Name: Vegan Meatball, Pepper, and Onion Sourdough Pizza
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 25g mature sourdough starter; 75g flour (see flour notes below); 75g water; 340g room temperature water; 500g flour*; 12g fine sea salt; All of the levain (approx. 175g total); 10 oz pizza sauce (I prefer Don Pepino or Bianco DiNapoli); 200g vegan mozzarella shreds (I like Daiya or Violife); 100g vegan shaved parmesan or shreds (or sub for more mozzarella); 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 6 vegan meatballs, partially cooked and crumbled (I prefer Impossible meatballs); Additional flour and cornmeal, for dusting

High-Starter, Low-Hydration Sourdough Pizza with Flexible Cold Proof

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If you’ve been playing with sourdough for a bit and want something that’s practical, flexible, and actually fits into your week, this vegan meatball, pepper, and onion sourdough pizza is a good place to land.

This is a higher-starter, slightly lower-hydration dough. Translation: It’s easier to work with and more forgiving than many high-hydration pizza doughs.

Here’s what that means in real life:

It’s easier to handle and shape
It’s less sticky and less stressful
It ferments faster because we’re using more active starter
It gives you a 1–4 day cold proof window so you’re not locked into one baking day

It’s structured without being fussy. It encourages intuition. And it works with your schedule instead of against it.

This recipe makes 2 sharing-sized pizzas (10–12 inches each) and comfortably feeds 4–6 people.

Why This Dough Works

Higher Starter = Shorter Bulk

We’re using more active starter than a traditional long-ferment formula, which means you don’t need an all-day or overnight room-temperature bulk.

In my cooler home, bulk takes about 6–8 hours.
In a warmer kitchen, it might be closer to 4–5.

As always with sourdough, watch the dough more than the clock.

Slightly Lower Hydration = Easier Shaping

At about 72% hydration, this dough is soft but structured. It stretches beautifully without feeling like batter. You can shape it confidently without it trying to melt into your counter.

Cold Proof = Built-In Flexibility

After dividing, the dough can rest in the fridge for 1–4 days.

Make it Sunday. Bake it Wednesday. Or Friday. The flavor deepens slightly as it rests, and honestly, it becomes even easier to stretch after about 48 hours.

Sourdough is intuitive. Visual cues matter more than exact timestamps. But if you like structure, here’s a helpful framework.

Example Timeline

Prepare the Dough

Day 1 – 7:00 PM
Feed your starter (build the levain).

Day 2 – 7:00 AM
Levain is bubbly, active, and doubled in size.
Mix the dough and begin bulk fermentation.

Day 2 – 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Bulk fermentation is complete (timing will vary based on temperature).
Divide, preshape into balls, and refrigerate.

Bake Day (Any Day 3–5)

2:00 PM
Remove dough from the refrigerator.
Let it rest at room temperature for 2–3 hours.

4:00 PM
Preheat oven to 550°F with your pizza stone or steel on the lowest rack.
Give it a full 45–60 minutes to heat thoroughly.

5:00 PM
Shape, top, and bake (about 10–15 minutes).

6:00 PM
Let it cool 10–15 minutes, slice, and eat.

Notes on Ingredients

Flour

You can use:

Bread flour (chewier structure)
00 flour (slightly softer interior)
All-purpose flour (most accessible)

All work. The texture varies slightly, but results are consistently good.

Vegan Cheese

If you don’t want two vegan cheeses, you can use:

One full 8 oz bag of vegan mozzarella for both pizzas.

I personally prefer combining mozzarella and parmesan for deeper flavor.

Troubleshooting Tips

Pizza sticking to peel? Use more flour under dough and move quickly.

Dense crust? Likely under-proofed bulk fermentation.

Too airy / overly slack? Bulk likely went too long.

Bottom pale? Stone not preheated long enough.