How to Freeze Pizza Dough
By Robert Parsons April 17th, 2023
You can freeze pizza dough and save it for a later day. However, you have to make sure you do it right. Otherwise, your risk letting the pizza dough go bad, which can be very dangerous.
Experts highly suggest staying away from spoiled food at all costs. And if you’re looking to make sure that you’re storing and freezing your pizza dough safely, you’ve come to the right place.
Below, we talk about whether or not freezing pizza dough is a good idea, how to freeze pizza dough properly, and how to use your frozen dough properly.
Read on to learn more.
Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?
I’ve been experimenting with pizza dough for a while. And in my experience, I found that pizza dough freezes pretty well and stays fresh in the freezer. However, I’ve also found that you have to freeze the dough properly. Otherwise, it can go bad or lose its flavour and qualities while frozen.
Additionally, you have to make sure to freeze the dough at the right time. There’s a specific point when the dough is ready for the freezer. If you place the dough before or after that, you won’t be able to retain its quality.
This is why there are many home cooks that make large batches of pizza dough at a time and freeze the dough until they need to use it. To make sure you freeze your dough safely, I’ll talk about the best approach to freezing your dough in the next section.
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
There are a few things that you need to ensure when freezing pizza dough. Number one, you need to make sure it’s done with the fermentation process. Fermenting the dough allows it to get the best possible flavour and texture. When you put the dough in the freezer too early, it stops the fermentation.
I’ve made this mistake a few times, and the result is always a sub-par batch of pizza dough.
I usually let my pizza dough ferment cold in the fridge overnight after I make it. Then, I place to divide the dough into batches and place them in the freezer in the morning. That way, I can get a ball or two of dough whenever I’m in the mood to make a pizza.
Additionally, it’s important that your dough was placed in the fridge no longer than two hours after it was sitting at room temperature. If you place any food out at room temperature for more than two hours, it becomes unsafe, even if you go through the effort of freezing the dough right after.
There are two main ways to freeze pizza dough for later use. I’ll explain both of those methods below so you can easily decide the best option for you.
Ziplock or Freezer Bags
If you’re going to use freezer bags for your pizza dough, it’s best to let it cold ferment in a baking pan overnight. Once done fermenting, you can place the entire baking pan in the freezer. After that, I place each individual dough ball into a freezer bag and store it until I need it.
Tupperware Containers
If you aren’t keen on transferring your dough, Tupperware containers are the best option. This is because you can place the dough directly in the container and into the fridge for cold fermentation. Once done fermenting, you don’t need to transfer the dough as you can place the entire Tupperware container in the freezer and store it.
How Long Can I Keep Pizza Dough in the Freezer?
The reason many people store pizza dough in the freezer is to extend its shelf life. Fresh pizza dough can only last a few days in the fridge. But I’ve found that you can place pizza dough in the freezer for up to two months. Again, you have to make sure that the fermentation process is over before you freeze your dough.
Additionally, it’s best to freeze your pizza right after the fermentation process. So, once it’s finished fermenting in the fridge, immediately transfer the dough balls into the freezer. That way, you can comfortably store it for months before using the dough.
How to Thaw Pizza Dough
You also have to make sure that you thaw the pizza dough properly. In my experience, the best way to thaw pizza dough is in the fridge. If you froze the dough in Tupperware containers, it will be really easy to defrost them as all you have to do is place them in the fridge overnight.
While it’s really easy to thaw dough in Tupperware containers, doing it with ziploc bags is a bit more complicated. This is because you usually have to remove the dough from the bags and place it on a baking sheet lined with Semolina flour.
To keep the dough from forming a skin, I usually dust the top of the balls with flour and cover it with clear plastic wrap. From there, I wait a few hours until the dough is defrosted before I use it for pizza.
FAQs
Will Freezing Pizza Dough Kill the Yeast?
Typically, freezing pizza dough will kill the yeast. This is why I suggest waiting until the dough has finished the cold fermentation process before freezing it.
Can I Cold Ferment Pizza Dough in the Freezer?
You cannot cold-ferment pizza dough in the freezer. The temperatures in the freezer are much too cold for fermentation. So, I ferment my dough in the fridge overnight before transferring the balls to the freezer.
Can I Freeze Pizza Sauce?
Pizza sauce is very-freezer friendly. I usually make big batches of dough at the same time as my sauce. That way, I can freeze both in batches and take them out whenever I’m in the mood for homemade pizza.
Conclusion
Whenever I want to preserve my pizza dough for a long time, I form individual balls and freeze them. That way, I can store the pizza up to two months. Then, whenever I need the dough, I defrost it and then form them into beautiful homemade pizzas!
