Sourdough Pizza Crust (Pan-Baked, No Stone or Steel)
Crispy, airy sourdough pizza crust baked in a standard pan — no stone, no steel, no peel. Active starter, an overnight rise and a dimple-and-bake method that delivers.
By Maya Ellison · Updated August 21, 2026 · 1 min read
Sourdough pizza crust without a stone or steel — just a baking sheet and an overnight dough — is the sourdough pizza that most home kitchens can actually make on a Tuesday. The dough rises slowly, you press it into a pan, parbake the base and the oven does the rest. It's adapted from the focaccia path, thinner and sturdier for a pizza.
No stone, no steel, no drama
Pizza tools are for Neapolitan-style pies; the pan-style crust doesn't want them. The same overnight rise that gives sourdough focaccia so much flavor is dimpled into a pan, par-baked on the base, and the whole thing comes out with a crisp bottom and a light, airy crumb.
The dough and the dimple
An overnight rise at room temperature (68-72F) gives the dough strength and a light, airy crumb. The critical action is the dimple-and-stretch: oil your fingers, press the dough to the edges of a 9x13 pan, and dimple it twice with a rest between passes. The double dimpling is what relaxes the crust so it holds its shape instead of shrinking.
Par-bake, then top
A quick par-bake — about 8 minutes — crisps the base before the toppings go on, so the finished pizza has structure. Then top lightly and finish hot. The layering is the whole pan-pizza trick: a crisp base that won't buckle under the toppings.
The weeknight version
Pair it with a "no-cook" pizza sauce — crushed tomatoes, a pinch of salt and good olive oil — and your choice of cheese and toppings. Bake at 500-550F, watch the bottom and the corners, and you'll never miss the steel. No pizza stone in your kitchen? Then this is the sourdough pizza that actually happens there.
Ingredients
Weights in grams are the source of truth; cup measures are approximate.
- 500 g bread flour (12.5-13% protein)
- 400 g water, room temperature
- 100 g active sourdough starter, at peak
- 10 g fine salt
- Olive oil, for the pan and dimples
- Your favorite sauce, cheese and toppings
- Optional 1-2 tsp honey, for color on the crust
Method
In a bowl, mix the starter, water and (small cover with flour and salt) to a shaggy dough, rest 30 minutes, then fold a few times into a rough ball.
Transfer to an oiled tub and rise overnight at room temperature, 10-12 hours at 68F, until nearly doubled and full of air.
Coat a 9x13 pan with olive oil, turn out the dough, and with oiled fingers dimple and stretch it just to the corners — dimple it twice with a nice rest between, letting it relax back.
Preheat the oven to the highest setting, 500-550F, with a rack near the top. Par-bake the empty dimpled crust 8-10 minutes until just set.
Top with sauce, cheese and toppings, then bake 12-15 minutes until the pan bottom crisps and the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve hot, edges up.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really not need a stone or steel?
Correct. A standard sheet pan reads hot and crisp against the dough's bottom, and the par-bake guarantees a dry, crackly base. It's the entry level that makes sourdough pizza feasible for almost everyone.
Can I use discard instead of active starter?
Discard is unreliable for lift — it's past its peak. Use active, bubbly starter for the natural rise. If you only have discard, most bakers add a pinch of instant yeast for insurance.
Why dimple the dough twice?
The first dimple relaxes the gluten; the second deepens the dimples and opens the air pockets. Both together create the crisp, crusty texture.The a rest between is what lets the dough finally hold the shape.