Easy Recipes Using Frozen Bread Dough (2024)

FAQs

Should frozen bread dough be thawed before baking? ›

Working with Frozen Bread Dough

That being said, you need to allow the bread dough to thaw and proof before placing it in the oven. The first step is to defrost the dough by placing it in a lightly greased pan and leave it in a cooler overnight to allow it to completely thaw. This is called retarding the dough.

Virtually all breads can be thawed in the fridge overnight or on the counter in 1 to 3 hours. You can also thaw bread slices by putting them in the toaster directly from frozen.

To fix dough that won't rise, try placing the dough on the lowest rack in your oven along with a baking pan filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast.

Plan a night ahead for the second rise—since it's handsoff, it's still easier than spending a whole day making bread dough. To use a frozen loaf of dough, remove it from the freezer the night before you want to bake it. Keep the loaf wrapped in the plastic and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Frozen doughs can be immediately baked (without undergoing thawing) or they can be proofed prior to baking (a thawing cycle is required to temper dough).

Baked Goods Variety

Introducing frozen dough and other products into the baking process allows for more creativity with product types, fillings, toppings, and flavors. For example, your bakery may turn one batch of frozen pizza dough into pizzas, flatbreads, cinnamon rolls, breadsticks, and calzones.

Place frozen dough in pan, and cover with sprayed plastic wrap to keep it from sticking to dough while rising. RISE – Let rise 4 to 7 hours, until dough is 1 inch above the top of the pan. Actual time depends on temperature of your kitchen. Do not over proof.

Warmth and moisture hasten the thawing process. You can use the microwave method, but be very careful not to overheat the yeast in the dough. The bread dough thaws best in the microwave. Microwave 5 minutes on the defrost setting for one loaf of frozen bread dough.

To Bake: remove frozen dough from freezer, open freezer bag and leave dough in bag to thaw or place on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap to thaw. It is very important to have a plastic covering over dough to thaw (dough really dries out without the plastic covering).

In short … it's a last resort. According to MaryJane, yeast dough will never rise as well post-freeze as it would if you baked it the day you made it.

Does frozen bread dough need to be kneaded? ›

Freezing bread dough requires no extra yeast, no extra kneading, and no extra active time.

Rub the top of the dough lightly with oil or spray with cooking oil spray. Cover the bowl with waxed paper and a clean cloth or tea towel. Place the bowl in a warm but not hot location such as an oven with the oven light on or on top of a radiator. Let the dough thaw and rise for 2 to 4 hours until doubled in volume.

It will take longer than usual for the dough to rise, up to twice as long if it hadn't been frozen. Punch the dough down, shape it then let it rise for the second time before baking.

Yes, risen dough can be frozen but some adjustments have to be made to get the best loaf possible. You will want to put your dough in the freezer either after the first rise, or if the bread has more than two rises then after the shaping. This is because frozen dough will need to rise/proof again before baking it.

Dough can be thawed in one of two ways. Overnight in a fridge or cool room. You can tray the product up in the way you intend to bake it, cover it with a plastic sheet or cling film (this prevents the dough drying out) and leave for up to 20 hours.

Fresh bread loaves from a bakery or from home can particularly benefit from being frozen because they have little to no preservatives added, so they otherwise would have a very short shelf life. Frozen bread should not be defrosted before baking, as this can make it go stale.

The Refrigerator Thaw Method

Place frozen dough on your pan. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap to keep from sticking to dough while rising. Place your pan in the refrigerator overnight or all day long. When you're ready to begin baking, take the pan out of the refrigerator.