High Protein Sourdough Pizza Bites (Pull Apart)
Long fermented sourdough pizza bites made with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for 70% more protein than regular pizza dough. Pull apart style, freezer friendly, and worth every minute of the wait.
Servings: 4 bite balls
Calories: 346kcal
Equipment
- - Stand mixer with dough hook or your hands
- kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- 13x9 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Blender or food processor (if using cottage cheese)
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 320 g bread flour 2 and 2/3 cups
- 130 g active peaked sourdough starter scant 2/3 cup
- 200 g nonfat Greek yogurt OR 200g cottage cheese blended smooth with 15g milk scant 1 cup
- 60 g water room temperature (1/4 cup)
- 20 g olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
- 7 g salt 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 4 g sugar 1 teaspoon
For the Pizza Bites
- Your favorite marinara or pizza sauce about 1/2 teaspoon per ball
- Low moisture shredded mozzarella
- Pepperoni slices halved or quartered
- Avocado oil spray for the pan
- Flaky salt and dried Italian herbs for finishing
Instructions
- If using cottage cheese, blend 200g cottage cheese with 15g milk until completely smooth before measuring. If using Greek yogurt, measure straight from the container. Either way you want a thick smooth consistency.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the bread flour and salt and mix briefly on low to distribute. In a separate bowl whisk together the starter, Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese, water, olive oil, and sugar until smooth, then pour the wet ingredients into the flour.
- Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, and passes a partial windowpane test. Because this is an enriched dough you will not achieve a full translucent windowpane. You are looking for a partial windowpane where the dough stretches without immediately tearing. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it sticks to the bowl after 3 minutes, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it looks too stiff, add water one tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. After 30 minutes perform one set of stretch and folds by grabbing one side of the dough, stretching it up without tearing, and folding it over the center. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat four times around the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and bulk ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours until the dough is 50 to 75% larger, looks domed, and feels airy when you press it. Do not bulk ferment overnight at room temperature as over fermentation breaks down the gluten structure and causes tearing when you shape.
- Once bulk fermentation is complete, cover the bowl tightly and place in the refrigerator while your oven preheats.
- To long ferment, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. The cold ferment deepens the flavor significantly and gives you a much more extensible dough that shapes beautifully the next day. The next day remove from the fridge and continue with the instructions.
- Preheat your oven to 430 degrees F
- Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray generously with avocado oil.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 24 pieces of about 30g each. Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the edges underneath and rolling against the counter to build surface tension.
- Arrange the dough balls close together in 6 rows of 4 so they will touch and merge as they proof. Cover loosely and proof at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy and beginning to fill in the gaps between them.
- Use oiled fingertips to gently dimple the top of each ball. Add about half a teaspoon of marinara to each ball, then scatter shredded mozzarella generously over the entire pan. Add pepperoni pieces and any additional toppings.
- Bake at 430 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is deeply golden and bubbling, the pepperoni is caramelized, and the dough edges are dark golden brown.
- Let the pan rest for 10 minutes before pulling apart. The dough is too soft straight from the oven and will tear messily. After 10 minutes it firms up just enough to pull cleanly.
Notes
Long Fermentation:
The overnight cold ferment is where most of the flavor development happens and where the dough transforms from sticky and difficult to smooth, extensible, and easy to handle.
Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt:
Both work beautifully at a 1:1 measured swap with no other adjustments needed. To use cottage cheese, blend 200g with 15g of milk until completely smooth before measuring. Use Good Culture cottage cheese for best results as it is particularly thick and dry. Use nonfat Greek yogurt for the highest protein content. Whatever you use must be thick. Thin or regular yogurt will throw off your hydration.
Protein Boost:
This dough delivers 70% more protein than a standard pizza dough made with flour and water alone. The boost comes entirely from the Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, no protein powder required. Each bite contains approximately 2.9g of protein from the dough alone. A serving of 4 bites with mozzarella and pepperoni provides approximately 16g of total protein.
Scaling Up:
This recipe makes 24 bites in a 13x9 pan. Double the recipe for a full half sheet pan of approximately 42 bites, perfect for a party or large family meal. Bake time stays exactly the same at 430 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Partial Windowpane Test:
Because this is an enriched dough with dairy, you will not achieve a full translucent windowpane the way you would with a lean pizza dough. You are looking for a partial windowpane where the dough stretches without immediately tearing and you can see light through it even if it is not fully translucent. That is the correct target for this dough. Do not over knead chasing a full windowpane.
Make Ahead:
The dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator after bulk fermentation. The flavor continues to develop the longer it cold ferments. Pull individual dough balls out as needed rather than all at once.
To Freeze After Baking:
Let the bites cool completely. Freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan for 1 hour until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe bag or airtight container. Store for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, place on a piece of parchment paper set on an oven rack or sheet pan at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until heated through and the cheese is bubbling.
Storage:
Store leftover bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best texture. Microwaving is not recommended as it softens the crust.
Can I Use Sourdough Discard:
Yes, but for the most reliable results add 4g of instant yeast directly to your dry ingredients alongside the discard. The yeast handles the leavening and the discard still contributes flavor depth. Without the yeast, discard alone will ferment more slowly and unpredictably. If you go the yeast route, watch your bulk ferment closely as it will move faster than the active starter version.
Toppings Variations:
These bites are fully customizable. Try a white sauce base with garlic and fresh mozzarella, pesto with cherry tomatoes, buffalo chicken, or a simple garlic herb butter with parmesan. Use whatever toppings your family loves.
