Sourdough Pepperoni Pizza Loaf
If you're craving cozy and savory, this is the loaf for you! My Sourdough Pepperoni Pizza Loaf brings together the chewy, tangy magic of sourdough with nostalgic, pizzeria-inspired flavor. Tomato paste and herbs are mixed right into the dough for bold flavor in every bite, while melty mozzarella and crispy pepperoni are folded in and bed through the loaf. Topped with bubbling cheese and herbs, this loaf smells just like your favorite pizza joint and tastes even better.
Equipment
- digital kitchen scale for accurate measurements
- Measuring cups and spoons optional
- Large bowl or straight edge container for mixing and proofing dough
- Bench knife (optional, helps with shaping)
- Banneton or bowl for proofing in refrigerator
- 5-quart Dutch oven to bake bread
- Parchment paper or bread sling to line Dutch oven to avoid bread sticking
- Sharp knife or lame to score bread
- Digital food thermometer (optional) helps to assess dough and when bread is done
- Bread knife to slice bread
Ingredients
Sourdough Pepperoni Pizza Loaf
Dough:
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 ½ cups (350g) water
- ½ cup (100g) active sourdough starter
- 1 ¾ tsp (10g) fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp (25g) olive oil
- 3 tbsp (50g) tomato paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
Inclusions:
- 1 cup (100g) low moisture mozzarella, shredded
- ¾ cup (80g) mini or chopped pepperoni
Cheese Topping:
- ¼ cup (25g) shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup (25g) grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
Instructions
Step 1: Feed Your Starter the Night Before
- To ensure your starter is strong and active, feed it the night before using a 1:5:5 ratio. This means 1 part mother starter, 5 parts (or 5 times) flour, and 5 parts (5 times) water.
- Using a spatula, mix your starter, flour, and water together very well in a glass jar. Cover loosely with lid (don't screw it down, just rest it on top). Place jar on a cookie sheet in your oven with the light on overnight if your home is very cold.
- Starter should be bubbly and doubled in size when it's ready to use, and the top should be flat not domed. It's a good idea to use a rubber band to mark the volume of your jar before letting it rest overnight to make sure your starter is doubling properly.
- Starter should be doubled and bubbly when ready to use.
Step 2: Mix the Dough (Morning)
- Mix together your bubbly starter, tomato paste, water, salt, olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, dried rosemary, and dried oregano with a dough whisk until you have roughly dissolved the starter and tomato paste into the water.1 ½ cups (350g) water, ½ cup (100g) active sourdough starter, 1 ¾ tsp (10g) fine sea salt, 2 tbsp (25g) olive oil, 3 tbsp (50g) tomato paste, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried rosemary
- Add your flour, and combine your dough into a rough ball. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes before beginning stretch and folds.4 cups (500g) all-purpose or bread flour
- While dough is resting, measure out your mozzarella and chop pepperoni if needed.1 cup (100g) low moisture mozzarella, shredded, ¾ cup (80g) mini or chopped pepperoni
- Temperature Note: I find that my dough is best at 73-75 degrees F. To check your dough temperature, use your meat thermometer and probe the dough and check. If your dough is warmer than this, it may be sticky and hard to handle. If its colder, your dough may take longer to proof.
Step 3: Add Mix-in's and Strengthen the Dough (Stretch & Folds)
- Before your first set of stretch and folds, add the shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni to your bowl of dough.
- To develop structure and gluten and mix in inclusions, perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals.
- Grab one side of the dough, lift it up, and fold it over the center.
- Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Your inclusions will become more incorporated as you continue your stretch and folds, don't worry if it isn't perfect.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes between each set.
- This strengthens the dough without kneading. Continue until all 3 sets have been performed. Cover and allow dough to finish bulk fermentation.
Step 4: Bulk Fermentation (6-7 Hours)
- Keep the dough in a warm spot (73-75°F) for 6-7 hours. The dough should rise close to 100% in volume, meaning doubled in size. When your dough has risen this much, its ready to shape.
Step 5: Shaping the Dough
- Flour your work surface well and turn out the dough gently. Pre-shape by gently stretching it into a loose oval. To shape your loaf, fold the right side over the center. Next, fold the left side over the center like a letter. You will now have created a long log shape. Next, roll the dough into a ball by rolling the log up. Pinch all of the seams together and use a bench scraper or your hands to gently shape your ball. Pop any large air bubbles.
Step 6: Refrigerate the Dough
- Transfer the shaped dough into a flour-dusted banneton (or a medium bowl lined with a cloth and dusted with flour).
- Cover with a lint-free cloth or plastic wrap.
- Cold Proof Options: Refrigerate for 2 hours before baking. This is for the same-day recipe option. Refrigerate overnight for deeper sourdough complexity and longer fermentation.
Step 7: Preheat the Oven & Bake
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) convection bake. Place a Dutch oven inside the oven and preheat with Dutch oven inside.
- Note: If you choose to use the cast iron skillet and stainless-steel bowl as a lid, you will only preheat the cast iron skillet.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. Turn it out onto parchment paper or bread sling dusted with flour. Use a lame or sharp knife to score the top (a simple single slash works or an "X"). This cut should be about 1/2 inch deep. Be aware dough that hasn't been refrigerated as long may be more difficult to score or cut. This score helps the loaf retain a nice shape while it rises and expands in the oven.
- Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven (using parchment paper for easy lifting). Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 40 minutes with the lid on.
Step 8: Cheese topping
- While loaf is baking, combine mozzarella, parmesan, and parsley in a bowl.¼ cup (25g) shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup (25g) grated Parmesan, 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- When loaf has completed baking for 40 minutes with the lid on, remove the lid and top loaf with cheese mixture.
- Bake loaf for another 10 minutes with the lid off.
Step 9: Cool Completely Before Slicing
- Once baked, remove the bread from the Dutch oven and transfer to a wire rack carefully.
- Let it cool completely (at least 1-2 hours) before slicing. Cutting too soon will result in a gummy crumb because the inside is still setting!
- Yields 1 loaf