Freezing dough is a great way to enjoy freshly baked warm bread with just a short preparation. While you may need to make some adjustments to your favorite bread dough recipe, most recipes can be easily modified to make the dough freezeable. After that, just shape the dough into a ball or roll and freeze it so you can make warm toast in no time.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Customizing Bread Dough Recipes
Step 1. Choose your favorite bread dough recipe as the base recipe
Even if there are some adjustments, you'll want to make sure the dough will still rise properly after freezing. You can use any bread recipe as a base for frozen dough. First, follow the instructions from your favorite recipe for making the dough, then make adjustments to the amount of flour and yeast to get the desired result.
You can freeze the dough successfully without making any adjustments to the recipe. The only way to find out is to try it. If the frozen dough doesn't rise and becomes tough when baked, you may need to adjust the amount of flour and yeast to get the taste and texture you want
Step 2. Use high protein flour instead of regular flour to get the right texture
When freezing bread dough, cold temperatures can weaken the gluten in the flour so that the bread becomes tough and doesn't rise. To avoid this, use flours with a higher protein content, such as whole wheat flour, durum, or rye. The high protein content will prevent the dough from losing too much of the gas produced during fermentation (the rising process).
Many bread recipes call for flours that are low in protein, such as all-purpose white flour or breadcrumbs. For most recipes, you can replace the flour with high protein flour without changing the size
Step 3. Use slow-rising yeast or double the yeast dose to make sure the dough rises
Freezing can partially destroy the yeast so that the dough won't rise again once it's softened to a normal temperature. To ensure that the dough rises again after freezing, double the amount of yeast in the recipe or use slow-rising yeast instead of the fast-rising yeast used in many recipes.
If you're using slow-rising yeast-not fast-rising yeast-use the same amount as stated in the recipe
Step 4. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or place on parchment paper at room temperature for about 45 minutes to give the dough enough time to rise (also known as fermenting or kneading). At this stage the dough can be shaped into rounds or rolls to save time during the post-freezing softening process.
Some bread recipes instruct to let the dough rise twice. If so, let the dough rise again for another 45 minutes
Step 5. Punch and shape the bread dough into the shape you want
Follow the instructions in the selected recipe. After letting it rise for 45 minutes, punch the dough. Then, separate them into small pieces and form into balls if you want to freeze them into rolls.
If frozen in a loaf pan, the dough doesn't need to be shaped after punching because it will take on its own shape once it's put in the pan
Step 6. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased baking dish or into a loaf pan
If you're forming the dough into a roll, line it up on a lightly greased baking sheet. If you are making a loaf, place it in a greased loaf tin, pressing into each corner of the pan so that there are no empty spaces or air pockets.
If you're forming the dough into rolls, separate the pieces so they don't touch each other and freeze together
Part 2 of 2: Storing, Softening and Baking Frozen Bread Dough
Step 1. Transfer the bread dough uncovered to the freezer for 1 to 2 days
Once rolled into a roll or placed in a loaf pan, immediately place the dough in the freezer so that it doesn't have time to rise further. Leave it there until it's completely frozen to the shape you made.
Allowing the rising process to occur a second time will make the dough too firm and dense to freeze. Therefore, freeze as soon as it is formed
Step 2. Pack the frozen dough in plastic or a special packaging bag for the refrigerator
Remove the dough from the freezer. Once the dough has formed into a roll, you can transfer it to a sealed bag for easy storage. If the dough is frozen in a loaf pan, remove it from the pan and pack it tightly with plastic wrap.
Step 3. Write the date on the plastic so you know when the dough was made
Use a permanent marker to write down the date. That way, you know when it was made and packaged, and know when the expiration date might be. So you must have baked the bread dough before that time.
Step 4. Put the dough back in the freezer for up to 6 months
Immediately return the dough to the refrigerator so that it does not soften. Soften and bake the dough a maximum of 2-6 months after freezing.
While the dough will stay good for up to 6 months if kept in the freezer, keep in mind that the longer it is stored, the greater the risk of freezer burn. Therefore, soften and bake bread faster, i.e. within 2-3 months
Step 5. Soften the dough for at least 4 hours at room temperature
Before baking, remove from freezer. If the dough is frozen in the form of a roll, soften it for about 1 hour in plastic, then spread it out on a sheet of parchment paper until completely soft. If the dough is frozen in a loaf pan, just leave it there and remove it to allow the dough to soften.
- The time it takes to soften the dough will depend on how it was frozen and how warm it is at room temperature. Start checking the dough after about 4 hours.
- Some recipes call for the dough to be allowed to rise a second time after it has softened. If that's the case, place the completely soft dough in a lightly oiled bowl or on parchment paper, and let it rest for 45 minutes to let it rise again.
Step 6. Bake bread dough according to recipe instructions
Most frozen bread dough can be baked as usual. Therefore, once the dough is softened and allowed to rise again (if necessary), just follow the original recipe's instructions.
- However, in some cases, frozen dough may take longer to bake. If the bread is still not done after reaching the baking time recommended by the recipe, add another 10-15 minutes.
- Once the frozen dough has softened, you can use it to make warm rolls or delicious loafers.
