Freeze Bread Dough

Making homemade bread is a time-consuming process, especially when preparing dough that calls for yeast. The time it takes to let the dough rise properly often prohibits those who enjoy homemade bread from making it. However, a simple task that bread bakers can perform to cut back on preparation time is to make plenty of dough and freeze some of it for later use. Most bread dough will bake well after being frozen, and will retain the same tasty flavor as fresh bread dough. Once you learn how to freeze bread dough by following a few easy steps and tips, you can enjoy fresh, homemade bread as often as you like with less work and preparation time.

Steps

  1. Gather the ingredients for your preferred bread recipe.
  2. Mix the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Let your mixed bread dough rise once.
    • When freezing bread dough, you will not let the dough rise a second time prior to freezing it.
  4. Shape the mixed dough in the form that you prefer when it is time to bake the frozen dough.
  5. Put bread dough in the freezer immediately after shaping it, and wait until it becomes solid.
  6. Take your frozen bread dough and put it in an air-tight freezer bag or wrap it in freezer-quality or extra-strength aluminum foil.
  7. Label the dough with the type and date.
  8. Return your bread dough to the freezer and bake it within 3 months for the best results.

Tips

  • When learning how to freeze bread dough, consider preparing your dough with a flour that contains high levels of protein or added wheat gluten. This will help your frozen bread dough rise better when it is time to bake it.
  • For added convenience, try freezing loaf bread dough in the pan that you will be baking it in. Grease the pan first, put the dough in, and cover it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. When it's time to bake, thaw it first and allow it to rise, then put it in the oven and follow your recipe's baking instructions.
  • When freezing bread dough, adding a little extra yeast than your recipe calls for can also help ensure that the dough rises properly when the time comes to bake it.
  • You can freeze bread dough right after it rises without shaping it. However, if you choose to freeze your dough this way, keep in mind that you will need to shape it prior to baking once it is thawed. Shaping it before freezing bread dough saves a step later when it is time to bake it.
  • If you plan to freeze bread dough, use a slow action yeast to help with the rising process when you bake it. Sometimes, freezing bread dough can affect the properties of the yeast, and fast-action yeast is more likely to be affected than slow-action yeast.

Warnings

  • Do not allow your bread dough to over rise prior to freezing it. This can result in bread that is flat when you bake it.
  • Do not bake frozen bread dough right out of the freezer. Allow it to thaw and warm to room temperature first for the best results and to ensure that it will rise properly when baked.
  • Do not leave frozen bread dough in your freezer longer than 3 months. If you do, it could get freezer burn, not rise properly or lose some of its flavor when baked.

Things You'll Need

  • Bread dough ingredients according to your recipe
  • Mixing bowl
  • Freezer
  • Freezer bags or extra-strength aluminum foil
  • Labels

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Sources and Citations

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