Celebrate National Pizza Day (Late but Worth the Wait!)

National Pizza Day may have come and gone on February 9th, but honestly, who needs an official excuse to enjoy pizza? At Great Lakes Sourdough, every day feels like a pizza celebration, especially when I'm making my own sourdough pizza from scratch.

There’s something magical about the process of crafting pizza dough by hand. Mixing the flour, water, our signature sourdough starter, and feeling the dough come to life and bubble under my fingertips—it’s both grounding and a rewarding process. The aroma of freshly baked sourdough crust filling the kitchen is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Pizza is Better Shared

Pizza has a way of bringing people together. Maybe it’s the ease of tearing into a fresh, hot slice or the casual, no-fuss vibe of gathering around one dish—good food, good company, no overthinking needed. It’s simple, satisfying, and kind of perfect.

When you're making your own pizza from scratch, there's an extra layer of connection—watching the dough rise, topping it with your favourite ingredients, and then seeing everyone dig in. Whether it’s a cozy night in with family, a laid-back hangout with friends, or even just splitting a pie with someone you love, pizza is always better when it’s shared.

A Few Tips from My Kitchen to Yours:

High Heat is Key: Crank your oven to 500°F. A hot oven means a crust that's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I like to finish off baking with 1-2 minutes on broil for a charred crust.
Cookie Sheet Pro Tip: Don’t have a pizza stone? No problem, you can still achieve delicious homemade pizza on a cookie sheet! I like to lay down parchment paper, stretch my dough, then add a drizzle of olive oil and a few dollops of pesto around the perimeter of the dough. In the oven the olive oil and pesto will seep underneath the crust–making the bottom of your pizza extra crispy!
Toppings Galore: Don’t be afraid to get creative. Roasted veggies, fresh herbs, even a drizzle of hot honey can take your pizza to the next level. Or enjoy with a simple tomato sauce, and drizzle of olive oil to truly enjoy the magic of the sourdough crust!

Classic White Sourdough Pizza Dough

Ingredients

500 G Hard White Baker’s Flour
325 G Filtered Water
50 G Levain
12 G Olive Oil
12 G Sea Salt

Making Your Dough

Weigh out your flour.
Add water, levain, oil, and salt and mix until incorporated together into a shaggy dough. Leave no dry bits of flour.
Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
After the hour, stretch and fold until dough is soft and uniform.
Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
After the hour, stretch and fold again. Begin to shape the dough into a ball in a container. This is building structure in your dough.
Take the dough out of your container by tucking the edges underneath and then flip it out onto your counter seam side up.
Perform a stretch and fold and flip so that the seam is laying on the counter. Begin to shape the dough using the counter to help build tension. Your dough should feel elastic.
Let rest covered for 1 more hour.
After the hour, place in the fridge for 5-7 days. Freeze into dough balls for up to 2 weeks.

Baking

Take dough out of fridge 3-4 hours prior to shaping.
When ready, preheat oven to 500-525°F with a baking steel or pizza stone. (You can use a cookie sheet as well, but it does not have to be preheated).
Once your oven is preheated, shape the dough with your hands by pressing it into your desired shape.
Place the dough onto a pizza peel, add pizza sauce and toppings, and slide onto your steel or pizza stone. If using a cookie sheet, just place the pizza into the oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Broil on high for 1-2 minutes if you want a more blackened crust.