Muscle Momma Sourdough

The Best Pizza Sourdough Bread Recipe!

One of the first inclusion loaves I ever made was a pizza inspired sourdough —and let’s just say it didn’t turn out quite how I hoped. I tried laminating the dough with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, and it ended up being a mess with major separation between the layers. I knew I had to find a better way to get that bold pizza flavor into a loaf without ruining the structure—and that’s how this pizza sourdough bread recipe came to life.

After a few rounds of testing, I finally landed on a method that gives you all the flavor without compromising the dough. Let’s get into it!

This website contains affiliate links that earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for using them and supporting my content!

Step 1: Mix Your Wet Ingredients (ft. Pizza Sauce)

In a large mixing bowl, mix together:

• 100g active sourdough starter
• 200g smooth pizza sauce
• 210g filtered water

Now mix in the dry ingredients:

• 450g unbleached bread flour
• 50g whole wheat flour (you can use all 500g of Bread flour if you don’t have whole wheat)
• 10g salt

Use a dough whisk to mix everything until no dry bits remain. The dough will be shaggy and not a smooth ball.

Cover it and let it rest for 1 hour.

---

Step 2: Stretch and Fold in the Pizza Toppings

After the one hour rest, you’ll do three to four sets of stretch and folds- one every 30 minutes. These help strengthen the gluten so your loaf gets good structure. We will add the pizza inclusions during the second stretch and fold.

Here’s the plan:

• 1st fold: Just a basic stretch and fold. Then, prepare “toppings” for next stretch and fold. Shred cheese, chop pepperoni, etc.
• 2nd fold: Time to add the inclusions. (How to below!)
• 3rd fold: Use coil folds for strength and keeping inclusions inside the dough.
• 4th fold: If you feel your dough needs more strengthening.

---

How to Add the Inclusions During the 2nd Fold:

1. Uncover your dough
2. Sprinkle some of your inclusions (shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, olives or other toppings) evenly over the dough.
3. Do one stretch and fold: Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the middle.
4. Sprinkle more of the inclusions over the new top layer.
5. Repeat the stretch and fold from the other three sides, sprinkling the rest of the toppings in layers as you go.
6. Gently tuck and fold the dough under itself a couple times to help clean it up..
7. Save about 50g of toppings for the top of your loaf during baking!

---

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Cover and let the dough rise until doubled, bubbly, jiggly, and slightly domed. The timing will range depending on your kitchen temperature.

I recommend going off of the visual cues above instead of a time frame because it will be different for every baker.

For reference- this dough took about 7 hours at 78°F

---

Step 4: Shape & Cold Proof

How to Shape Your Dough Into a Boule

1. Preshape with a Bench Scraper:
   Turn your dough onto the counter and use your bench scraper in sweeping motions about 10 times to tuck it into a round shape.
2. Bench Rest (30 Minutes):
   Let the dough rest uncovered to relax and prepare for final shaping.
3. Final Shape – Rectangle + Fold:
   Gently stretch the dough into a small rectangle.
   • Fold the right side into the center.
   • Fold the left side over the right.
   • Roll it up into a log shape.
   • Use a curved, pulling motion to build surface tension across the top and form into a ball.
4. Into the Banneton:
   Place the dough seam-side up in your banneton basket.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 12–24 hours) for a cold proof.

If you want to make a same day loaf, you can proof this on the counter for a few hours before baking. However, for best results I prefer to cold proof!

---

Step 5: Bake

Preheat your Dutch oven in your oven to 450°F.

Once ready, take the dough out of the refrigerator, put it onto parchment paper, score it, and bake covered for 35 minutes.

Then remove the lid, top the loaf with about 50g of reserved toppings, and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.

Check that the internal temperature is 205°F with a digital thermometer.

Let it cool for at least 1 hour

If you liked this recipe– I think you’ll love this French Onion Sourdough Loaf! It’s made with an onion soup packet and loaded with caramelized onion, melty gruyere, and parmesan cheese!