Can you freeze pizza dough? Here are all the tricks you need to freeze homemade or store-bought dough for easy meals!
Do you have leftover pizza dough? Pizza dough recipes are enough for 2-3 pizzas, and sometimes you’ll end up with an extra ball or two of dough. Best way to store dough? Freeze it! This keeps the batter intact for up to 3 months, perfect for saving for easy meals. But you need to know some tips to keep the texture of the dough intact! Here’s everything you need to know how to freeze pizza dough. (And if you think you’ll eat it sooner, we’ve got an alternative for you too! Read on.)
How to freeze pizza dough
Can you freeze pizza dough? Freezing is a great way to preserve pizza dough from a batch that you don’t plan to eat right away. You can also store the dough in the fridge for 2-3 days. However, if you plan to store it for up to 3 months, freezing is your best bet. How to freeze pizza dough:
- First prepare the pizza dough and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Then take each ball of dough and place it in a resealable plastic bag. Suck out the remaining air in the bag with a straw and write the date on the outside of the bag.
- Place in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
- When ready to use, thaw them according to the instructions below.
Can you freeze store-bought pizza dough?
Did you buy your pizza dough instead of making it yourself? The same principles apply here! Toss it in the freezer in a sealable plastic wrapper with the extra air removed and it’ll stay good for 3 months. Just be sure to follow the thawing instructions below!
Defrost like pizza dough
Even more important than learning how to freeze pizza dough? Learn to thaw it. You can’t rush the thawing process or you’ll end up with a gooey mess. To thaw frozen pizza dough:
- 24 hour thawing: Take the dough out of the freezer and place it in the fridge for 24 hours before using.
- Bring to room temperature on the day of preparation (30 minutes): On the day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the pans, place on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel and allow to come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before stretching.
- Then you are ready to stretch your pizza dough. Go to How to stretch pizza dough.
Alternative: chill the pizza dough
Want to make homemade pizza dough 2 to 3 days in advance? Best kept in the fridge! In fact, it’s best to prepare pizza dough ahead of time and refrigerate it to get a flavorful crust. The chilling time allows the dough to ferment, giving the dough a complex, nutty quality to its flavor. Once you try it you will see the difference!
Keep in the fridge for no longer than 3 days: after that, the dough is difficult to work with. If you won’t be using the dough within 3 days, you can freeze it using the instructions above.
More pizza recipes
We are experts in homemade pizza! We’ve spent years perfecting all the tips and tricks you need to make homemade pizza at home. Here are some other resources you might like:
The description
Here’s how to make and freeze pizza dough with the perfect moist texture, every time. To get the best possible texture from the pizza dough, we recommend baking it on this pizza stone.
- 500g* Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour (3 ⅓ cups)
- 8 grams Instant or active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 7 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 338 grams Hot water (1 ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons)
- 13 grams olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your food processor. Stir to combine. Add water and olive oil and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough by pressing it with the base of your palm, then shape it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes, until dough is fluffy and has a smooth, stretchy surface. If the dough is very sticky, add a little flour while kneading. Alternatively: Attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then knead for 8 minutes.
- After kneading, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. With floured hands, gently form each half into a ball (spherical shape) by folding the dough over itself. Place each ball on a floured work surface and brush the dough with a little olive oil to keep it moist. Cover each ball with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- The dough can be used immediately or frozen (skip to step 5). However, for BEST flavor, transfer batter to separate sealed containers large enough for batter to double again and refrigerate for 2-3 days. On the day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the pans, place on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel and allow to come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before stretching.
- To freeze pizza dough, place each ball in a resealable plastic bag. Suck out the excess air with a straw, then seal the bag. Write the date the dough was made on the outside of the bag with a permanent marker. Freeze up to 3 months.
- To thaw pizza dough, remove the dough from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using. On the day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the pans, place on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel and allow to come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before stretching.
- Category: Essential
- Method: No chef
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Can you freeze pizza dough, how to freeze pizza dough, freeze pizza dough
