Freezing Doughs

[chefpeon]

Yeast degrades on freezing, and degrades more if its active, so use lots of yeast and freeze the dough as soon as possible after its mixed, before resting.

I've done the same as jsmeeker.....give it it's first rise, then divide into balls and freeze.

However, I have noticed that the dough doesn't rise as nice when thawed.

Maybe I'll try your method next time and freeze it right off the mixer.

Edited August 2, 2006 by chefpeon (log)

[kangarool]

I've just started making my own pizzas for the family, and have been really happy with the results, but I haven't frozen any yet. As much as keeping the extra dough, though, the idea of freezing is also appealing as a matter of convenience... home from work, toppings on, in the oven... so would probably not want to add the time necessary to rise, rest, prepare and cook. Having said that, I would be interested in the variation in quality between the two methods.

Edited August 2, 2006 by kangarool (log)

[jsmeeker]

Yeast degrades on freezing, and degrades more if its active, so use lots of yeast and freeze the dough as soon as possible after its mixed, before resting.

I've done the same as jsmeeker.....give it it's first rise, then divide into balls and freeze.

However, I have noticed that the dough doesn't rise as nice when thawed.

Maybe I'll try your method next time and freeze it right off the mixer.

←

I'll give it a shot, too. I haven't noticed any rising problems, though. Even with frozen dough, I still would get really big bubbles in the dough as the pizza baked.

[kaneel]

Thanks for your responses guys!!

My son s turning 4 on saturday and i am already planning on making other food so the idea of freezing pizza came up today. I am gonna make some dough ahead and try to make some on friday just to compare and see how well it rose.

[jsmeeker]

Thanks for your responses guys!!

My son s turning 4 on saturday and i am already planning on making other food so the idea of freezing pizza came up today. I am gonna make some dough ahead and try to make some on friday just to compare and see how well it rose.

←

Since it's for Saturday, you can just make it Thursday. No need to freeze. The dough will keep OK for a few days in the fridge.

[michael_g]

Since it's for Saturday, you can just make it Thursday.  No need to freeze. The dough will keep OK for a few days in the fridge.

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I agree, and also with your earlier freezing comment: after the first rise. I wouldn't freeze before out of (pseudoscientific) concern that the yeast wouldn't have built up enough; the first rise increases the odds that your second rise will be successful post-freeze.

Anecdotal evidence supporting the pseudoscientific theory: I freeze the Epicurious recipe after the first rise, and then let it start thawing in warm air four or five hours before cooking. I get a good enough rise out of it -- I like my crusts crispy, though.

Good luck, and happy birthday to your son!

[iguana]

Instead of freezing pizza dough in a ball, I squish it out into a flat rectangle in freezer bag-- it thaws faster and more evenly that way.

Edited August 3, 2006 by iguana (log)

[amapola]

I want to make some small breads like croissants and bagels but since there's only two of us to eat them, I dread ending up tossing half of them out after a week...

Does anyone have some tips on freezing the rolls? What would be the best point in the process if I want to have them ready say for example for a quick bake-off in the morning? I was thinking maybe I can half-bake them, or freeze the bagels after cooking them but I have no idea how that would work out and how to adjust baking times/temperatures...

[Mallet]

Breads usually freeze well after they've been fully baked (which should simplify things for you). Just pop them back in the oven at roughly baking temperature until warm throughout to defrost!

[amapola]

I have tried that and of course it works fine for the large loaves but for some reason my rolls never come out with the same nice texture they went in with. They always seem a bit too dense and dry when re-heated. That's why I thought I might try freezing them before they are completely done.

Could I be doing something wrong when freezing them? I wrap them in air tight freezer bags and usually eat them within a month or so.

[alanamoana]

I have tried that and of course it works fine for the large loaves but for some reason my rolls never come out with the same nice texture they went in with. They always seem a bit too dense and dry when re-heated. That's why I thought I might try freezing them before they are completely done.

Could I be doing something wrong when freezing them? I wrap them in air tight freezer bags and usually eat them within a month or so.

←

whenever i freeze bread, i wrap it in a double layer of close fitting plastic wrap. i buy la brea bakery small baguettes (they look like large rectangular dinner rolls) from costco and always wrap them individually. i unwrap and pop them into an oven i've set to 350F and let the roll heat up with the oven. they come out as good as freshly baked.

i think freezing in bags (especially if there's more than one item inside) leaves a lot of room/air in between each item. this allows the moisture in the rolls to migrate out...even if the bags are "airtight". try the individual wrapping thing and see how it goes.

with croissants, you can always try freezing them - unbaked - after shaping them (without proofing them) and then getting them out the night before, putting them in the fridge for an overnight proof. then take them out in the morning and allow them to come to temp while you're pre-heating your oven. this might work nicely.

[amapola]

I have tried that and of course it works fine for the large loaves but for some reason my rolls never come out with the same nice texture they went in with. They always seem a bit too dense and dry when re-heated. That's why I thought I might try freezing them before they are completely done.

Could I be doing something wrong when freezing them? I wrap them in air tight freezer bags and usually eat them within a month or so.

←

whenever i freeze bread, i wrap it in a double layer of close fitting plastic wrap. i buy la brea bakery small baguettes (they look like large rectangular dinner rolls) from costco and always wrap them individually. i unwrap and pop them into an oven i've set to 350F and let the roll heat up with the oven. they come out as good as freshly baked.

i think freezing in bags (especially if there's more than one item inside) leaves a lot of room/air in between each item. this allows the moisture in the rolls to migrate out...even if the bags are "airtight". try the individual wrapping thing and see how it goes.

with croissants, you can always try freezing them - unbaked - after shaping them (without proofing them) and then getting them out the night before, putting them in the fridge for an overnight proof. then take them out in the morning and allow them to come to temp while you're pre-heating your oven. this might work nicely.

←

I tried the individual wrapping and letting the breads and the oven heat simultaneously and it works a treat! Thanks so much for ridding me of this longtime annoyance :smile:

[Baggy]

I saw some great suggestions and obviously you have tried and had a success.

If you are planning on freezing before the final rise (proof), you will need to add extra yeast as the freezing process definitely reduces its activity. Also, try reducing the water slightly. These pieces are usually unfrozen and allowed to proof before baking in the usual way (although proofing will take several hours instead of a more normal 60 minutes or so). Unfortunately, this dough mix might produce a difficult to control bake if you are going to fully bake some pieces right away.

If you are going to use a standard unmodified recipe, then it is best to bake those going in the freezer for half the normal time. As suggested by amapola, after cooling wrap them individually and as air-tight as possible. If you want to go to the extreme than you should vacuum pack them (it really helps prevent freezer burn and they store for a whole lot longer). When you are ready to use them, unwrap and put the pieces directly in an oven without unfreezing and bake for the usual, unmodified time but at a lower temperature.

For example, if you have frozen some croissants which before freezing would have been baked for 20 minutes at 220C, then bake for 10 minutes before freezing. After freezing bake for 20 minutes at 160C.

Modifying the baking time before freezing is only necessary if you are planning to store the breads for more than a few days. Storage in the freezer for longer than a few days and the crust has a tendency to become separated from the loaf.

The crust separating is not so much of a problem for items without a real crust, such as croissants and bagels, but freezing works best with breads normally baked at lower temperatures like wholemeal (whole wheat) rolls, and breads containing fats.

Crusty breads will taste great but, after freezing, they just won’t be crusty as usual.

Hope this adds to the good advice you already received.

[miladyinsanity]

I've found that if you wet the outside of the bread before you reheat in the oven, the crust still gets pretty crisp.

[Baggy]

That's true, but the problem with frozen bread is the water trapped in the middle of the loaf. Baking frozen bread works best in a fan oven rather than a conventional oven as it drives the moisture out, but still the water content tends to be higher making the loaf slightly more dense (and the less crisp crust). I think this might be the reasoning behind reducing the water in bread to be frozen.

For normal bread baking I have used the water spray to give a good crispy crust, but usually just make steam. With a spray, the crust can go glossy which (in French circles, at least) is considered a technical fault!

[SLB]

I am having trouble getting a real rise in thawed dough, so it was useful to read the tip here about upping the yeast.  I do fine with frozen breads that have already been baked.  

 

But I'm wondering about frozen biscuits?  I brought frozen biscuit dough to NC Thanksgiving last year, and they came out like bricks.  I was really shocked, and also embarrassed. 

 

I think I'm going to try frozen finished biscuits.  Is this a fool's errand???  Any expert counsel on successful freezing of biscuits?

[AAQuesada]

As in freezing baked southern style biscuits? Works great for me, I've often done a batch for the sole purpose of freezing. Then microwave one for a quick breakfast with homemade preserves