You definitely can refrigerate pizza dough after it has risen.
The best way to preserve pizza dough, whether homemade or store-bought, is to keep it refrigerated.
Storing your pizza dough in the fridge will make your pizza prep time quicker.
Cold environs help decelerate the rate at which the yeast ferments in the pizza dough; in turn, the yeast is kept alive yet dormant. The contrary will be the case if the dough is at room temperature, as it will not rise as much as you want.
Cutting to the chase, here’s everything you need to know about refrigerating pizza dough.
Can you refrigerate pizza dough after it rises?
Yes, you can refrigerate pizza dough after it rises.
Fun fact, you can refrigerate pizza dough at any point, but refrigerating pizza dough just after it rises is the best way to preserve it for later use. Just make sure you refrigerate it in an airtight container with enough space to accommodate the dough, as it will keep on rising.
How to use refrigerated pizza dough – Best ideas
When it is time to use your pizza dough to make a pizza after letting it hibernate in your refrigerator, here are some steps we recommend you take:
- Place the dough in a flavored bowl.
- Shelter the bowl with a cover leaving room for some ventilation.
- Leave the dough till it attains room temperature.
- Mold the dough into a pizza crust, put your preferred toppings on, and bake!
Alternatively, you can be creative with the refrigerated pizza dough. Here are some ways you can do that:
- Bake yourself some pizza bread.
- You can make cinnamon rolls.
- Mini-deep dish pizzas are an exciting option.
- You can fry up some flaps of naan.
- You can make and enjoy pot pie with your refrigerated pizza dough.
- Oven-fresh homemade cheese bread is another way to express your culinary creativity with refrigerated pizza dough.
Read also: Do Pickled Eggs Need To Be Refrigerated?
How to store pizza dough after it rises – Different options
You can easily store pizza dough in three ways; at room temperature, in the fridge, and in the freezer. Allow us to explain how.
How to store pizza dough at room temperature
You’ll need an airtight container, oil (olive oil), and the pizza dough.
- After making the pizza dough, oil the surface of the pizza dough and the insides of the container.
- Put the pizza dough into the container and let it sit for 1-2 hours.
- Divide the big pizza dough into sizable dough balls.
- Leave it in the container for 1-24 hours, depending on your preference.
How to store pizza dough in the fridge
You’ll need; an airtight container, olive oil, and pizza dough.
- When you have made the pizza dough, leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
- Divide the dough into sizable dough balls, oil them, and add it to an oiled container.
- Leave in the fridge for not more than two weeks, as anything after that will result in a dough that’s not suitable to eat.
- When you are ready to use the dough, please take out the dough 30 minutes before you intend to start baking the pizza so that it can attain room temperature.
How to store pizza dough in the freezer
You’ll need; an airtight container, olive oil, and pizza dough.
- Let the pizza dough sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
- Partition the pizza dough into more petite dough balls, oil the dough balls and the container.
- Place the dough-filled container in your freezer.
- When you are ready to use the pizza dough, bring them out of your freezer and let them sit for about 3-4 hours to thaw.
How long can pizza dough sit out before cooking?
Pizza dough can sit out comfortably for three to four hours before cooking. However, after this period, pizza dough can pick up harmful bacteria. Factors like ingredients, type of pizza dough, and room temperature affect how long pizza dough can sit out.
Ingredients
Pizza dough with dairy or egg products should not sit out for more than two hours before cooking. If beer is integral to your pizza dough, it should not be left out for more than 4 hours; if not, it’ll develop a sour taste.
Type of pizza dough
Homemade pizza dough can sit out for up to 12 hours, although at risk of sourness. In contrast, store-bought pizza dough can conveniently sit out for 1 hour.
The temperature of the room
The house or room temperature where the dough sits affects the amount of time it can sit out. The ideal room temperature is between 68- and 77-degrees Fahrenheit. If the room temperature is above this, there’s a higher chance of bacterial growth.
Can homemade pizza dough be refrigerated?
Yes, homemade pizza dough can be refrigerated.
Homemade pizza dough can stay up to 5 days in the fridge and three months in a freezer.
Is it ok to leave pizza dough in the fridge overnight?
It is perfectly fine to leave pizza dough in the fridge overnight. Leaving pizza dough overnight in the refrigerator helps stop your dough from over-proofing.
Can you refrigerate dough after it rises?
Yes, you can put your risen dough in the fridge. Refrigerating risen dough helps slow down yeast fermentation, lowering the rate at which the dough rises.
Can you make pizza dough in advance?
You can make your pizza dough a day in advance. However, it would help if you preserved it well. Putting it in the refrigerator will do the trick while slowing down the yeast’s activities and giving the dough a more flavorful taste.
Can I use pizza dough straight from the fridge?
We recommend that you don’t use pizza dough straight from the fridge.
When you are ready to use the pizza dough, take it out of the refrigerator about thirty minutes before you intend to start baking.
