Can You Freeze Homemade Pizza Dough?

Last updated on July 29th, 2022 at 10:06 pm

There is nothing quite like a homemade pizza. The delicious crispy crust, the perfect amount of marinara sauce, all of your favorite toppings in the right amount and topped with golden, melted cheese. Sure, you can pick up a pizza from a restaurant a lot quicker than you could if you were going to make it from scratch at home and while it would be delicious it is never quite as good as homemade. 

My house is all about homemade pizza. A few years ago, when we had to go gluten free, pizza was one of those things that we knew we were going to miss. While many of the pizza places around town boasted about having a gluten free pizza option none of those options were truly gluten free as they were being prepared in the same kitchen and on the same equipment as the regular pizzas. 

For some people this cross contamination is not a problem, however for my family it is a big problem which can make my youngest or myself really sick. 

Store bought gluten free pizza is really pricey. There might be more affordable options in the larger cities but where we live, they are asking $8 to $11 for a small pizza. We were used to pizzas double that size and half that cost! All of this led to homemade pizza. 

While the go-to pizza dough that we use in our house does not take long to whip up because we use a yeastless pizza dough it is nice to have some on hand and ready to go for last minute lunches or dinners. 

If you want to make your homemade pizza faster can you make a bunch of dough ahead of time and freeze it? 

Pizza dough can be frozen and then used as needed. However, when freezing pizza dough make sure to put it in a sealed container or bag to help keep it fresh and tasting good. 

Pizza dough will last for 3-4 months in the freezer before it will begin to lose some of its taste and texture so be sure that you use it before that time is up. It’s also important to note that the pizza dough needs to be thawed before you use it. 

So, when you are wanting to use some of that frozen pizza dough be sure and pop it into the fridge the night before so it is fully thawed when you are ready to make your pizza.

How Do You Freeze Homemade Pizza Dough?

Freezing pizza dough is a fairly easy process. It doesn’t matter if you are making a yeasted pizza dough or a flatbread dough. Freezing homemade pizza dough is a simple process that does not require much equipment. 

To freeze pizza dough you will need either freezer safe storage bags or freezer safe storage containers, a marker to label your containers, and some plastic wrap. When you are freezing a yeasted pizza dough you will need to make sure that the dough has already gone through the fermentation process. 

If you know that you are going to freeze the dough then you can use the cold fermentation process. 

First make your pizza dough with your favorite dough recipe then decide if you are going to use a Tupperware container or if you are going to use freezer safe plastic bags. If you have decided to store your pizza dough in freezer safe bags you will also need to get a large, deep pan for your dough. 

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of your pan then take your pizza dough and divide it into the amount of dough that you will be wanting to use. If you plan to freeze your dough so that you can make one large pizza then arrange your dough in one large dough ball before placing it into the pan. 

However, if you are wanting to make several personal pizzas with your pizza dough then you will want to go ahead and separate your dough now. 

Once you have your dough rolled into balls you will want to arrange them into the oiled pan and cover it with plastic wrap. Now place this pan into the fridge and leave it there overnight so that it can rise slowly in the fridge. The next morning you will move the entire pan into the freezer and leave it there for 24 hours. 

After your dough has frozen completely you will then want to put each dough ball into its own freezer safe Ziploc bag, remove as much air as possible, label the bag with the contents and date, then place them back into the freezer. 

If you are going to freeze your pizza dough in freezer safe Tupperware containers then all you need is some oil and your containers. Begin by lightly oiling the bottom and sides of your freezer safe containers. Place your dough into each container and secure the lid. Place the containers into your fridge and leave them overnight to rise. In the morning they will be ready to be placed into the freezer once you have labeled them with the contents and date. 

Homemade pizza dough will stay good in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. When it is time to use your pizza dough you will want to take it out and allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge, then an hour before you are planning to use it you will want to remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Allowing your dough to come to room temperature will soften and relax the dough so that it is easier to work with. 

If you want to make a flatbread pizza dough and freeze it then you can skip the cold fermentation process since flatbread doughs do not need to rise. Simply make your dough, separate it into the appropriate sizes, and freeze.

Can You Freeze Homemade Pizza Dough With Toppings?

You know those frozen pizzas that you can get at the freezer section at your local grocery store? Did you know that you can make those yourself? 

You can absolutely freeze homemade pizza dough with toppings, you will need to par-bake your crust first though. 

I like to have food in the freezer that my youngest can grab to make for himself for lunch or even for quick and easy dinners on busy days. Making homemade personal size pizzas to keep in the freezer that are ready to bake at a moment’s notice has been a fun activity for my family. 

The kids like that they can top the pizzas however they want. My daughter loves cheese pizza and nothing else! If she has to, she might eat a slice of pizza with sausage on it but she’ll probably make a face the entire time. She’ll pick off any vegetables that make their way onto a pizza. 

My son, however is a lot different. He will put anything on a pizza! His favorite toppings are bell peppers, onions, pepperoni, and Canadian Bacon. He has been known to make macaroni and cheese pizzas and hotdog pizzas. He will throw on different kinds of cheese as well. 

He likes to experiment in the kitchen so making his own frozen pizzas is a great way for him to do that. 

To freeze your homemade pizza dough with toppings you will first need to par-bake your crust. Take your homemade pizza dough and roll it out to the size of pizza you want. Then preheat the oven as per the directions on your dough recipe. You will then bake your dough for half the time that you would normally bake it. 

So, if your dough recipes says to place your dough on the pizza pan, place your toppings on, and then bake for 20 minutes. You will want to go ahead and bake your crust for 10 minutes without the toppings! 

The dough recipe that we use most often is baked at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. We place the dough onto a parchment lined pizza pan into the oven for 10 minutes. After ten minutes remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Once your crust has cooled you will then top it with your toppings of choice. 

Place your pizza into the freezer, uncovered for about 3 hours. Once your pizza is frozen you will remove it from the freezer, wrap it in plastic wrap, then wrap it again in aluminum foil. This double wrapping will help to protect your pizza and toppings from drying out in the freezer. 

You can also use a vacuum sealer, which is what we use. Your pizza will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. These pizzas will then be cooked for about 8 to 10 minutes straight from the freezer once you’re ready to enjoy them.