Ingredients:

• Yeast dough

Can yeast dough be frozen?

Many housewives ask themselves the question: is it possible to freeze yeast dough? Will the taste of the dish change after defrosting the dough? Will the products rise after defrosting? The answer is very simple - yeast dough can be frozen without problems, and products made from defrosted dough will not differ in any way from products made from fresh yeast dough.

Freezing such a dough is sometimes very convenient and beneficial. After all, you can cook it when you have time for this, and then freeze it in portions and use it when it suits you.

To use frozen dough, it is enough to take it out in the evening and leave it in the refrigerator overnight so that it slowly thaws. In the morning you can start baking products.

How to freeze yeast dough step by step instructions with photos:

Step 2

If you know for sure that you are preparing the dough for freezing, then initially add 4-6% more yeast to the dough than indicated in the recipe. Also try to use high protein flour for kneading. For kneading, use slow-acting yeast. Instant yeast will not work here.

Step 3

After kneading, let the dough rise a little and proceed to freezing. There is no need to let the dough rise a second time.

Step 4

Divide the dough into portions, wrap in several layers of cling film and send to the freezer.

Step 5

It is also very convenient to freeze the dough in portions, laying it out in those forms in which the dough will rise and bake after defrosting. Grease the mold with a thin layer vegetable oil and lay out the required amount of dough. Wrap the form with the dough in several layers of cling film and send it to the freezer for storage.

You will not need to put a dough and spend time kneading, just defrost in any convenient way and proceed to baking.

Dough freezing rules and storage temperature

Compliance with the correct temperature regime (from -15 to -18 ° C) is the first condition. There are modern freezers that have different temperatures on each of the shelves.

If the temperature is too low, it will spoil the dough. Initially, the workpiece can be placed on an emergency freezing shelf, and a day later it can be stored in a compartment with a more gentle regime.

In order for the dough to tolerate low temperatures well and retain its splendor, two factors must be taken into account - this is 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 desired consistency. With a deficiency of this substance, the product after defrosting will be shapeless and will practically lose its plasticity.
2. Gluten-rich flour 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, it is necessary to put 4-5 grams more.
4. Yeast must be selected with a slow action, as low temperature negatively affects the properties of the yeast.
5. The time for raising the dough is one hour.

Freezing process

Cooking dough is a laborious process that takes time.

It is necessary to take a day and prepare a large amount of dough, freeze it in briquettes. If we compare the taste of baking from fresh and frozen dough, then it does not differ at all.

The list of products that are necessary for the preparation of the workpiece:

• 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;
• 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 should be warm.
3. Remove milk from heat, add yeast to it and stir well.
4. Add the required amount of sugar.
5. Add a small amount of flour and mix well. Put 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 mass each time.
8. When the dough is difficult to stir with a spoon, put it on a table sprinkled with flour and knead until smooth. The workpiece should be plastic and elastic.

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

The product should be thoroughly kneaded until an even kolobok is obtained. Put in one plastic bag, remove the air, tie and put in the second bag. Film can be used for food products 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 date of freezing on the package. Put 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 keep in the refrigerator?

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

It can be stored in the refrigerator for a day at a temperature of +5…+8 °C. If the temperature drops to +2…+3 °C, the product can lie for 48 hours.

Storage longer than the specified period will lead to damage to the workpiece, it will ferment and turn sour. Baking will acquire a sour smell and an unpleasant taste.

If there is ready-made frozen dough, then it is very easy to make pastries from it. It is enough to defrost it and let it rise warm.

Defrost methods:

1. Fill a container with warm water and put the frozen piece of dough into it. Give it time to thaw.
2. Put the workpiece on the lid of a warm pot or teapot.
3. Express method - place the workpiece in a pan and place it next to the lit gas.
4. Heat up in a water bath. Take two containers of different diameters. In a large one, draw water and place a smaller container in it, in which to lay the dough. Place on 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. Defrost on the top shelf of the refrigerator overnight.

Defrost process

Process steps:

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

The best way is to defrost in the refrigerator:

1. Put the dough on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, after placing it on a plate.
2. Leave for 8 hours.
3. Remove the workpiece and allow time to come up warm.
4. Gradual thawing will preserve the texture and taste.

Is it possible to freeze yeast dough for pies?

There is a widespread myth that the semi-finished product is only suitable for making pizza, buns and bagels. And pies with poppy seeds or cottage cheese do not work out of it at all.

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

If the blanks of pies are already 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 low-quality flour was used when freezing or yeast that has expired.

Before preparing the dough, it is necessary to check the expiration date of the ingredients.

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

Conclusion

Freezing is a quick method of preserving dough.

To prepare delicious pastries, it is enough to get the product and defrost it properly. This saves time for busy housewives. In order for the workpiece to rise after freezing, it is necessary to add yeast during kneading.

Yeast dough is a soft and delicate product. Due to the content of unicellular organisms, mushroom yeast, it is saturated with carbon dioxide, acquires a porous structure and increases in volume. The semi-finished product is suitable for long-term storage, but only on condition that the fermentation process is slowed down or suspended. Otherwise, it will turn sour and become unusable.

Depending on the required shelf life, you can either freeze the yeast dough for several months, or put it in the refrigerator for several days.

• Show all

  Ingredients for Freezing Dough

  To prevent homemade dough from spoiling after a long stay in the refrigerator, you need to choose the right ingredients for its preparation:

  1. 1. Give preference to slow action yeast to slow down the fermentation process. Dry active (but not fast acting) yeast works best.
  2. 2. The percentage of flour gluten should be within 30-32. If the indicator is exceeded after the temperature difference, the crumb will become very hard, at low rates it will crumble in the hands.

  When kneading, it is necessary to put yeast 6-7% more than indicated in the recipe.

  If you plan to use live yeast that has been in the refrigerator for some time, then it is recommended to conduct a germination experiment. To do this, cut off the outer layer of yeast and dilute it in warm water, adding a tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon of sugar. If foam appears on the surface, then the yeast is suitable for consumption, if not, the dough will not rise.

  Cold storage

  Housewives who plan to bake pies in the next 1-2 days can do the following:

  1. 1. Thoroughly knead the dough, wait an hour until it slightly increases in volume.
  2. 2. Form a ball from the crumb, put it in a plastic bag.
  3. 3. Tie, but loosely, leaving a little space, as the semi-finished product may increase in volume due to fermentation.
  4. 4. With a toothpick, pierce the bag in several places to ensure air flow. Otherwise, the product will quickly turn sour.
  5. 5. Put on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and store at a temperature of +2-4 degrees.

  Instead of a plastic bag, you can take a bowl, place the dough in it, cover with cling film on top. So the product will retain its taste and lush texture in the next day or two.

  Do not leave the dough in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours. Even at low positive temperatures, the fermentation process does not stop, but only slows down, so on the third day the product will probably turn sour.

  

  Deep freeze

  For long-term storage, it is recommended to freeze the yeast dough. When frozen, the product will be usable within 3 months from the date of preparation. In order not to get confused in terms, before sending the semi-finished product to the freezer, it is recommended to stick a sticker with the date of manufacture on it.

  You can freeze both the dough and ready-made pies. The method of storage directly depends on the type of semi-finished product.

  

  Pie dough

  You can freeze yeast dough for pies as follows:

  1. 1. Divide it into small portions, form a ball.
  2. 2. Sprinkle with flour and pack in bags. As an alternative container, you can use cling film by wrapping the dough in several layers.
  3. 3. Send to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for half an hour.
  4. 4. Set the temperature in the freezer to -25-30 degrees, move the dough into it from the refrigerator.
  5. 5. After all the moisture comes out of the product and it is completely frozen, set the temperature to -18 degrees.

  Such a temperature drop will help stop the fermentation process and freeze active microorganisms, preventing their reproduction. Instead of a bag, you can use plastic containers or send the dough to freeze directly in a bowl, covering it with cling film.

  Pressed fresh yeast can also be stored in the same way. It is enough to pack them in bags and put them in the freezer. The shelf life is the same as that of the finished test.

  After defrosting, it is impossible to re-freeze the dough, otherwise it will lose all its original qualities. That is why it is important to divide the product into portions of the right size in order to use up the entire mass during cooking.

  Puff pastry

  

  shop puff pastry lasts twice as long as homemade due to the content of preservatives and emulsifiers

  Shelf life of store-bought yeast puff test is 6 months , and home - 3 months . To prevent the dough from losing layering, it is not recommended to knead it for a long time and knead it thoroughly. When the mass becomes homogeneous and stops sticking to your hands, you need to roll it out in a thin layer of about 1 cm. It is advisable to immediately spread parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin right on it.

  The resulting layer should be wrapped in a tube, wrapped with cling film and sent to the freezer. You should not form too large rolls, so that later there will be no problems with surpluses that can no longer be re-frozen. Optimum storage temperature: -18 degrees.

  Homemade semi-finished products

  If you have time and desire, you can immediately make pies or puffs with filling. At home, they are easy to save without sacrificing quality by sending them to the freezer. In addition, after defrosting, fluffy buns will cook 2 times faster.

  The algorithm of actions is simple:

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees.
  2. 2. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil.
  3. 3. Arrange the finished pies and send to the oven.
  4. 4. As soon as they rise a little, get the semi-finished products.
  5. 5. Wait until the pastry has cooled down, wrap each product with several layers of cling film.
  6. 6. Place in the freezer.

  The shelf life is 2-3 months.

  Defrost Features

  So that the dough does not lose its taste, and pies or pies turn out to be lush, it must be properly defrosted. This must be done gradually so that the yeast slowly “comes to life” and an active fermentation process begins. To do this, you need to get the product from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. It is best to do this at night so that the next morning the mass is completely defrosted.

  When the crumb becomes soft, but cool, it should be removed from the refrigerator and left for a while on the table at room temperature. After such a phased defrosting, the dough will rise again and will be ready for further use. If raw semi-finished products were frozen, they must be thawed, sent to the oven and brought to readiness.

  If it is not possible to wait that long, you can use the following express defrosting methods:

  1. 1. Place the bag with the dough in a container with warm water. Check the container for holes first. If any, place the product in an additional whole package.
  2. 2. Put next to the included stove or lower it into an empty pan near the burning burner. Turn dough occasionally to ensure even defrosting. This method takes 4-5 hours depending on the size of the mass.
  3. 3. Send to the microwave. It is advisable to use the defrost function, if available. Reheating the dough by setting the timer and temperature is not recommended, as it will not rise, but will cook. Experienced chefs say that after defrosting in the microwave, pastries are not so tasty.

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

Answer:

Yeast, flour and water are the main ingredients 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 at home cooking, for example, on milk and kefir, they are absent. And there are no contraindications to freezing. The main thing is not to thaw butter dough, for example, in the microwave.

Can yeast dough be stored

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 - a few days. Otherwise, the fermentation process can lead to sour dough. You can store the product without a refrigerator only if it is literally used in the next day in the preparation of various dishes. In the freezer, the fermentation process does not stop at all, but only slows down. However, if the standard temperature is maintained to minus 18 degrees, then the properties of the dough can be preserved for 18 months.

Is it possible to bake pies in the microwave

Housewives prepare a lot of yeast dough delicious meals. True, many people have a question whether it is possible to bake pies with such a base in the microwave. To do 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, practically does not burn. The smaller the size of the cake, the less time it takes to cook it. You can use the grill function to form a golden crust.

Baking pies, bread, puffs is always an event. And it always takes a long time. The kneading process alone, even with "fast" yeast, takes a good hour and a half. And while inexperienced chefs are wondering if it is possible to freeze experienced chefs, they have long been acting on this principle.

If you really don’t have time or don’t want to spend it on traditional dough preparation, you can buy ready-made: frozen and packaged in a nearby supermarket. But if the culinary light in your heart has not died out, make it yourself - both for today's pies and in reserve. In the freezer, the dough will “doze” as long as it takes, retaining all its properties, and after defrosting you will get an excellent fresh one, as if it had just been kneaded.

Is it possible to put an equal sign between home and industrial freezing technologies?

who used to use purchased dough, can confirm that it is exactly the same in quality as home-cooked. This means that doubts about whether it is possible to freeze yeast dough at home are automatically canceled.

Powerful refrigeration units, freezers are at the disposal of every modern housewife, so there should be no problems with creating "factory material for pies" at home.

The capacities of modern freezers are quite enough to quickly bring the dough to a state of deep freezing and store it for a long period - from several weeks to several months.

How to prepare dough for freezing

After fermentation and kneading, let the dough “rest” a little, then divide it into pieces of the required size and put in the freezer.

An important nuance: before freezing the yeast dough, be sure to wrap each of the lumps or foil. It is necessary to pack it in order to limit the access of moisture, since the process of crystallization of water during rapid freezing also occurs very quickly. As a result, this negatively affects the taste of the finished baking.

Correct temperature

In the first few days (7-14) of being in the cold, the dough should freeze out - that is, completely get rid of moisture. For this purpose, the optimum temperature will be the lowest temperature your refrigerator is capable of. Yeast dough can be frozen at -20 ... -30 ° C.

When the dough acquires a state of confident “stonyness”, the mode can be changed somewhat by moving the stocks into a chamber with a temperature of -8 ... -18 ° C.

The role of yeast quality

Usually, the question of whether it is possible to freeze yeast dough arises from those who fear for the loss of its ability to rise after a long stay in the cold.

Having “survived” the process of freezing and thawing, it does not deteriorate, however, when choosing yeast for dough that you prepare for future use, pay attention to their quality and freshness. Add more yeast than usual to the base prepared for freezing: instead of 5-7 grams, say, 8-12.

What flour?

How to freeze yeast dough correctly so as not to worry about the quality of future buns? Choose the type of flour that will endure temperature extremes and will not stick out during the freezing process.

Important! When choosing flour, attention should be paid to the percentage of its gluten: a weak one after defrosting gives an undesirable effect of vagueness, an increased one - excessive crumb density and a swollen crust.

The optimal percentage of gluten, at which baking will be soft and high, is 30-32.

To make the dough elastic, add eggs and margarine to it during the kneading process.

Pizza dough

Frozen yeast pizza dough is the most convenient option for housewives who like to pamper their family with homemade cakes, but are not ready to mess with the dough every time.

Cook it as much as possible, divide it into portions - and use it from time to time, baking not only pizza, but also croissants or butter yeast cookies.

According to the proposed recipe, you will have to get confused with the dough for as much as ... half an hour.

Per liter of milk: 1.5 bags a pack of margarine, 3 eggs, 3 tbsp. l. sugar, a little salt, flour - how much it takes (usually 1-1.5 kg is required). Prepare the dough in the usual way: dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add salt, sugar, a little flour - this is the first stage, dough.

The second stage is the addition of the remaining ingredients and the remaining amount of flour.

The third stage is packaging, packaging and placement in the freezer.

For puffs

The secret of puff pastry lies in its phased rolling with butter. But if several stages are too long a story for you, you can add yeast dissolved in water or milk to flour chopped with butter.

The peculiarity of the test for puffs is that it cannot be kneaded and kneaded for too long - it can lose layering.

Puff pastry yeast (frozen) is great for baking pies and strudel. If the usual puffs are boring, and there are still a lot of blanks in the freezer - try it, it's very tasty!

For strudel and croissants, roll out the dough thinner, and leave the pies on ruddy barrels - cut the blanks into washers.

Storage, defrosting, baking

Having found out whether it is possible to freeze yeast dough, you need to learn how to properly place it in the freezer. Even in the cold, it does not shrink in the first minutes, but will rise and grow in volume. This feature must be taken into account when filling the freezer: put the portions more tightly, otherwise they will have time to “grow up” and occupy all the free space of the freezer.

The maximum frozen dough is no more than four months. But the sooner you use it, the better the taste and appearance of the finished product.

Before freezing the yeast dough in (they can be used as an alternative to foil), sprinkle the container with flour so that the contents do not stick, and release the air from the bag.

You need to defrost the yeast dough carefully and gradually: first move it from the freezer to the refrigerator, and then hold it for a while. The finished dough should increase in volume. Having noticed this, punch it down again and form buns.

Frozen dough is suitable for making any bakery products: pies, pies, pizzas, buns, cookies, loaves, if you like. One has only to fool around a little once, then several times very, very quickly (literally in 15 minutes, not counting the time spent on baking) to cook fragrant products.