Can You Put Pizza Dough in the Freezer?

At Hungry Howie's®, we're here to provide information to all the pizza enthusiasts out there, and we are often asked "can you freeze pizza dough?" While we make all of our dough fresh daily, we know that there are many home cooks out there who like to prep in advance and bake their delicious pies later. The process of creating the perfect pizza dough isn't always an easy one. We know that all you home bakers have put endless hours into crafting your recipe just to your liking.

Often, you have to experiment a few times to get the best results and find the precise mixture to create the pizza you're craving. Because of this, and the time that the dough-making process consumes in and of itself, many home chefs prefer to make large batches of pizza dough at one time. Then, they use some immediately while saving the rest for future meal creations. So, how do you store your pre-prepared dough so that it doesn't go bad? 

Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?

The answer, to the delight of many home chefs, is that yes you can freeze pizza dough. This is excellent, as you can prep a large batch of dough whenever you have time knowing that you will have more to use later. However, it's essential to know a few key tips when freezing your dough to ensure that it doesn't go bad and that when you go to bake it retains its high quality. 

The five things to be aware of when freezing pizza dough are:

Quantity

Serving size

Storage method

Lifespan

How to defrost

Once you learn the ins and outs of dough freezing, you'll wish you had been making large amounts all along. It's simple to get the hang of and saves tons of time. However, to begin, the single most important thing to know when asking "can you freeze pizza dough?" is that you must let it fully rise before attempting to freeze it. After that, you're good to go. Follow the tips below to proceed. 

How Much Pizza Dough Can You Freeze?

You can freeze as much dough as you can prepare, package, and properly store. Don't make more dough than your freezer can handle. Even if it's empty now you may have other items to put in before you can use up all your dough. To be sure you don't waste dough take this into account. 

Pizza Dough Serving Size

You'll want to take that big ball of pizza dough you have and cut it up into the proper serving sizes before freezing. Doing this is essential to the defrosting process, as the more you freeze and un-freeze food it affects the integrity of the dough. 

Once you prepare your large amount of dough and it fully rises, divide it up into batches. Each portion of dough should be equal to the amount you need to make one pizza. 

How to Store Frozen Pizza Dough

It is also essential that you properly store your frozen dough so that it does not go bad or accumulate freezer burn. The best way to store pizza dough in the freezer is to place it in an air-tight container. Many people swear by coating the dough in a light layer of olive oil or cooking spray and then placing it into a plastic freezer bag. 

You can also oil the dough and then wrap it thoroughly in plastic wrap, followed by a second layer of aluminum foil if you do not have freezer bags or air-tight containers. 

How Long Does Frozen Pizza Dough Last?

When stored properly you can keep pizza dough in the freezer for up to three months. Of course, the sooner you use it the better it is bound to cook and taste, but it will last for 90 days when frozen properly. 

How to Defrost Frozen Pizza Dough

How you defrost your dough is just as important as how you store it. For the best results, take the frozen dough out of the freezer the night before you intend to use it. Keep it in its plastic storage container. If you also wrapped it in aluminum foil you can remove this layer of protection while the dough defrosts.

Always defrost dough in the refrigerator to ensure it is temperature-controlled and does not begin to develop bacteria. Never leave the dough to defrost on the counter. You should leave the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours before using it. 

After you take your defrosted pizza dough out of the fridge it will still be very firm. To get your dough to the consistency you need to stretch and shape it, allow it to sit out at room temperature for just half an hour. 

Happy Baking!

Freezing pizza dough is an excellent way to prepare for future home baking. Since the process of making the dough and letting it rise can take quite a while, making a larger portion all at once and saving some for later is a great route to take. By following our tips you can have the perfect at-home pizza dough standing by for months to come.

And, hey, if you're not in the mood to make your own dough but you're craving a pizza tonight, order Hungry Howie's®. You can place an order online or give us a call for pizza delivery or carry-out.