5 May 2026
8 min read
How to Use Sourdough Doughballs
Pizza Essentials
How to Use Sourdough Doughballs
With Luigi Forte
Luigi is one of the pizzaiolo behind Pizza Essentials. In this video, he takes you through exactly how to use our sourdough doughballs, from the moment you open the box to the moment you pull a properly puffed pizza out of the oven.
You'll see how to store the doughballs (fridge or room temperature), how to know when they've proofed and are ready to go, the right way to get them out of the tray without tearing them, and how to stretch a sourdough base without a fight. These doughballs are forgiving. Luigi will show you why.
Good pizza doesn't need much. It needs dough that does the work and a method you can trust. That's what this is.
The method.
Step by step.
Unboxing & what's inside
- Open your Pizza Essentials box — inside you'll find a food-grade thermal lining (fully recyclable), two ice packs you can pop in the freezer and reuse, and your sourdough doughballs in a two-pack of six.
Storage — two options
- Remove the doughballs from the packaging and place them into the flour tray. Leave a good gap between each one — they'll grow as they ferment and you don't want them crowding each other.
- To use them the same day, leave the tray at room temperature for 5 to 7 hours.
- To use them later, cover the tray and put it in the fridge. They'll be good for up to 72 hours.
Good to know: The flour tray fits in any standard fridge. No special equipment needed.
Knowing when they're ready
- Your doughballs are ready when they've roughly doubled in size. That's the visual cue — don't go by the clock alone.
- If they've grown close together in the tray, don't worry. You're about to get them out anyway.
Getting them out of the tray
- Dust your work surface generously with semolina.
- Run a spatula or scraper around the edge of each doughball to free it from the sides of the tray — they will have stuck slightly during proofing.
- Slide the spatula underneath at an angle, lift gently, and lower the doughball straight down onto the semolina.
- Move it around on the semolina to coat the base, then flip it over.
Stretching the base
- These sourdough doughballs stretch easily — they're designed to. Work from the centre outward with your hands, letting gravity do some of the pulling.
- Don't force it. If it resists, give it 30 seconds and try again.
- Once stretched, add your toppings and get it in the oven.
What you're looking for when it comes out: Good rise on the crust, a little puff where the dough has blistered, and a bit of crunch on the base. Slice and eat straight away.
