pizza crust questions

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

I have a pretty decent crust recipe i make on the weekends but was wondering how i can save the crust so i can maybe make it during the week. (it rises for an hour so to make it on a weeknight is pretty much impossible) Can I freeze the crust in a big ziplock (or food saver bag) before, or after it rises and put it in the fridge the day before?

[Luvsoutdoors]

You can freeze it before it rises and then when you thaw it the dough will rise in the process. Plastic bag is fine try to get most of the air out B/4 freezing. Homemade crust-yummy

[Tom Linderholm]

I second the notion, it is fine to freeze the dough. We coat the exterior with a light dusting of flour prior to freezing when applicable to remove any exterior moisture when thawing..

[Phred52]

How long does it take to thaw the dough then before you use it? Can't be nuked, can it? Phred52

[Skitterpop]

Do Not nuke the dough...it will mess up the rising process. I plop mine frozen into a lightly greased bowl and leave on the counter. Takes about 2-3 hours or so. I have seen no difference between frozen and fresh homemade pizza dough.

[Phred52]

Thanks Skitterpop, That's what I was trying to get at. Sounds to me like making fresh and thawing dough is kind of a draw, timewise. Plus, I'd think nuking the dough would probably kill the yeast. I guess I could see making frozen in Chefferys' case, where he's no doubt preparing other dishes, but at home, I believe I'd opt for fresh. Phred52

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

Thanks for the advice, kind of allows me to make a bunch of dough at once and use it in the week. One last question if I take the frozen dough out in the morning and put it in the fridge would it be good to go when I got home from work do you think? And would I just open up the bag in the fridge, or take it out and put it in a bowl in the fridge. Thanks again ( I like making it fresh, but I know there is no way the wife and kid would wait until 8 to eat during the week)

[Luvsoutdoors]

I would do it overnight, you need to put it in a bowl, in the refrig and it will only thaw. It still needs to rise at room temp--or --you can speed up process by turning oven on at 200, put a small pan of hotwater in oven and when it reaches 200- turn oven off & put dough in. Leave the water in so the yeast has warmth & moisture This will still take at least an hour depending how big a ball of dough you have.

[Phred52]

Actually, I think I'd put the dough in the fridge the night before to thaw, when you come home from work, just warm the oven a bit and turn it off, then with a shallow pan of now heated water in the bottom of the oven, put your bowl of dough on the top rack of the oven and let it rise in the warm, moist air. When I make fresh pizzas, I rise the dough in the oven that way. It works great! Phred52

[KEN W]

I freeze pizza dough all the time.The recipe I use makes to much for just my wife and I,so I freeze half of it.Make the dough as you always do.Then let it all rise for an hour or so.Then cut it in half and put it into a Pam sprayed zip lock and into the freezer.Make pizza out of the other half.

During the week when you want pizza,just take it out of the freezer and place into a bowl on the counter.Cover it.It will rise a second time.That second rise makes a very tender pizza crust......better than the first half.

I use a Pizza Hut clone recipe.....best I have found.Also make my own sauce.

[Surface Tension]

As said you can freeze the pizza dough.

If time is of the essence then you can save that time of thaw and rise. In fact it takes longer to thaw and rise then it does to start from scratch. If your looking to get home from work and have pizza quick and without the work, you can.

Make the dough let it rise once, knock it down, roll it out, bake it, let cool, wrap it, and then freeze it.

Come home, turn the over on, pull the crust out of the freezer, add your topping, and bake.

[delcecchi]

buy dough at broders

[delcecchi]

Also, see "artisan bread in 5 minutes" and keep dough in refrigerator. I think they have a pizza dough version.