Simple Freezer-Friendly Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe

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This freezer-friendly sourdough pizza dough makes pizza night cheap, easy, and nutritious. You can freeze up to a year’s worth, so you don’t have to worry about making dough every time you crave pizza.

If I had to choose one food for the rest of my life, it might be pizza. Right now, I’m stuck on my fall harvest pizza recipe. But from plain cheese to meat lovers, I love just about every pizza.

When I was a kid, there was a pizza place across the street from my dance studio. And after ballet class, we would walk over and grab “the special.” It was two slices of pizza and a drink for $3.00.

The days of a $3.00 meal are long gone. The last time we ordered pizza, I was shocked at how much it cost.

So, I’ve sworn off pizza delivery and stocked up our freezer with a year’s worth of sourdough pizza dough.

Making homemade sourdough pizza dough solves a few problems. It saves a ton of money because it costs practically pennies to make. And you can add healthier ingredients than most restaurants offer.

Now, you don’t have to go buck wild like I did and make an entire year’s worth. But because sourdough pizza dough freezes like a dream, I encourage you to make extra and stash it in the freezer.

That way, when time or money is tight, you have healthy food on hand.

All you have to do is thaw it, add pizza sauce and your favorite toppings, bake, and enjoy your delicious pizza.

Family pizza nights just got cheap, easy, and nutritious—and I’m here for it!

Benefits of Freezer-Friendly Sourdough Pizza Dough

• Cheaper – Pizza delivery and takeout are expensive. But making homemade sourdough pizza dough is a quick and easy way to save money.
• Healthier – When making homemade pizza dough, you can add nutritious ingredients like whole wheat flour or fresh-milled whole grain flour. Plus, you can add healthier, scratch-made toppings like homemade bacon, lacto-fermented peppers, and fermented onions.
• Convenient – You can make pizza anytime with a batch of pizza dough in the freezer. Just make sure you thaw it 10-12 hours ahead of pizza night.
• Easy clean up – You only dirty the kitchen and dishes once by batch-prepping freezer-friendly sourdough pizza dough.
• Kid-friendly – Kids love making pizza dough and assembling their own pizzas. Check out my mama and toddler meals video on YouTube to see how we made fun and healthy pizza spirals.
• Versatile – With homemade dough, you can get as creative as you want when making a pizza. Add any toppings your heart desires. You can even make breakfast or dessert pizzas!

Tips for Making Freezer-Friendly Sourdough Pizza Dough

• Write down the adjusted measurements – If you are doubling or tripling this recipe, write down the adjusted measurements. It’s too easy to forget and mismeasure something (ask me how I know).
• Make it in batches – Depending on how much dough you are making and the type of mixer you have, you may need to make this dough in batches.
• Use active starter – Active sourdough starter has more vital yeast and bacteria that will ferment the dough faster. Snag my free sourdough starter eBook to learn how to make your own!
• Weigh the dough – To equally portion the dough, weigh it before dividing it. Then, determine how much each portion should weigh. So if your dough weighs 1,000 grams, four equal pieces would be 250 grams.
• Make kid sizes – Making a few little portions for kids is fun. My three-year-old daughter loves making her own little pizza.

Video – A Year’s Worth of Freezer-Friendly Sourdough Pizza Dough

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Sourdough Benefits

Easy Time-Management

One of the biggest benefits of sourdough is that it doesn’t need my attention. Commercial yeast is faster, but that also means you have to be around and available to deal with the dough.

I’m often too busy during the day to deal with quick rising dough. So, the long bulk fermentation makes it easier.

I make the dough in the morning. Then, I don’t have to worry about it until my little one is in bed when I have the time and space to get back to it.

If squeezing sourdough into your routine is challenging, check out my sourdough and the daily grind video on YouTube.

Fermented Grains

Sourdough also offers added health benefits over commercial yeast breads. During the bulk fermentation, the wild yeast and bacteria pre-metabolize the dough, making it easier to digest (source).

As such, folks with gluten sensitivities may be able to tolerate sourdough better than other types of bread, especially if you let it cold proof in the fridge for a few days.

As always, if you are gluten-intolerant, I recommend checking with a healthcare professional to see if sourdough is appropriate for your diet.

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Tools You Will Need

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• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment: I use a KitchenAid 7-qt bowl lift stand mixer to make sourdough pizza dough.
• Kitchen scale – Using a kitchen scale is more precise and repeatable. Also, it results in fewer dirty dishes (which is always welcome if you ask me).
• Measuring cups and spoons – If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I’ve included the cup measurement in the printable recipe card below.
• Large bowl – Use a large bowl for bulk fermenting the pizza dough. I love my 12″ Dominion bowl from Ohio Stoneware for big batches of dough.
• Bench scraper – A bench scraper makes dividing and transferring the dough easy.
• Sandwich bags – Pre-portion your dough in sandwich bags. You could also use plastic wrap if that’s what you have on hand.
• Freezer-safe bags – Store your freezer-friendly sourdough pizza dough in freezer-safe ziplock bags.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour – For simplicity’s sake, I use all-purpose flour for sourdough pizza dough. You could also use 00 pizza flour, but it is more expensive and not as readily available in some grocery stores. For a chewy crust, use bread flour.
• Whole wheat flour – Whole wheat flour adds extra flavor and a boost of nutrition. Fresh-milled grains are also a great option. I used fresh-milled hard red winter wheat.
• Water – Use room temperature or warm water. Cold water will slow down the fermentation, and hot water can kill the vital yeast and bacteria.
• Sourdough starter – Use an active and bubbly sourdough starter. Inactive sourdough starter discard will work, but your dough will take longer to ferment.
• Olive oil – Olive oil adds flavor and creates a more elastic dough and a crispy crust. Avocado oil will also work.
• Salt – I used coarse kosher salt, but any salt you have in the pantry will work.

Freezer-Friendly Sourdough Pizza Dough Instructions

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the ingredients. Mix on low speed with a dough hook until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Bump up the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and passes the windowpane test. (If the dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you can handle it without it sticking to your hands).

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and bulk ferment for 8 hours or until it is doubled and domed on top. Cover with a damp towel.

When it has doubled, turn the dough out onto a clean counter on work surface.

Use a bench scraper to divide it into 4 equal portions.

Shape each portion into a ball by turning it clockwise while simultaneously pulling it toward yourself on the countertop.

Lightly flour the tops of the balls of dough (this will help prevent it from sticking to the bag in the next step).

Bag and Freeze

Use a bench scraper to lift the shaped dough off of the counter and into your hand.

Transfer each dough ball into a small resealable plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. (I recommend only one dough ball per bag).

Label and date a large freezer-safe ziplock bag.

Place all of the individual bags of dough in the freezer-safe bag. Again, remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag.

Put the bag in the freezer and use the dough at your convenience.

To Thaw

10-12 hours before making pizza, remove the dough from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw.

Once it has thawed, use it for your favorite pizza recipe.

Note: For the best results, I recommend making your pizza in your home oven using a preheated pizza stone or cast iron skillet. Or bake it an outdoor pizza oven if you have one.

Using a Stand Mixer for Large Batches of Dough

A stand mixer makes kneading much easier. However, not all stand mixers can handle large batches of dough.

Before you batch prep pizza dough, check the recommendations and guidelines for your stand mixer.

Some mixers can only handle one batch at a time, while others can handle quadruple batches.

I’ve made up to a triple batch of this recipe in my Kitchen Aid Professional. However, it handles a double batch better, and it’s better for the longevity of the mixer to do smaller batches.

Of all my kitchen tools for scratch cooking, the stand mixer is one of the most used. So I’d rather spend a little more time making batches of dough than overwork my mixer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a year’s worth of sourdough pizza dough?

You need as much pizza dough as you prefer or want to make. I like to make a year’s worth of this sourdough pizza crust recipe because it is one and done. But it’s really up to you.

How long can sourdough pizza dough last in the freezer?

Technically, frozen food can last indefinitely. But most foods are best consumed within a year. In fact, you can even freeze sourdough starter for up to a year!

The last pizza I made was with dough from over a year ago, and it was totally fine.

The trick is to pack it well. Remove as much air as possible from the bags, and make sure the outermost bag or container is freezer-safe.

Also, food stored in a deep freezer lasts longer because it does not go through defrost and refreeze cycles.

How long does the dough need to bulk ferment?

It depends on the dough and the temperature.

If you use a fresh, mature, and active starter, your dough will ferment faster. Inactive starter will work, but the fermentation process will be significantly slower.

Additionally, the warmer the temperature, the faster your dough will ferment. I’ve found that anything below 73° F slows it down. So, if I can’t find a warm spot, I use a proofing box.

Why does my frozen pizza dough have ice crystals on it?

The most likely reason is that it was slightly defrosted and refrozen. This can happen if you use a regular kitchen freezer rather than a deep freezer or if you have a power outage, for example.

This has happened to me a few times. Although it slightly changed the consistency of the dough, it was still totally edible and delicious.

Why is my pizza dough hard?

If your pizza dough is hard after baking, there are several possible causes. The dough could have been overworked, there could have been too much flour, or it could have been baked too long.

More Sourdough Recipes & Posts You’ll Love

• Homemade Sourdough Bread Bowls for Soups and Stews
• How to Freeze Sourdough Bread Dough – Complete Guide
• How To Freeze Sourdough Bread – 2 Easy Methods!
• The BEST Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Easy Recipe)
• Sourdough Maple Oatmeal Sandwich Bread Recipe
• Homemade Sourdough Cinnamon Toast Crunch Recipe
• Sourdough Burger Buns Recipe – Soft and Fluffy!

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