How to Freeze Pizza Dough for Homemade Pizza Nights
Updated: Feb. 06, 2024
There is virtually no problem pizza can't solve—including the need to find a recipe that freezes well for later. Freezing pizza dough is easy, and it makes for a quick and convenient meal for the future.
One of the best parts about cooking is the immediate gratification and feeling of accomplishment, especially if everything is made from scratch. When it comes to making homemade pizza, you can double down on that feeling by making the crust in addition to spreading on the sauce and sprinkling on the toppings.
No matter if you like thin-crust pizza dough, whole-wheat pizza dough, deep dish or the standard crust, a homemade pizza dough recipe will taste better than premade pizza crust. Another bonus? It’s easy to make a couple batches at a time, so you can meal prep for future pizza nights—as long as you know how to freeze pizza dough. Here are the simple steps to preserving that precious pizza dough in the freezer.
Can you freeze pizza dough?
Yes! Pizza dough is one of the yeast bread recipes that freeze well. Freezing food like pizza dough extends its lifespan. Simply thaw it when you’re ready to cook.
Here’s the best way to store pizza dough for the next time you whip up a homemade pizza recipe.
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
Step 1: Create dough balls
Begin by divvying up the dough into equal-sized portions and form each into balls. Each ball should be big enough to make an individual pizza (200-250 grams for a 10-inch crust). This measurement will vary depending on your recipe and your preferred crust thickness, so test this process with one or two dough balls before making a big batch.
Lightly coat all sides of the pizza dough with oil (we recommend olive oil) to prevent freezer burn.
Step 2: Freeze on a baking sheet
Line up the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 3 hours.
Step 3: Transfer to a freezer bag
Take the frozen dough balls off the tray, and tightly seal them in a freezer bag. Make sure all the air is squeezed out of the bag before placing in the freezer.
How to Thaw Frozen Pizza Dough
There are many different ways to thaw frozen pizza dough. Regardless of which you pick, it’s important to keep the dough covered with something like plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Thaw dough in the fridge
Place the dough in a covered bowl in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. During this thaw, the dough will undergo another fermentation process as the yeast activates, so make sure that the bowl is big enough to accommodate some expansion.
Thaw dough in water
Running short on time? To thaw your pizza more quickly, place your dough in a bowl of cold water. Make sure to keep the dough sealed in plastic, and change the water every half hour. This will take 1 to 2 hours. You can use water on the warmer side if you’re in a rush, but make sure it’s not too hot. Otherwise, the yeast in the dough will start to activate.
Thaw dough in the microwave
Running even shorter on time? You can toss your frozen pizza dough in the microwave, but you’ll want to be careful not to cook it. Move dough from the freezer bag to a microwave-safe plate, and then defrost in 30-second increments. This should take about 2-1/2 minutes.
Thaw dough on the counter
You can also let the dough thaw on the kitchen counter for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours; however, make sure to refrigerate after 2 hours to avoid bacteria growth.
How to Use Thawed Pizza Dough
After you thaw your pizza dough, let it rest on the countertop for about 30 more minutes. This will let the dough warm and become pliable enough to be rolled and stretched. It will also give it a chance to rise again (whether or not the dough needs a second rise depends on the recipe).
Once you’re ready to bake, lightly flour the countertop before rolling the dough. This will prevent it from sticking to the surface.
Frozen Pizza Dough FAQs
How can you refreeze pizza dough?
If frozen dough has already been thawed, you should not freeze it again. Technically, it will be safe to eat, but it won’t taste as good. The freezing process causes the dough to lose some moisture that is essential to a nice, chewy bite, and the refrozen dough will be much harder.
How long does pizza dough last in the freezer?
The dough will last in the freezer for up to three months. Be sure to mark each bag with the date the dough was made.
Can you make your own frozen pizza?
Yes! It’s easy to make a batch of frozen pizza crusts, or prepared pizzas for the future.
To create a ready-to-cook frozen pizza, begin by dividing out your pizza dough evenly and rolling it out to form crusts. Place the crusts on a tray for freezing. Spread with pizza sauce, and decorate with your pizza toppings of choice, whether you want to make a sausage pizza, cheese pizza or pepperoni pizza. Just make sure that the toppings are freezer-friendly.
Then, wrap the pizzas in plastic wrap. The pizza should last for up to three months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to eat, preheat your oven to 500°F. Place the pizza on the middle rack and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling. If you don’t devour the whole pizza in one sitting, here’s how to reheat pizza so it’s just as delicious as when it first came out of the oven.
Originally Published: May 11, 2020
