Founders Beer Dough Recipe (Baking Steel Test Kitchen)

You’ve heard of beer bread, this is beer pizza dough. We use Founders All Day IPA (4.7% ABV) for a crisp, lightly hoppy dough that bakes up beautifully on a Baking Steel. The beer adds gentle malt sweetness, aroma, and deeper browning.

Ingredients (makes 3 ~12" pizzas)

• 355 g (1 can) Founders All Day IPA, room temperature
• 500 g bread flour (we love Central Milling Organic)
• 15 g fine salt
• 2 g instant yeast

Tip: Beer should be room temp so the dough hydrates evenly.

Method

1. Mix – In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in the beer; stir until no dry flour remains. Knead for 3 minutes by hand. Dough will be sticky, perfect.
2. Ferment at Room Temp  – Rest the batch of dough at room temperature for 24 hours.
3. Cold ferment – Optional: refrigerate 24–72 hours. Longer = more flavor.
4. Ball & proof – Divide into 3 -  285 grams and make dough balls. Lightly flour and proof at room temp 3-4 hours.  
5. Bake like a legend – Preheat Baking Steel at 550°F (288°C) for 45–60 minutes. Stretch gently, top simply, and bake until the underside blisters and the rim is golden (typically 5–8 minutes).

flour mix with Founders Beer substituted for water

mixing beer pizza dough by hand in bowl

placed dough back into bowl after it was cleaned for fermentation

beer dough being pressed out by hand

 beer dough stretched out on a pizza peel

Why Beer Works

• Browning: Malt sugars + oven heat = deeper color.
• Aroma & flavor: Light hop notes play great with tomatoes and cheese.
• Texture: Slightly crisper shell than a water-only dough.

Which Beer Is Best?

• Session IPA (like Founders All Day IPA): Balanced hop aroma without harsh bitterness; great all-rounder for pizza dough.
• Lager/Pilsner: Clean flavor; very subtle beer character, good if you want the mildest profile.
• Stout/Porter: Adds roast/coffee notes and darker color, fun for specialty pies, but can dominate.
• Very bitter/hazy IPAs: Can push a lingering hop bite, use sparingly if you prefer a classic profile.
• Low- or non-alcoholic beer: Great option if you want the beer vibe with minimal alcohol remaining.

FAQ

Does the alcohol cook out?

Some evaporates, but not all. Studies based on USDA data show baked/simmered dishes can retain about 40% of the alcohol after 15 minutes of cooking, dropping to ~25% after 1 hour, and ~5% after ~2.5 hours. Since pizzas often bake 6–10 minutes, you should assume some alcohol may remain. If this is a concern, use a low- or non-alcoholic beer. 

Can kids eat pizza made with beer dough?

Because some alcohol may remain after a short bake, choose low- or non-alcoholic beer if you plan to serve it to kids or anyone avoiding alcohol.

Do I still need yeast if I’m using beer?

Yes. Beer adds flavor and helps browning, but it doesn’t replace baker’s yeast for reliable fermentation and rise.

What’s the ideal ferment time?

24–72 hours cold. We love the sweet spot around 48–72 hours for depth of flavor and extensibility.

Next Up: Bake It

Ready to turn this dough into an epic pie? Make our Founders Beer Dough Pizza next (simple sauce, fresh mozz, and a hot Baking Steel).