Can You Freeze Pizza Dough? Sure—Right here’s How

Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?

Sure, pizza dough freezes superbly! Whether or not you’re working with a easy same-day dough or a multi-day sourdough pizza dough, most yeasted doughs may be frozen with out sacrificing high quality. The secret is to freeze it on the proper level within the course of and retailer it correctly to protect its construction and taste.

This system works for each residence ovens and high-heat pizza ovens like Alfa Forni, Solo Range Pizza Ovens, or Massive Inexperienced Egg pizza setups.

When to Freeze Your Dough

The best time to freeze pizza dough is after the primary rise (bulk fermentation). This offers the yeast time to activate and construct taste, however stops the fermentation course of earlier than it goes too far.

Freezing dough too early (like earlier than any rise) can result in poor texture, and freezing after shaping could make it troublesome to work with later.

After that first rise, divide and ball your dough, work it together with your fingers for creating gluten, then freeze.

If you thaw the fermentation course of will activate once more, and you will see that that the dough balls will begin rising as soon as they’ve thawed. Particularly at room temperature.

Step-by-Step: The best way to Freeze Pizza Dough Correctly

Right here’s how we suggest freezing dough:

1. Let your dough rise by means of bulk fermentation (anyplace from 3 to eight hours relying in your recipe).
2. Divide into particular person pizza-sized balls – normally 250 to 300 grams every for a 12-inch pizza. We strongly suggest you utilize a digital scale with a bench scraper.
3. Calmly coat every ball with olive oil to stop sticking and drying out. A bit goes a great distance.
4. Wrap every dough ball tightly in plastic wrap, then place on a sheet tray. This may assist them preserve their form as they freeze and sit simpler in your freezer. Small containers additionally work.
5. Label and date your dough, particularly if you happen to’re freezing a number of batches or dough varieties. A sharpie works finest, label them after you’ve wrapped them.
6. Lay them within the freezer to save lots of area and freeze quicker. As soon as they’ve totally frozen, you’ll be able to take away them from the tray and retailer them on their very own.

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How Lengthy Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?

For finest outcomes, use frozen pizza dough inside 2 to three months. Whereas it will probably technically last more, the feel and taste could begin to degrade over time, particularly if uncovered to freezer burn.

That’s the reason we suggest you date your pizza dough balls so you should utilize the oldest ones first.

The best way to Thaw Frozen Pizza Dough

There are two strong choices to thaw your dough:

1. In a single day within the fridge: Take away the dough from the freezer and place it (nonetheless wrapped) within the fridge for 8–12 hours. As soon as they’ve totally thawed in that timeframe they may begin to rise once more.
2. Room temperature thaw (quicker): Depart the dough out in your counter or on a sheet tray, wrapped for five – 6 hours. As they thaw you will notice them begin to rise once more within the plastic wrap. Because of this you oiled them first, so they’re simpler to take away from the plastic.

After thawing, all the time let the dough relaxation at room temperature for at the least 60 minutes, ideally two hours earlier than stretching. This permits the gluten to loosen up and makes shaping simpler.

Keep away from microwaving frozen dough—it results in uneven thawing and cooked edges, which you don’t need.

Can I Freeze Unused Dough?

In case you have unused dough out of your pizza get together, you’ll be able to nonetheless freeze it. Comply with the identical instructions as famous, and label it as unused dough ball. Because it went by means of secondary fermentation, it’ll possible not rise far more and must be used ahead of others that have been frozen earlier than the second rise.

Indicators Your Dough Didn’t Survive the Freezer Properly

Whereas most dough freezes effectively, listed here are a couple of crimson flags that one thing went fallacious:

• Freezer burn or dry, cracked edges – this comes from the plastic wrap not being tight sufficient or totally wrapped.
• Bitter or off smells that weren’t there earlier than freezing.
• Dough that’s overly sticky, tears simply, or refuses to stretch. This possibly an indication of a dough that was beforehand frozen and infrequently what occurs with store-purchased dough.

If you happen to see any of these indicators, it’s higher to toss it and begin recent.

Ideas for Making Freezer-Pleasant Dough

Need to maximize your outcomes? Hold the following tips in thoughts:

• Use bread flour or 00 flour for higher gluten improvement and construction. Or think about mixing the 2. They’ve greater quantities of protein than all function flour.
• Add only a contact extra yeast if you’ll be freezing the dough—this helps wake it up after thawing.
• Freeze dough in particular person parts—don’t attempt to freeze one massive batch.

Regularly Requested Questions

Remaining Ideas

Freezing pizza dough is a straightforward method to take the stress out of pizza evening. When performed correctly, it offers you the pliability to prep forward with out sacrificing high quality. Whether or not you’re firing up a pizza oven or utilizing your yard grill, having dough able to go makes the method smoother and extra enjoyable.