This Is How to Freeze Pizza Dough Without Ruining It
Freezing sourdough pizza dough is a great way to have pizza dough ready whenever you need it. The key is to freeze it properly and, just as importantly, give it enough time to come back to life before baking.
With this method, I freeze the dough after fermentation and balling, then slowly defrost it in the fridge before giving it a few hours at room temperature. The result is a light, airy and crispy pizza with a beautifully fermented crumb.
Ingredients
500g Type 00 flour
125g Type 00 flour
125g Type 1 flour
325g water
110g active sourdough starter
13g sea salt
15–20g olive oil
Flour blend: 80% Type 00 + 20% Type 1
This gives a dough of approximately 67–68% hydration.
Method
1. Ferment
Prepare the dough and ferment for around 24 hours in the fridge.
2. Ball the dough
Divide into approximately 270g dough balls. Adjust each portion by adding or removing a little dough if needed. Ball the dough and place each ball into its own airtight container.
3. Chill & freeze
Place the dough balls in the fridge for 1-2 hours before freezing. This helps cool the dough gradually. Then transfer them to the freezer. Keep the containers well sealed to prevent the dough from drying out and developing cracks.
4. Defrost
When you're ready to use the dough, move it from the freezer to the fridge and leave it overnight. The next day, take it out of the fridge 2-6 hours before baking, depending on room temperature, and let it relax and become active again.
5. Stretch & bake
Stretch the dough with semolina to around 10 inches, then transfer it to the peel and finish stretching to 12 inches. Top with San Marzano tomatoes, basil, pecorino, fior di latte and extra virgin olive oil. Bake at around 450°C for approximately 2 minutes. The result should be a crispy, airy pizza with a beautifully fermented crumb - and honestly, it's really hard to taste the difference from fresh dough.
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