Freezing dough

[james]

Does anyone freeze dough? I've never done it (I think I enjoy making it fresh each time to stop), but know that it is a convenient way to bulk produce good dough.

Anyone have tips or techniques they would recommend?

James

[CanuckJim]

Freezing Works

James,

I've frozen pizza dough for up to three months with no ill effects. Just wrap it in foil, then put it in a freezer bag. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring it up to room temp the next day. It's not quite as good as fresh, but pretty close.

Jim

[parsley]

Always frozen

I always freeze my dough. I like to let my dough rise slowly (retard) over about 2-3 days. If I just mix it and stick it in the fridge, it's hard to cool it quickly enough without drying it out, and usually blows up too fast anyway.

What I do is this:

• After mixing my dough, I bench rest it for 14 minutes, covered w/ a cool damp towel (much easier to ball this way)
• During this time, I prep my baggies; I put a tablespoon of salad oil in cheap plastic baggies (I think they're reynolds bags; red box w/ a green gator on it), and rub it around to coat the bag evenly
• Ball the dough and bag it pretty tightly (expelling all air)
• Stick it in the freezer on a cookie sheet
• Pull it out about 2 1/2 - 3 days before using

Retarding the dough this way really gives it a good flavor; much better than 0-day dough IMO. The other benefit is being able to make a whole bunch of dough at once, and using it over several weeks/months.

[Carl A. Palminteri]

Refrigerating it...

On Saturday two weeks ago I made too much dough but instad of freezing it I just put it in a big sealed baggie intending to use it the next day---but 9 days later was the 'next day'. I made fresh dough but just for the heck of it I rolled outthe old dough. Smelled sour...made a pizza anyway and EVERYONE raved at how tasty and crispy the crust was! I suspect I accidentally created a sour-dough but it was, I must tell you, an absolute home run. (The dough was 4cps Caputo and 1 of King Arthur, with 1T of Olive Oil and 2T sugar and 2t salt...plus yeast and water of course.)