This half spelt sourdough discard pizza dough is my go-to for homemade pizza and flatbread. The sourdough starter provides extra flavour, while the yeast means it's ready to use in just over an hour!
To make the dough, place a large bowl on a scale (yes, use a scale). Add white and spelt flours and mix to combine. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add water, starter, and yeast. Use your dough scraper to mix roughly, until the starter is broken up and some of the flour has been incorporated into the liquid.
Add salt, use scraper to mix ingredients until there are no more patches of dry flour. If necessary, use a wet hand to squidge the dough towards the end of mixing. It will be shaggy and not at all smooth at this stage.
Cover bowl and leave to autolyse for 10 minutes, this step hydrates the flour, making the dough far easier to work with. Remove lid, wet your hand, and pull and fold the dough by tucking your fingers under one side, pulling the dough into the centre, and repeating three to four more times around the edge until a ball is formed. Re-wet hand if necessary, lift dough and turn over, slap-folding against the side of the bowl a few times, until it's far smoother than it began.
Cover bowl and let rise 30 minutes. Uncover, wet your hands, and perform one coil fold. Place both hands under the centre of the dough, and lift until the edge furthest away from you folds under. Spin bowl 180 degrees, and repeat with the other edge. Then spin the bowl 90 degrees and repeat.
Cover bowl and let rise for a further 30 mins. The dough should be very puffy after this rise. Repeat coil fold.
Cover bowl with a tight-fitting lid or air-tight material. Place in fridge overnight, or up to 36 hours. You can probably push it to 48 hours, but I usually don't go that long. Alternatively, you can proceed immediately to the next step to form bases.
To make the pizza bases, about 45 minutes before you're ready to eat, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (I use millet flour, but white will work fine), and divide into four pieces. Pull corners of each portion into the centre to create a ball, pinching to seal. Place balls seam-side down and use your hand like a cup over the top to create tension against the bench-top, and form a firm round.
Place dough balls on a tray dusted with flour, cover with a tea towel, and set aside for 20 - 30 minutes to allow gluten to relax. Meanwhile, preheat your oven or pizza oven.
Form pizza bases by dusting a portion of dough well with millet flour. Use fingers to press the centre, moving out toward the edges. Pinch and spin, leaving the edge of the base thicker than the centre, until the dough is 8 - 10 inches (20 - 25 cm) in diameter. Dust a pizza peel with more flour and transfer dough, giving it a final stretch. Spread with toppings and bake. See notes below for baking tips using both pizza ovens and conventional ovens.
As seen at https://84thand3rd.com/2022/11/10/half-spelt-sourdough-discard-pizza-dough/ // © Jennifer Jenner