Make Ahead and Freeze Pizza Dough
This easy, make ahead pizza dough can be frozen so that you have a delicious and quick dough on hand anytime you decide you want to enjoy your favorite pizza.
Make Ahead Pizza Dough
Did you know you can freeze pizza dough? I am making up a batch of my favorite pizza dough today for the freezer and I thought I would share my recipe with you.
This is a very basic pizza dough. The beauty of this dough, though, is that it can be prepared in advance and is excellent to use as a make-ahead meal. I make this recipe in a quad (x4) batch. I actually use my Bosch mixer to mix it up, but you could always double or quad it and mix it by hand or use whatever type mixer you have, as long as it will have enough room.
–Make a batch of this Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe so you have everything ready for a quick dinner!
Make Ahead Pizza Dough Recipe
What you need:
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 t. sugar
- 1 t. sea salt
- 3 cups flour (you can use any combination of your favorite, I use 1/2 unbleached white and 1/2 soft white wheat)
- 1 1/2 t. yeast
Add all of the wet ingredients to the mixer first, then add the dry ingredients on top. Finish it out by adding the yeast on the very top of it all. If you are using a Bosch mixer, you will run it until it is all mixed together. Then put it on high speed (which on my machine is a number 3) and knead it for about 3-4 minutes.
Of course, if you don’t use a mixer, you will need to knead it for a bit longer by hand.
Then I let the dough rest for about 20 minutes. It will raise during this time.
Take the whole amount of dough and divide it into 4 pieces, if you have quadrupled the recipe (or 2 pieces, if you only doubled it). I generally use one the first night because we can’t wait to enjoy it. It will make a jelly roll size pan pizza or a very large round one.
–You can also use this to make a fresh batch of Pizza Roll Ups!
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
With the other three pieces, I place each one in a gallon ziploc bag, smoosh it flat to get the air out and close the bag. Label it and freeze. When you are ready to use, just get the ziploc out of the freezer and set it out to thaw on the countertop or in the refrigerator. This makes a fast “go to” meal anytime you are wanting pizza. Enjoy!
Need to print Make Ahead Pizza Crust to add to your Recipe Binder? Get the recipe below:
Make Ahead Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 t. sugar
- 1 t. sea salt
- 3 cups flour you can use any combination of your favorite, I use 1/2 unbleached white and 1/2 soft white wheat
- 1 1/2 t. yeast
Instructions
-
Add all of the wet ingredients to the mixer first, then add the dry ingredients on top. Finish it out by adding the yeast on the very top of it all. If you are using a Bosch mixer, you will run it until it is all mixed together. Then put it on high speed (which on my machine is a number 3) and knead it for about 3-4 minutes.
-
Of course, if you don't use a mixer, you will need to knead it for a bit longer by hand.
-
Then I let the dough rest for about 20 minutes. It will raise during this time.
-
Take the whole amount of dough and divide it into 4 pieces, if you have quadrupled the recipe (or 2 pieces, if you only doubled it). I generally use one the first night because we can't wait to enjoy it. It will make a jelly roll size pan pizza or a very large round one.
-
With the other three pieces, I place each one in a gallon ziploc bag, smoosh it flat to get the air out and close the bag. Label it and freeze.
-
When you are ready to use, just get the ziploc out of the freezer and set it out to thaw on the countertop or in the refrigerator. This makes a fast "go to" meal anytime you are wanting pizza. Enjoy!
Looking for more quick meals for busy nights? Here are a few you might enjoy:
Fast Cheap Food; Real Food Made Quickly
77 Quick Throw-Together Slow Cooker Meals
Quick Spaghetti Sauce Recipe You Can Make With 5 Ingredients
Quick and Simple 3 Ingredient Recipes From Scratch
Check out all of our Make Ahead Meals on Little House Living.
What are your favorite pizza toppings to enjoy on this delicious dough?
This Make Ahead Pizza Dough was originally published on Little House Living in November 2011. It has been updated as of November 2019.
May this recipe be copied! If so how do you go about doing the printing!
Thanks Bonnie
Hey Bonnie! Just head to the bottom of the post and find the little green button that says Print Friendly:)
May this recipe be copied! If so how do you go about doing the printing!
Thanks Bonnie
Hey Bonnie! Just head to the bottom of the post and find the little green button that says Print Friendly:)
I feel like such a dummy! Thanks so much!
Have a great day and a happy Thanksgiving!
I feel like such a dummy! Thanks so much!
Have a great day and a happy Thanksgiving!
Thank for sharing with the hearth and soul blog hop! I love pizza and really want to make a bunch ahead of time for after birth. You just reminded me to do that, so thanks!
Thank for sharing with the hearth and soul blog hop! I love pizza and really want to make a bunch ahead of time for after birth. You just reminded me to do that, so thanks!
This is an awesome recipe! My whole family loved it & the kids requested we have pizza night every week from now on. We’re going to make a few pizzas to freeze for fast meals on busy nights. Thanks for posting!
No problem, enjoy!
Can you tell me what you do when you take it out of the freezer? Time to thaw, rise once, or twice, leave in plastic bag or not? etc… Thank you!
Take it out of the plastic bag and set it on a towel or a floured surface and let it thaw and rise. It will take a few hours to be completely un-thawed.
Why is it my dough wouldnt form into a complete ball when mixing it all togther with the dough hook? Also would u fix ur measurements from the t’s to actual teaspoon or tablespooon i wasnt sure so i had to call people to make sure i measured right i hope it turns out okay… One more thing if cooking on a pizza stone how do u recommend making sure the bottom doesnt stick to the stone and cooks all the way through the bottom crust?
I’m not sure why the dough wouldn’t make a ball, either not enough liquid or too much. t = teaspoon, T = Tablespoon. I always grease my stones with oil first.
How many pizzas does the orignal recipie make what temp do u cook it at and how long?! Making tonight please respond thank you
I believe this recipe is for 2 crusts depending on how thick you make them. Cooking time and temp all depends on the kind of pizza you are making. For most pizzas I would cook it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes before adding any toppings then return to the oven and cook until your cheese is melted.
Can I use Quick-Rise Yeast? If so, can I use just as much or do I have to change the measurements of it?
I haven’t ever tried Quick Rise yeast so I’m not sure, sorry!
I love that this makes more than one set of dough – that always frustrates me when it’s only enough for one meal. Looking forward to using this to stock my freezer! Thank you!
The body of the page says to divide the dough in two if you doubled it or four if you quadrupled it. So, how much does this recipe make, enough for one pizza or two? Thank you. Looking forward to having frozen pizza dough at the ready.
This is a very good recipe and definitely a keeper. The crust definitely does need to be baked before any toppings are placed on it. I brushed olive oil on the the top of the crust before baking. One recipe made enough crust for two dinners. (It is just my husband and me.)