How to Freeze Pizza Dough
It’s important to save time in the kitchen, and that means having a little bit of foresight. One way to do this is by freezing pizza dough for your next night of convenience or campfire cooking excitement in your backyard. By planning, you can spend less time cooking and more time with friends or family on pizza night!
Today I’ll be sharing how to freeze pizza dough quickly and easily so it will taste great and rise perfectly.
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Contents
What Is Basic Pizza Dough Made Of?
First things first, you’ll need to bust out your recipe for pizza dough. If you don’t have one on hand, don’t worry we have a basic recipe you can use!
The ingredients are simple enough and are easy to find in the grocery store:
- flour
- yeast
- salt
- olive oil
You can adjust the amounts of each ingredient depending on how much dough you need as a good starting point. Get the recipe now!
Storing Pizza Dough in the Fridge
After you’ve made your yeast dough ball and allowed it to rise, store it in the fridge for about an hour before use. However, if you’re freezing dough then you’ll want to pop each dough ball into the freezer for future convenience.
Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! You can freeze your pizza dough balls which is great news!
If you’re planning on using your dough at a later date, pop it in the fridge for about an hour before transferring it to your freezer – this will help prevent ice crystals from forming.
Does Pizza Dough Freeze Well?
Yes! Frozen dough is just as good and tasty as fresh dough. This means you can make a large batch and freeze it for later. Just be sure to let your dough balls thaw completely before using, otherwise, the crust won’t bake properly!
What Does Freezing Do to Your Pizza Dough?
Freezing has no impact on your pizza dough’s taste or texture. If anything, the flavors will become more pronounced after thawing and cooking.
Trust me I once worked at Pizza Hut in my teens and I learned a lot about making dough and making the perfect pizza!
How Long Can You Freeze Pizza Dough
Pizza dough balls can last in the freezer for around three months.
Homemade Pizza is great to have on hand as a quick and easy dinner solution. The dough is versatile, so you can use it for calzones or stromboli if you don’t want to shape it into the classic round base!
How to Freeze Pizza Dough in 3 Steps
- Simply wrap your homemade pizza dough tightly in plastic, then place it into a freezer bag. You can also use plastic wrap.
- Make sure you label your dough balls with the date and any specifications about what type of dough it is (thin crust or deep dish).
- Put that baby in the freezer for up to three months. Freeze the dough!
What Type of Dough Should I Freeze?
There are several types of pizza dough balls that you can freeze. However, a thin crust is more likely to become soggy when frozen so keep that in mind!
I like to freeze a thick pan base dough which my whole family prefers when making homemade pizza.
Will Pizza Dough Rise After Being Frozen?
Yes! The defrosted dough will still rise so you’ll have a nice puffy cheese crust.
When to Use Frozen Pizza Dough?
Frozen pizza dough is great to use any night of the week especially when you’re short on time. Just thaw it out before using. Use a baking sheet and lightly coat with baking spray so your pizza base doesn’t stick to the bottom of the baking tray.
How to Thaw Pizza Dough?
To thaw frozen dough, simply take it out of the freezer and let it defrost on your kitchen counter for about an hour at room temperature.
To thaw overnight place the dough directly in the fridge. By placing your dough balls in the fridge overnight it will allow the base to defrost slowly ready for making family size or individual pizzas.
Basic Frozen Pizza Dough Recipe:
Check out this Instant Pot recipe if you want to know how to proof dough in your pressure cooker: Instant Pot Dough Recipe.
Top Tips to Remember When Freezing Your Pizza Dough:
- Store the dough in an airtight container. Preventing the dough from being exposed to air will stop the dough from drying out.
- Wrap your pizza dough tightly for extra protection against the cold! Again you can use plastic wrap or a freezer bag.
- Use A Freezer Tape and Marker pen for labelling the correct date. This is the tape and pen I’d recommend!
- You can make multiple balls and batch cook to save time in future.
Can You Defrost Pizza Dough on the Counter?
Yes! You can thaw your dough on the kitchen counter, just give it about an hour. You can then roll it out ready to add tomato or bbq sauce and your ingredients.
Can I Defrost Pizza Dough in the Microwave?
No – do not use a microwave to thaw frozen pizza base as this will cause your crust to get soggy and chewy rather than crispy.
Can You Refreeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! Refreezing pizza dough is perfectly safe to do so. Just be sure you have thawed the dough completely before using it again if not, your crust will become wet and sticky.
Again store pizza dough in a freezer bag in the refrigerator as it thaws.
Best Pizza Toppings:
If you want to make homemade pizzas. Here are some of our favorite toppings suggestions:
No matter what pizza topping you use be sure to cook each individual pizza in a hot oven to allow your delicious creation to turn out well.
- Vegetarian – Tomato, cheesy and covered in basil leaves or olives make a quick yet tasty vegetarian pizza recipe!
- Meat Lovers – Pepperoni with ham and bacon – yum! Add mushrooms to the mix for an extra tasty option.
- Chicken Lovers – Chicken, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers are a winning combo every time! This is one of my favorite pizzas to make at home – don’t forget the BBQ sauce for more flavor!
- Vegan – Tomato base with vegan cheese topped with olives, artichokes, broccoli, and chili.
- Gluten-Free – Tomato base with cheese topped with red onion, sweetcorn, melted vegan cheese, and olives.
- Fruit Lovers – add fruit to your diet in an easy-to-make homemade fruit pizza!
- Hawaiian-style – try a tomato base, with cheese, ham and pineapple chunks.
What Temperature Should I Bake a Pizza?
When making pizza use a temperature of around 240 degrees Celsius for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the base is crispy
Keep your dough in the plastic wrap if you are defrosting it in the refrigerator overnight as this help the crust to turn out well.
Enjoy!
We hope this blog post helped teach you how to freeze pizza dough. If so, please share it with your friends and family! And don’t forget to check out our other posts for more information on cooking tips and recipes. Have a great day!
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About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!
