Is there anything better than pizza? We don’t think so and it seems that the rest of the world agrees.
Featuring the classic combination of bread, sauce, and cheese – pizza has remained a popular fast food for centuries, with the iconic dish tracing its origins all the way back to 18th century Italy.
Bursting with various flavors and textures, pizza can be topped with just about anything and make a wonderful snack during any time of the day.
But did you know that pizza can taste even better when you make it from scratch?
Not only is making your own pizza easy but it can be whipped up in only a few hours, giving you a delicious meal that you will want to enjoy again and again.
However, there is one downside to making pizza and that is making and storing the finished dough.
So if you want to know how you can store your pizza dough for the best results, then you have come to the right place.
In the following article, we are going to show you how you can make and store your pizza dough to reduce the possibility of waste, allowing you to reuse it the next time you feel like an Italian-themed meal.
So if you want to utilize your pizza dough to its fullest potential, then we have everything you need in the sections below…
What Makes Pizza Dough Go Bad?
The primary reason why pizza dough “goes bad” is due to a process called over-proofing.
This process takes place when the pizza dough has been allowed to rest for an extended period of time, which can result in the dough losing its overall shape and texture.
This is because the gluten inside the dough is unable to trap the necessary gasses needed to keep the dough inflated.
When making pizza dough, it is important to remember that the dough itself is not airtight, which means the gas that keeps it inflated is constantly escaping from its pores.
But this is not necessarily a recipe for disaster, as long as the yeast is able to produce enough gas to keep the dough inflated.
However, if you leave the dough to rest for too long, then this could result in the gluten weakening and the yeast not being able to produce a sufficient amount of gas, which can lead to the dough deflating and losing its structure.
However, it is also important to remember that pizza dough does not “go bad” in the traditional sense, as even if it loses its shape the dough will still be perfectly edible once it has been cooked.
The only time when your pizza dough could be defined as bad is when you have used bad or out-of-date ingredients to make it.
This is why it is recommended that you only use top-quality products when making your dough, as this will yield both delicious and fresh results.
How To Store Pizza Dough On The Counter
During the fermentation process, you will usually store your pizza dough at room temperature on a flat surface or counter, with the standard pizza only needing 1-2 hours before it over-proofs.
However, if you are working with a Neapolitan dough, then this will need to be stored for around 8-12 hours before it is ready to be baked.
This is because both doughs contain a different amount of yeast, with the least amount of yeast yielding more time before the dough begins to overproof.
When beginning this process, you will need to make sure that your pizza dough has been stored inside an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
By doing this, you can reduce the chances of the dough drying out, which can result in a hard and inedible surface.
To ensure the maintained moisture of the dough, it is also advisable to brush the finished dough with olive oil before storing it at room temperature.
When making your own pizza dough, we recommend that you make one big dough first, which you can then double or triple depending on the recipe that you are using.
Once the dough is ready, brush it with olive oil and then store it inside an airtight container for 1-2 hours.
Then split the dough into portion-sized balls before leaving it for another hour or overnight. This frame of time will usually depend on the type of pizza dough that you are making.
How To Store Pizza Dough In The Refrigerator
If you want to make your pizza dough in advance or have some leftover dough that you want to save for another time, then the best thing you can do is store it in the refrigerator.
Not only can chilling the dough help to preserve it but it can also slow down the fermentation process, resulting in a more complex and layered flavor.
When it comes to storing your pizza dough in the refrigerator, you will be able to keep it chilled for about 2 weeks before it will be rendered inedible.
This is because storing pizza dough in the fridge can slow down the fermentation process, but not stop it completely from altering the dough’s composition.
For this reason, it is advisable to alter the amount of year in your dough, especially if you plan to store it in the fridge for a prolonged period of time.
Although pizza dough can last for up to 2 weeks when stored in the fridge, we recommend freezing it if you don’t intend to use the dough for 7 days.
This is because the dough can also overproof in the refrigerator, which means it should only be stored for 3-5 days if you want the best results in terms of flavor and texture.
For the best results, we recommend leaving the dough at room temperature for 1-2 hours before placing it in the refrigerator.
When the dough is ready, cut it up into portion-sized dough balls and brush it with olive oil before placing it in an airtight container.
When you are ready to use the dough again, take the container out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
This will make the dough more workable and will allow you to use it without issue.
How To Store Pizza Dough In The Freezer
As we previously discussed, if you do not plan on using your leftover dough for a long period of time, then the best thing you can do is store it in your freezer.
Not only is this a simple and convenient way to store your leftover dough, but it makes sure that the dough remains fresh long after it has been made.
This is because storing pizza dough in the freezer can completely stop the fermentation process, which means it can be stored in the freezer for longer than the refrigerator.
However, this does not mean that freezing your pizza dough does not come with any limitations, as the pizza dough can only remain frozen for about 3 months before it will need to be thrown.
If you want to store your pizza dough in the freezer, then we recommend letting it rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours before beginning the storing process.
When the dough has fully rested, cut it into portion-sized dough balls and brush them with olive oil before placing them inside an airtight container.
However, if you do not have a suitable container, then you can also place the dough in zip lock bags as these will be easier to store and do not require as much space.
When you are ready to use the dough again, remove it from the freezer and leave it to rest at room temperature for 3-4 hours before cooking, for this will defrost the dough and make it easier to work with before it goes into the oven.
Alternatively, you can also let the dough thaw overnight before baking it.
