Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

[BigSteve46]

At which of the stages below do you recommend freezing?

1. After initial 2 hours rise?
2. After initial 2 hour rise, dividing into individual sized balls
plus an add'l hour.
3. All of above plus 2-3 days in refrigerator.

[dmun]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

3) or what's left over after pizza making.

[mklingles]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

I get away with 15 min rise. Day in the fridge then into the freezer.

[C5dad]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

Steve,

I have been playing with this for a while now - I like to have a lot of extra dough around.

After doing the 24 hour ferment/rise and baking the pizzas, I will portion and flatten the dough out in a zip top bag and then toss directly into the freezer on the shelf. After they are frozen, the dough discs get moved down to a drawer.

Alternatively, I have also proofed the dough for about 30 minutes and then did my flattening and freezing step.. Both ways have worked well over the years with little side effects - major problem is not enough dough or sauce in the freezer.

Flattening the dough out allows it to store better and to freeze quicker. It will also thaw quicker as well.
In my place, dough is a staple, so keeping it in a form that thaws quickly appeases the kids and wife - especially when I get a call about making pizza mid day for dinner that night.

[Fritziam]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

How long should one allow for defrost of a risen dough ball on the counter?

[texassourdough]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

The good news is that pizza dough is a lot more forgiving of proofing than bread. However, that does not mean everything gives equal quality. If you are making dough on the relatively normal 24 hour/overnight schedule with retard that most of us do. The dough should be at peak performance approximately 2 to 3 hours after being removed from the fridge and placed at room temp. IMO dough should be frozen at any point from (roughly) 24 hours in the fridge (i.e. the retard) to "We've finished making pizza and we have extra dough balls" which should ideally have involved no more than a few hours at elevated/outside temps. Dough that has been out for more than a few hours is already overproofed if it was made to be used today. Putting it back in the fridge will simply result in overproofed dough. So will holding the dough in the fridge much more than 48 hours. IMO it should be frozen as soon as you know you won't be using it immediately.

While frozen dough can yield decent crust I have never found it to be superior or even equal to what it was before being frozen. Better than no pizza, but to be avoided if possible IMO.

WRT how long after out of the freezer. IMO about 2 hours at normal temps. It can be used earlier for it is not going to get any/much better at that point and is almost certainly on the way down...
J.

[bigred]

Re: Freezing Pizza Dough - When to freeze?

I have found the best results for me are to retard for 24 hours in fridge at 38 deg F , then make balls, then freeze immediately. When ready to use, take out a few hours ahead of time. I recommned flattening also. Always have good results. When I know I am going to use it all, I retard for 24 hours, ball and let retard for 24 more hours in fridge before I take out to use. These are always my best pies.