Intermediate
There are wonderful pizza crusts out there, and I believe in using different crusts for different pizzas.
I love sourdough and have been baking bread and other things with it for the last 20 years. The King Arthur Sourdough Pizza Dough recipe is the best I've used. It is reliable and makes a perfectly delicious pizza dough.
My recommendation is to make it the night before and let it ferment in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out about 2-4 hours before making your pizza, and it will be ready and full of flavor.
The other trick to making this delicious pizza is to form it in your pan, let it rise, top it with your sauce, and bake it until it is almost done. Then, add additional toppings. Cook if needed (or you can add them when you add the sauce), and then add the cheese. When you add the cheese, the pizza will only need 5 minutes or less to cook because you are just looking to melt the cheese.
Here's the recipe (makes 2 pizzas):
1 cup (227g) Unfed Sourdough Starter
1/2-3/4 cup (141-170g) lukewarm Water
2 1/2 cups (300g) Flour
1 teaspoon (5 g) Salt
1/2 teaspoon Yeast
Start by using just 1/2 cup of water mixed with the rest of the ingredients. If it feels too dry, add a bit more teaspoon by teaspoon until you get a soft dough. I usually find it doesn't take too much more than a 1/2 cup, but we all know that flour can be different depending on where you live and its moisture content.
Knead the dough for at least 7 minutes until it is elastic and smooth. This is a nice, soft dough that is easy to work with.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, which can be 2-4 hours. At this point, you could also put it in the fridge until the next day.
Once it has doubled, divide it in half and shape it into your pizza pan or onto your baking sheet. If you want to use all the dough at once, you can form a rectangular pizza using the entire baking sheet. Otherwise, it will make 2 pizzas.
Let your dough rest in the pan for about 15 minutes to relax. You can leave it longer if you want it to rise a bit more for a thicker crust.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Top your pizza with the sauce and potential toppings. Place in the oven on the lower rack and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust starts to brown (shorter for thinner crust and longer for thicker crust).
Remove the pizza from the oven and top with the cheese. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Don't walk away. Depending on the type and amount of cheese, it may be done sooner. Remember, your oven is hot.
Remove from the pan to a cutting board and serve.
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