A's Sourdough Pizza Dough explained

The basic differences between Sourdough and Regular dough

The first difference between sourdough and a yeasted dough is the leavening agent used in them. Sourdough is usually referred to as NATURALLY LEAVENED. It means that the mix of wild yeast and natural bacteria cultures (the sourdough starter) ferments the flour in the dough. On the other hand, the yeasted dough is fermented by baker's yeast we buy in the grocery store in dry or fresh format. Baker's yeast only consists yeast strains without the presence of the healthy and natural bacteria cultures.

The next important difference is that the sourdough fermentation process is much longer than the one with regular yeast. While a yeasted pizza dough can be ready to use 4-6 hours after the initial mixing, the dough with sourdough starter culture takes 24-48 hours to ferment to the optimal level. This long fermentation and the presence of healthy bacteria cultures in sourdough provide its health benefits.

The third significant difference is comes from the fact that the store bought, commercial yeast is much more powerful than the sourdough starter bacteria culture. It is because it only contains yeast strains. In reality the sourdough pizza crust will always have a different and bit chewier and heavier, unique texture that resembles the sourdough bread, while on the other side the strength of the baker's yeast can produce the lightest and airiest Neapolitan-style pizza crust ever, the one we use for A's Pizza Truck's Signature pizzas.

Even though the naturally leavened pizza dough (sourdough) requires more time to properly ferment, and has a somewhat heavier crust texture, it comes with its advantages in return. These advantages are provided by the natural bacteria cultures present in wild yeast. Remember? Baker's yeast is PURE YEAST, while wild yeast (sourdough starter) is YEAST + BACTERIA CULTURES.

Reasons why Sourdough Pizza/bread is good for everyone

It has a lower glycemic index

There are tons of studies available worldwide showing that the slowly fermented sourdough has less gluten in it and it raises the blood sugar level less than yeasted breads do. A better pizza/bread choice for diabetic individuals.

Easy to digest, better for gluten-sensitivity

The natural bacteria culture breaks down the protein and the starches in the flour very thoroughly, certain gluten sensitive individuals find it that sourdough does not cause digestion issues in their bodies. The spectrum of gluten sensitivity is quite wide, our body is very complex, not everyone can enjoy sourdough, even with its lower gluten content. The studies indicate that sourdough bread with its lower glycemic index is a better choice of bread for people living with diabetes.

Better nutrient absorption for our body

The sourdough bacteria culture produces lactic acid that allows our body to absorb the minerals and fibres from the grains by breaking down the naturally occuring compound in grains called phytic acid. Phytic acid prevents our body to absorbs those minerals in the case of yeasted breads, that is why regular bread commonly called empty calories.

As natural as it can be

Sourdough pizza dough contains flour, water, salt and the sourdough starter. This starter culture is a combination of wild yeast and bacterias coming from a very natural origin. It is the oldest form of dough fermentation, we have been eating sourdough pizza/bread as a part of a natural diet for a long long time. 

It is good for your gut

The long and slow sourdough fermentation process can increase probiotic and prebiotic properties, which improves gut health.

More nutritious

Sourdough pizza/bread contains higher level or vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than their yeasted counterparts.

A flavour like no others

The sourdough fermentation process produces lactic acid that creates the very pleasant sour-like flavour.

Greek pizza made with A's Sourdough crust 

Why we make only yeasted pizzas at A's Pizza Truck, and not Sourdough?

We have built A's Pizza Truck's reputation on our exceptionally light and airy crust that is easy to digest. Sourdough is famous for its easy digestibility, but yeasted dough can also be gentle on the tummy if the fermentation is properly done. That is why we ferment our Neapolitan dough for 24-hours as against the minimum of 4-6 hours we mentioned at the beginning of this post.

For our ultimate crust lightness we need the power of baker's yeast, sourdough starter is just not powerful enough for the purpose. Sourdough crust is always a bit heavier than its yeasted counterpart. This is the primary reason why selling sourdough pizzas in the truck was out of question. The secondary reason is the lengthy fermentation time for a proper sourdough, a 36-hour timeframe still wouldn't fit to our business' needs and our daily rhythm. 

Why we don't sell our signature, Neapolitan dough balls?

We were asked many times in the past whether we sold our pizza dough by itself. Here is why we do not sell our signature, Neapolitan dough to the public, only we make the pizzas from it in A's Pizza Truck:

A's Pizza Truck makes Neapolitan-style crust pizzas. Creating this light and airy crust (that is what A's Pizza Truck is known for) requires the combination of high dough handling skills, careful fermentation timing and a special oven. Our signature dough is very sensitive to these factors and circumstances. The result won't be the same if it was done by anybody else and in a different kitchen setting. Plain and simple, we worked hard for the reputation of our neapolitan pizzas, they can only be done by us and in the truck.

The dough we use for each pizza at A's Pizza Truck is Neapolitan style. It is pushed to its limits in the sense of hydration and the careful timing of dough fermentation to make sure that each pizza is baked from a dough ball that is at its prime. But it also means that handling A's signature Neapolitan dough requires serious skills and experience. It is not something we can realistically expect from an average pizza lover who wants to make a pizza at home for their family.

We came up with the best dough solution for home kitchen use: A's Sourdough Pizza Dough

Even though a sourdough pizza dough does not fit A's Pizza Truck business model because of the reasons mentioned above, we realized that it is a perfect material for homemade pizzas. We have perfected this natural fermentation and came up with our very own formula that provides a dough ball that is very easy to handle, carries many natural health benefits and provides a truly pleasant pizza crust experience at home. We will offer it in frozen format, so everyone can use it at their own pace.

Here is why A's Sourdough Pizza Dough is a perfect fit to your home made pizzas:

• Our dough balls are easy to handle whether you are a beginner or a pizza pro. We tested them for both hand-stretching and using a rolling pin. Since our sourdough balls are perfectly fermented and full of gas bubbles, hand-stretching technique can produce a fluffier result, while with the help of a rolling pin we can aim for a thinner crust.
• Thanks to the proper long and slow fermentation, our Sourdough pizza dough represents a healthy choice for everyone with an unmistakable flavour. It may be a better alternative for individuals with gluten sensitivity or diabetes.
• The only planning it requires is for the time for thawing the dough balls. It can be done in the fridge overnight or daytime on the countertop.

We are at the final testing phase of A's Sourdough pizza dough. It will be available in our online store very soon! link: A's Pizza online store

If someone has the inclination to make sourdough dough from scratch, I recommend my pizza recipe book available on Amazon. Link: The Pizza Project Book

You can also buy my very active sourdough starter in a dehydrated format from A's Sourdough Etsy Store.

Thanks for the read!

Cheers,

Chef Akos