! So happy to hear you loved it. Italian sausage and mushrooms sound amazing, and pepperoni is always a classic. Homemade pizza crust really is a game changer—no going back now!