Is it possible to freeze homemade yeast dough? Is it possible to freeze yeast dough: expert solutions

Any housewife loves to pamper her family with delicious and aromatic pastries. But sometimes when making yeast dough it happens that there is a surplus left or there is a need to prepare it for future use. What to do in this case? Experienced housewives advise freezing the dough.

By the way, not only dough, but also already formed products can be frozen. Frozen dough saves a lot of time and can be used at any convenient time. There is no need to worry that the dough will lose its properties and the baked goods will turn out tasteless - if you follow all the freezing rules, your buns and pies will be delicious!

Rules for freezing dough and storage temperature

If you decide to freeze the dough and don’t know how to do it, then you can use the advice of experienced housewives.

The process of freezing yeast dough:

  1. Immediately after kneading, the dough should be divided into portions and sent to the freezer.
  2. Pre-pack it in cling film, foil or a plastic bag to limit moisture penetration.
  3. Sprinkle the container for freezing with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
  4. It is advisable to first set the temperature in the freezer to a minimum and bring the product to a state of deep freezing (usually -20° or -30°), and after the dough has frozen, gradually change it to -10°, -18°.

For convenience, some housewives freeze the yeast dough directly in the baking dish, after wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil.

How long does yeast dough last in the refrigerator?

You can freeze the dough for no more than 4 months, otherwise it will lose its properties. But in order for your dough to successfully “overwinter” and the products made from it to turn out fluffy and appetizing, you need to take into account two important factors:

  • quality of flour;
  • amount of yeast.

The quality of flour plays a very important role for frozen dough: it is good to use flour that has a high level of protein or contains wheat gluten. If the dough has little gluten, then after defrosting it will become less extensible and will have a vague shape. And vice versa, if the flour is too saturated with gluten, then the finished products will have a fairly dense crumb and a swollen crust.

Another important component is yeast. If, when kneading the dough, you already know that you will freeze it, then you will need to add a little more yeast than usual. For example, instead of 6-7 g, add, say, 9 -11 g. When preparing dough for freezing, it is better to use slow-acting yeast, since in some cases low temperatures affect its properties. Ideally, the dough should rise for no more than an hour before freezing, otherwise there is a risk that the finished product will not be very fluffy.

How to defrost dough correctly?

An equally important stage is defrosting. You need to defrost the dough gradually. In order to save time, some housewives defrost yeast dough in warm water, after placing it in a plastic bag. Dough thawed this way will be ready in a few hours.

The process of defrosting yeast dough:

  1. First, you should remove it from the freezer and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, and then defrost it at room temperature.
  2. The dough should rise once completely thawed.
  3. Never start baking with dough that has just been taken out of the refrigerator: it must be brought to room temperature.
  4. As soon as you notice that it has come up, knead it once and feel free to form buns.

Some people advise using a microwave for quick defrosting, because now even the simplest oven has such a function. If there is no defrosting function, then you need to set the oven to 80-100 W. Just do it very carefully: even with slight overheating, the dough will begin to cook. By the way, experienced cooks do not welcome this method of defrosting: it is believed that the yeast may lose its properties.

In general, the best way to defrost is natural, that is, at room temperature. If all the rules are followed, then you can easily prepare any dish from frozen yeast dough.

Yeast dough cannot be re-frozen - its properties are completely lost.

Is it possible to freeze yeast dough for pies?

There is an opinion that it is better to bake pizza or buns from frozen dough, but pies are not always successful. In fact, you can bake anything from frozen yeast dough that you can bake from regular dough: pies, buns, pizza. Moreover, many housewives freeze even finished products. Only when baking, frozen pies should be immediately placed in a hot oven without defrosting. And if the baking still fails, then it is possible that you did not select high-quality flour or yeast.

Experienced housewives share another secret: in order for frozen dough pies to turn out as fluffy, you need to freeze it after the first kneading.

Of course, nowadays stores simply offer a huge assortment of semi-finished products, including frozen yeast dough. And if there is absolutely not enough time to pamper your family with fresh baked goods, then you can use ready-made products. But remember that store-bought dough contains preservatives, while homemade dough will be natural. Therefore, it is better to take one evening, prepare the dough and freeze it for a couple of months. Simple and delicious. Cook with pleasure!

You won’t need to set the dough and waste time on kneading; you just need to defrost it in any convenient way and move on to baking.

Rules for freezing dough and storage temperature

Maintaining the correct temperature (from -15 to -18 °C) is the first condition. There are modern freezers that have different temperatures on each shelf.

If the temperature is very low, this will lead to spoilage of the dough. Initially, the workpiece can be placed on the emergency freezing shelf, and after a day it can be stored in a compartment with a more gentle regime.

In order for the dough to withstand low temperatures well and retain its fluffiness, two factors must be taken into account - the amount of flour and yeast.

Freezing rules:

  1. It is better to use flour for kneading with a high protein content. Wheat gluten will help maintain the necessary consistency. If there is a deficiency of this substance, the product after defrosting will be shapeless and will practically lose its plasticity.
  2. Flour oversaturated with gluten will result in a dense crumb.
  3. If you plan to freeze the dough, then during its preparation the amount of yeast must be increased. The average norm is 7 grams, you need to add 4-5 grams more.
  4. Yeast must be selected with a slow action, since low temperature negatively affects the properties of the yeast.
  5. The time for raising the dough is one hour.

Freezing process

Preparing dough is a labor-intensive process that takes time.

You need to take a day and prepare a large amount of dough and freeze it in briquettes. If you compare the taste of baked goods made from fresh and frozen dough, it is absolutely no different.

List of products that are necessary for preparing the preparation:

  • wheat flour – 1.5 kg;
  • milk – 1 l;
  • sugar – 4 tbsp. l;
  • butter or margarine – 1 pack;
  • eggs – 4 pcs.;
  • dry yeast powder – 2 sachets of 7 g each;
  • a pinch of salt.

Recipe for making yeast dough:

  1. Melt the butter in a water bath and let cool slightly.
  2. Pour milk into a bowl and heat it, it should be warm.
  3. Remove the milk from the heat, add the yeast and stir well.
  4. Add the required amount of sugar.
  5. Add a small amount of flour and mix well. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise. On average it takes 40 minutes.
  6. Next, pour in the beaten eggs, salt, oil and mix.
  7. Add flour in portions, stirring the mixture each time.
  8. When the dough becomes difficult to stir with a spoon, place it on a table sprinkled with flour and knead until smooth. The workpiece should be plastic and elastic.

For convenience, the dough should be divided into portions, one portion for one use. The workpiece must not be re-frozen.

The product should be kneaded thoroughly until a smooth ball is obtained. Place in one plastic bag, remove air, tie and place in a second bag. You can use food grade film or foil.


To prevent the dough from sticking to the bag, treat its inner surface with sunflower oil or generously sprinkle with flour.

Be sure to indicate the freezing date on the package. Place on a shelf with a minimum temperature and wait until the dough is completely frozen. Then transfer to another compartment for further storage.

How long does yeast dough last in the refrigerator?

The finished semi-finished product can be kept in the freezer for no more than four months.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours at a temperature of +5...+8 °C. If the temperature drops to +2...+3 °C, the product can remain for 48 hours.

Storage longer than the specified period will lead to damage to the product, it will ferment and sour. The baked goods will acquire a sour smell and unpleasant taste.

If you have ready-made frozen dough, it is very easy to make baked goods from it. It is enough to defrost it and let it rise in a warm place.

Defrosting methods:

  1. Fill a container with warm water and place the frozen piece of dough there. Give time to thaw.
  2. Place the workpiece on the lid of a warm saucepan or kettle.
  3. The express method is to place the workpiece in a pan and place it next to a lit gas.
  4. Heat in a water bath. Take two containers of different diameters. Take water into a large one and place a smaller container in it, in which to place the dough. Place on the stove and heat slowly. The main condition is to ensure that the product does not stick to the bottom.
  5. Reheat in the microwave using the auto defrost function or on high power, but no longer than 1 minute.
  6. Thaw on the top shelf of the refrigerator, leaving overnight.

Defrosting process


Stages of the process:

  1. Remove the product from the freezer.
  2. Remove packaging and place on cutting board.
  3. Leave for 5 hours.
  4. Once the entire piece of dough has become soft, you can start cooking.

The best way is to defrost in the refrigerator:

  1. Place the dough on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, after placing it in a plate.
  2. Leave for 8 hours.
  3. Remove the workpiece and let it rise in a warm place.
  4. Gradual thawing will preserve the consistency and taste.

Is it possible to freeze yeast dough for pies?

There is a common myth that the semi-finished product is only suitable for making pizza, buns and bagels. But pies with poppy seeds or cottage cheese cannot be made from it at all.

The dough is suitable for any baking: pie, bread, rolls, buns and so on. You can even freeze ready-made products.

If the pies have already been made and frozen, then when baking they must be immediately placed in the oven without prior defrosting.

The quality of baking is affected not by the freezing process, but by the products from which the dough is made. If the dough is not suitable, it is possible that poor quality flour or expired yeast was used during freezing.

Before making the dough, you need to check the expiration date of the ingredients.

Important! The dough must be frozen after the first kneading and not allowed to rise further.

Conclusion

Freezing is a quick method of preserving dough.

To prepare delicious baked goods, just take out the product and defrost it properly. This saves time for busy housewives. In order for the dough to rise after freezing, you need to add yeast during kneading.

    Personally, I don’t make the dough myself, but buy ready-made ones. If possible - in cooking, but most often in the store frozen. It follows that yeast dough can be frozen and manufacturers do this for us. I haven't heard of yeast. Most likely, you can freeze it too.

    Yeast and yeast dough have been frozen successfully for a long time. Pay attention to store freezers. All you have to do is keep these products warm and they will be ready to eat again. Grandma always did this.

    I can say for sure that yeast and yeast dough can be frozen. Tested from my personal experience, although they need to stand for a little while to thaw in a warm place, and then you can cook, the properties are not lost.

    Yeast in briquettes, as far as I remember, was always stored in our freezer. The properties were not lost. I also froze the yeast dough myself. It rises later, after natural defrosting at room temperature.

    I usually buy a packet of yeast, cut it into pieces and freeze it. This way they are stored for as long as possible. I haven't noticed their quality deteriorating. I also store dry instant yeast in the freezer. If I haven’t used the entire kg of dough at once, I also put the rest in the freezer. The quality of the dough suffers from this, but at least this way it will be preserved. But it will just turn sour in the refrigerator.

    Typically, fresh compressed yeast is sold in large briquettes, of which only a small portion is needed for the cake. The best way to store leftover yeast is to divide it into pieces large enough for one use, place in plastic bags and place in the freezer.

    If yeast dough could not be frozen, then such a huge number of variations for baking or other dishes would not be sold in stores. My family just loves pizza on weekends (I don’t cook at other times), but I use ready-made yeast dough, it’s no different from homemade dough. I take it out of the freezer, defrost it and let it sit and rise until the dough has settled, making pizza or pies is a pleasure. I usually buy this.

    I don't know anything about yeast. But I freeze yeast dough all the time because I don’t have time to use it up at once. Everything is fine, the dough does not spoil. Just before using it, you need to let it rise again. I defrost it first, and then put it near the heat. He rises and moves forward.

    After all, we buy both yeast and puff pastry in supermarkets. Baking from this dough is excellent. Everything works out if you hold the dough until it rises.

    Mom sometimes makes a lot of dough, freezes it, and gives it to me.

    I defrost as needed.

    I won’t tell you anything about yeast dough, but ordinary yeast tolerates freezing very well. We sometimes buy several packs for my mother-in-law in advance and she throws them in the freezer, and then uses them a month or two later. They serve their purpose very well.

    I also didn’t know that yeast could be frozen, but my mother-in-law freezes it. Personally, I didn’t like cooking from frozen ones; I simply throw away the leftovers and always buy fresh or dry.

    But I froze the yeast dough itself more than once if I made a lot and didn’t have time to use it all at once. We defrost the dough, let it rise and use it as usual.

    If you use compressed yeast, which is usually sold in large briquettes, then you can freeze it, the quality will not deteriorate; it is better to immediately divide it into small doses for use at a time. Yeast dough can also be frozen, only then it takes time to defrost it and let it rise again, put it in a warm place and bake pies and rolls. Ready-made buns and pies can also be frozen and then reheated in the microwave.

    I buy a packet of compressed yeast, cut it into pieces, put it in a bag and put it in the freezer. If you don’t cut them right away, frozen yeast is difficult to cut; it breaks and crumbles. I bake bread in a bread machine. I tried many different recipes, but settled on the simplest one: Regular white bread:

    • water - 260 ml;
    • salt - 1 tsp;
    • sugar and vegetable m. - 1 tbsp each;
    • yeast - pressed in packs of 50 or 100 g (it has already reached a cube of 1 cm cube or even less), but the bread still turns out delicious. I want to try baking without yeast at all and without sourdough. It's very interesting what will happen.
    • flour - 400 gr.
    • Baking mode 1, crust - dark, loaf size - M, baking time 4 hours, 05 minutes. Every day I sometimes bake even 3 loaves (for myself and for the children).

    Before baking bread, I don’t even check the yeast, but immediately stir it in a measuring cup with salt and sugar, pour the contents into a baking pan, pour flour in there, and then put a spoonful of yeast. oils The whole process currently takes me no more than 2 minutes (I don’t sift the flour).

    Yeast and dough can be frozen; after defrosting, their quality does not deteriorate. There are a great variety of ready-made frozen products made from yeast dough in stores. Brought it, heated it in the microwave and bon appetit! And I like to cook all sorts of delicious things from purchased frozen elephant dough: tongues, rolls, pies. It turns out very quickly and tasty!

    My mother, when she buys a large pack of yeast (for example, 100 grams), cuts it into 3 servings (she needs 30 grams of yeast according to the recipe for pizza), and freezes the remaining 2 servings. This doesn't make the yeast any worse.

Find out whether you can freeze, store yeast dough in the freezer or refrigerator, or bake pies in the microwave. Here you can read the advice of pastry chefs and learn how to properly store this product.

Yeast, flour and water are the main components of this product. Many housewives have a question: is it possible to freeze yeast dough? The store usually sells it in this form, including for pies and donuts. But in this case, products with a high content of preservatives are used. But when prepared at home, for example, with milk and kefir, they are absent. And there are no contraindications to freezing. The main thing is not to thaw the dough, for example, in the microwave.

Is it possible to store yeast dough?

Is it possible to store yeast dough in the freezer? The question is quite simple. In this case, the product will be stored for several days. But in the refrigerator - for several days. Otherwise, the fermentation process may lead to souring of the dough. You can store a product without a refrigerator only if it will be used literally in the next 24 hours in the preparation of various dishes. In the freezer, the fermentation process does not stop at all, but only slows down. However, if you maintain a standard temperature of minus 18 degrees, the dough can retain its properties for 18 months.

Is it possible to bake pies in the microwave?

Housewives prepare many delicious dishes from yeast dough. True, many people wonder whether it is possible to bake pies with such a base in the microwave. Doing this is actually easy and simple, the main thing is to learn the basic rules. This process takes much less time than using a conventional oven. The dough becomes especially tender and juicy, and practically does not burn. The smaller the size of the baked goods, the less time it takes to prepare it. You can use the grill function to create a golden brown crust.

Is it possible to freeze yeast dough video

Check out these interesting recipes.

All dough recipes are good in their own way, but yeast dough is especially popular. This is not surprising, because butter baked goods are always fluffy, aromatic and very nutritious. You can also store the yeast dough for a while before using it. Rarely will a housewife refuse this opportunity to make preliminary preparations in order to quickly prepare the finished dough at the right time. Even after defrosting, yeast dough retains its taste, aroma, ability to rise well, form a fluffy crumb and golden brown crust when baking.

The specific shelf life depends on how exactly the yeast dough is stored at home. The longer, the more important it is to properly store yeast dough and properly prepare it for further use. But with equal success you can store yeast dough for pancakes and pies, buns and puff pastries, sweet (butter) and not sweet (unleavened). And this is especially convenient for those generous cooks who do not know how to knead little dough. If you know how to store yeast dough, then you don’t have to be afraid to make it in excess: nothing will go to waste, everything will fit and go into use, that is, it will become a fresh and appetizing pastry.

Is it possible to store yeast dough? Shelf life of yeast dough
Frozen puff pastry, including yeast dough, is sold in all supermarkets. This means that you can store yeast dough in the freezer, and for quite a long time, if you do not refreeze it and comply with all storage conditions (temperature, humidity, hygiene, etc.). What about short-term storage? Let's remember the culinary departments in grocery stores: there you can buy ready-made yeast dough, fresh and soft, not frozen, but chilled. Such dough never lingers on the counter: it is quickly taken apart by customers. Moreover, even middle-aged housewives buy, and you can trust their experience!

But if these arguments do not convince you that you can store yeast dough without danger, let’s turn to the facts proven by chemists, doctors and bakers:

  • The basis of any dough is flour and liquid (water, milk and/or other dairy products). Both of these components tolerate freezing and thawing well. The liquid changes its state of aggregation without any problems, and flour is generally not afraid of even very low temperatures. As for yeast, when frozen they do not die, but simply “fall asleep”, suspending their life processes. At low, but not sub-zero, temperatures, the yeast continues to ferment.
  • It is for the latter reason that you cannot store yeast dough in the refrigerator for a long time. The maximum you can count on is to save the yeast dough until tomorrow, but it is better to use it within one day. Otherwise, if you leave the dough on the refrigerator shelf for a couple of days or longer, the fermentation processes, although slow, will lead to the dough souring, after which all that remains is to throw it away.
  • But in the freezer, yeast dough is stored for weeks without losing its taste and physicochemical qualities. To take advantage of this convenient property, you need to properly freeze, and then properly defrost and prepare the yeast dough for use. The more time the pastry spends in frozen anabiosis, the deeper the dough will freeze, and the more carefully it will need to be taken out of this state. First let the yeast dough thaw, then warm to room temperature, and then rise.
So you don’t have to be afraid to buy yeast dough or knead it for future use. Live dough will remain alive even after long-term proper storage. Moreover: there are special recipes for yeast dough designed to be perfect in the cold. Ask bakers or cookbooks about them, and for now we’ll move on directly to the intricacies of storing yeast dough at home.

How to store yeast dough in the refrigerator?
Ready-to-use yeast dough will easily wait a little while until you have time to bake. This is very convenient for those working mothers who need to feed their family a delicious and nutritious breakfast every morning. You can prepare dough for yeast pancakes in the evening and store dough for pizza and pies in the refrigerator:

  1. To store in the refrigerator, take a little dough - as much as you use at a time.
  2. Gather the dough into a ball, knead it with your hands and brush with a small amount of vegetable oil.
  3. Place the dough in a clean, dry plastic bag, tie it and poke a small hole in the bag to let air through.
  4. Air circulation is necessary because when cooled, the aerobic fermentation of yeast slows down, but does not stop.
  5. Place the dough in a bag on the top shelf of the refrigerator (or bottom if the freezer is on top).
At a temperature of 5°C to 8°C, the live dough will last for 24 hours; at a temperature of 2-3°C, you can risk leaving it for 48 hours. But not longer, otherwise the yeast dough will ferment and sour, will not rise, and when you try to cook it will give the baked goods a sour smell and an unpleasant taste. Therefore, if you do not plan to use the dough within the next 24 hours, it makes sense to freeze it for a long time.

How to store yeast dough in the freezer?
Yeast dough, especially puff pastry varieties, tolerate freezing well. If your refrigerator has a good freezer compartment, you can safely count on 2-3 weeks of storage. Ready-made yeast dough is rarely sold in small portions, and using the entire purchased kilogram is problematic. Therefore, before freezing, divide the dough into portions for single use and follow the instructions:

  1. Use special containers and/or bags to store food in the freezer. From the inside, grease them with a drop of vegetable oil or sprinkle with a pinch of flour.
  2. Puff pastry intended for freezing should preferably be wrapped in plastic wrap and then rolled (as in store-bought packages), otherwise it may become too dry.
  3. At a temperature of about -15-18°C, yeast dough will last for 2-3 weeks and even longer if you do not take it out, defrost the refrigerator with the dough and do not re-freeze it.
To defrost deep-frozen yeast dough, transfer it from the freezer to the top shelf of the refrigerator in advance, and after a couple of hours, remove it and leave it at room temperature, without a draft or direct sunlight. Cover the cold dough with a dry towel and wait until the yeast in it warms up and begins to rise. There is no need to knead the risen defrosted dough - immediately start rolling out and/or shaping pies, buns or other baked goods.

By the way, about baking! Butter, that is, sweet yeast dough, has a shorter shelf life than unleavened dough. Sugar makes the dough more nutritious for the yeast, which means it speeds up the fermentation process. Therefore, it is better to bake sweet buns or jam pie on the same day or the next day. But fried pies, kulebyaki and/or pizza will turn out even on the second day of storing the dough in the refrigerator. In a word, choose the desired type of yeast dough, store it and plan your home menu in advance, fortunately, live dough allows this. Bon appetit and soft baking in your home!