Can you freeze pizza dough? Here are all the tips you need for freezing homemade or store-bought dough for easy meals!
Got leftover pizza dough? Pizza dough recipes make enough for 2 to 3 pizzas, and sometimes you’ve got an extra dough ball or two. The best way to preserve the dough? Freezing it! This keeps the dough in tact for up to 3 months, perfect for saving for easy meals. But you’ll need to know a few pointers to keep the dough texture in tact! Here’s everything you need to know about how to freeze pizza dough. (And if you think you’ll eat it sooner, we’ve got an alternative for you too! Keep reading.)
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 refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. But if you’d like to preserve it for up to 3 months, freezing is your best bet. Here’s how to freeze pizza dough:
- First, make the pizza dough and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Then take each dough ball and place it in a sealable plastic bag. Suck out the remaining air in the bag using 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, defrost using the instructions below.
Can you freeze pizza dough from the store?
Did you buy your pizza dough instead of making it homemade? The same principles work here! Throw it in the freezer in a sealable plastic back with the extra air removed, and it stays good for 3 months. Just make sure to follow the defrosting instructions below!
How to defrost pizza dough
Even more important than learning how to freeze pizza dough? Learning how to defrost it. You can’t rush the defrosting process or you’ll end up with a sticky mess. Here’s how to defrost frozen pizza dough:
- Defrost 24 hours: Remove the dough from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
- Bring to room temperature the day of making (30 minutes): The day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the containers, place it on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel, and allow it to come to room temperature before stretching, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Then you’re ready to stretch your pizza dough. Go to How to Stretch Pizza Dough.
Alternative: refrigerate the pizza dough
Want to make homemade pizza dough 2 to 3 days in advance? The best way to store it is refrigerated! In fact, making pizza dough in advance and refrigerating it is the best way to great tasting dough. The refrigeration time allows the dough to ferment, which adds a nutty, complex quality to the flavor of the dough. Once you taste it, you’ll see the difference!
Don’t refrigerate beyond 3 days though: the dough becomes tricky to work with after that. If you don’t use the dough within 3 days, you can freeze it using the instructions above.
More pizza recipes
We’re homemade pizza experts! We’ve spent years honing all the tips and tricks you need to make killer artisan pizza at home. Here are a few other resources you might enjoy:
- Try these 25 Great Pizza Recipes
- Make The Best Homemade Pizza
- Got a pizza oven? Make Pizza Oven Pizza Dough
- Make our Master Pizza Dough or Easy Pizza Sauce
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 3 pizza doughs 1x
Description
Here’s how to make and freeze pizza dough with the perfect chewy texture—every time. For the best possible pizza dough texture, we recommend baking it on this pizza stone.
Ingredients
- 500 grams* 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 warm water (1 ¼ cups + 3 tablespoons)
- 13 grams olive oil (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a raggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
- After the kneading is finished, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Using floured hands, gently shape each half into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Set each boule on a floured surface and dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Cover all boules with a damp towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- The dough can be used immediately or frozen (go to Step 5). However for the BEST flavor, transfer the dough to separate sealed containers, large enough for the dough to double in size again, and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. The day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the containers, place it on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel, and allow it to come to room temperature before stretching, 30 to 45 minutes.
- To freeze the pizza dough, place each boule in a sealable plastic bag. Suck out the extra air with a straw, then seal the bag. Write the date of making the dough on the outside of the bag with permanent marker. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To defrost pizza dough, remove the dough from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using. The day of making the pizza, remove the dough from the containers, place it on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel, and allow it to come to room temperature before stretching, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Category: Essentials
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Can you freeze pizza dough, how to freeze pizza dough, freezing pizza dough
Let us know if you have any questions!
★★★★★
I’m wondering if I can make a double or triple batch of this dough in my high capacity mixer (we have a Bosch Universal) then freeze dough balls as instructed. Have you tried making larger batches?
Yes, it should multiply fine!
Do you have a recommended cook time?
500F for 5 to 7 minutes on a pizza stone.
Hi! I have a question on the freezing of the dough. We didn’t use all that dough after we had already had it on the counter to shape. Do you think it’s okay to go ahead and freeze it for later?
★★★★★
Yes! Just thaw 24 hours in the fridge.