Warm and Cozy Sourdough Pizza Crust

1. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk the water and starter until milky. Add flour, salt, olive oil, and honey (if using). Mix with your hand or a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy and a bit sticky.

2. Rest. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This little pause hydrates the flour and makes the dough easier to handle without extra flour.

3. Do 3 sets of folds. Over the next 60 to 90 minutes, do 3 rounds of stretch-and-folds (or coil folds), spaced about 20 to 30 minutes apart. Wet your hands, lift one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat for all four sides (think north, south, east, west). By the last round it should feel smoother and stronger.

4. Bulk ferment until puffy. Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature until it looks expanded and airy, usually 4 to 6 hours depending on starter strength, dough temp, and room temp. This timing assumes a cozy kitchen around 70°F to 75°F. You want it noticeably lighter and a bit jiggly, not necessarily doubled.

5. Divide and shape dough balls. Lightly oil a work surface or use a touch of flour. Turn out the dough and divide into 2 equal pieces (about 475 to 480 g each, depending on honey and flour brand). Shape each into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath and rotating. Place into lightly oiled containers.

6. Cold ferment for flavor (recommended). Refrigerate dough balls for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. This is where the cozy sourdough flavor really shows up.

7. Bring to room temp. About 60 to 90 minutes before baking, pull dough from the fridge and let it relax at room temperature. Cold dough fights back. Warm dough behaves.

8. Preheat oven and baking surface. Put a pizza stone or steel in the oven and preheat to 500°F (or as hot as your oven goes) for 45 minutes. If your oven tops out at 450°F to 475°F, preheat for 60 minutes. If using a cast iron skillet, preheat the skillet in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. If using a sheet pan, flip it upside down and preheat it too. For the sheet pan method, build the pizza on parchment so you can safely lift it onto the ripping-hot pan.

9. Shape the crust. Dust your counter and the dough with flour or semolina. Press from the center outward, leaving a thicker rim. Stretch over your knuckles, rotating as you go, until you have a 12-inch round. If it keeps shrinking, let it rest 10 minutes and try again.

10. Top lightly. Move dough to parchment (recommended for sheet pan loading) or a floured peel. Add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Keep it balanced. A heavy, wet pizza can turn the center into soup.

11. Bake. Slide onto the hot stone or steel and bake 8 to 12 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden with browned spots and the cheese is bubbling. At 450°F to 475°F, plan on 10 to 14 minutes. For extra color, broil for 30 to 60 seconds at the end, but stay close.

12. Cool briefly, then slice. Let the pizza rest 2 minutes so the cheese sets. Slice and eat while the edges are still singing.

Cozy pan pizza option: Oil a 9x13 pan generously, press one dough ball in (let it rest and re-press as needed), proof 30 to 60 minutes until puffy, then bake at 475°F for 12 to 18 minutes.