For the Levain:

1. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. This build should take about 3.5 to 4 hours at 28°C/82.4°F.

Mix the Dough 

1. 1. Add the levain and the water to the bowl. Use your hand or a spatula to mix the levain into the water a bit.

1. 1. Add the flour to the bowl and using your hand mix the flour, water and leavin together until there are no dry bits. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

1. 1. Add the salt along with the water 2. Use a wet hand like a claw to pinch through the dough and mix until the salt is fully incorporated. Use your fingers to feel for any salt remaining in the dough. If you can still feel the salt, keep mixing scraping down the sides of the bowl with a wet dough scraper when done. Rest the dough for 20 minutes.

1. 1. Pour the olive oil on top of the dough and mix it until fully combined.

Bulk Fermentation

1. 1. Bulk ferment the dough for 2-3 hours.

1. 1. Give the dough 2-4 folds during the bulk fermentation.

1. 1. After the last fold, put the dough in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.

Stretch the Dough

1. 1. Take the dough container out of the fridge and allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour.

1. 1. Lightly oil the pizza pan by splashing it with some oil and rubbing that around with your hand or a paper towel. Remove the dough from the container using lightly oiled hands and begin to stretch it into the pizza pan.

1. 1. Stretch the dough as far as you can by putting your fingers under the dough and lightly pulling it outward, being careful not to tear the dough. When the dough is feeling elastic and resists your stretching stop and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes. Repeat this until the dough has been stretched to the outside of the pan and does not shrink back in anymore.

Par Baking with Tomato Sauce

1. 1. Preheat your oven to its max setting. For most home ovens this is about 260/288°C-500/550°F.

1. 1. Use a ladle to spoon the sauce onto the dough starting from the middle. Then using the back of the ladle and starting from the middle spread the tomato sauce evenly over the entire dough surface and all the way to the edges.

Baking

1. 1. Cook the pizza at 260/288°C-500/550°F for about 10-12 minutes.

1. 1. Remove the pizza from the oven and place it onto a cooling rack or heat-proof surface. A few signs that your sourdough pizza is ready are that it will have a few dark spots, be fully risen and the tomato sauce will no longer look wet.

1. 1. Top the pizza as desired and place it back into the oven for another 8-12 minutes.