How Long to Defrost Pizza Dough Before Rolling?

By Kitchen Warrior | Pizza Baking and Cutting Tips

frozen pizza dough

When you store pizza dough in your freezer, it will last anywhere from one to two months. However, you have to defrost it properly when you take it out so that you don’t cook the dough by mistake. There are several different ways to defrost your dough, depending on how much time you have. Take a look at different answers for how long to defrost pizza dough.

How to Defrost Pizza Dough Overnight?

If you have time and want to defrost your pizza dough overnight, you can do so in the refrigerator. Make sure that you keep it in its storage bag, which should be airtight. Place the entire bag in a bowl, and remember that the bowl should be large enough to accommodate the dough expanding.

Leave the bowl with the pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight. By the morning, you will see small bubbles appear because the dough will actually begin softening and rising overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, and you can let it sit for about an hour. Then it is ready for you.

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Five Quick Ways to Defrost Pizza Dough

If you don’t have time to let your pizza dough sit overnight, there are quicker methods that will help you defrost your pizza dough. Try any of the following:

1. Cold Water

One way to defrost your frozen pizza dough is to run cold water over it. You should have stored it in an airtight bag, and you can place the bag in the sink. Then turn on the cold water and let it run over the dough. This is a great choice because it won’t harm the dough, and there is no chance of accidentally cooking it.

You will want to leave the dough under the running water for around two hours. During this time, the dough will become soft, and you should see it start to rise. When it is ready, you will see small bubbles on the surface of the dough. Take the dough out of the bag and place it in a dry bowl for around an hour. Then it will be ready to bake.

2. Warm Water

If you want to use this method, you need to be careful, but your pizza dough will be ready more quickly. The important thing is to make sure that the water isn’t so warm that it partially cooks your pizza dough. You should keep your dough in an airtight bag and remove any air that you can.

Get a bowl that is medium in size and place the bag with the dough in it. The water will be cooled by the dough within about ten minutes, so you will need to change it. Dump out the chilled water and then refill the bowl with warm water and place the dough back inside. You can continue this process until your dough is thawed.

3. Microwave

You have to be even more careful with this method because it can partially cook your pizza dough. This is one of the quicker methods, so proceed with caution if you need to thaw your dough quickly. Take out a microwave-safe plate and spray it with oil. Then place the dough on the plate and spray it with oil. Finally, you can cover the dough with plastic wrap, and you should spray the inside of the plastic wrap so that the dough doesn’t stick to it.

All microwaves are a little different, but on average, you can set your microwave on high for 25 seconds. This will heat up the dough enough to start thawing it. After 25 minutes, remove the plate. Spray down the plate, the dough, and the plastic again, and place the dough back on the plate on the opposite side. Once you wrap it, put it back in the microwave for another 25 seconds.

When it finishes, the dough should feel cool, but it should not look as though it has risen. You can place it back in the microwave and use the defrost setting for between three and five minutes. If you have more dough, it will take closer to five minutes. Once it is finished, place it on the counter at room temperature and wait for it to rise. Then it will be ready for baking.

4. Oven

Another option is to use the oven to defrost your pizza dough, but you need to be careful not to cook your dough. It is better to use the cold defrost methods, but you can do this when you need to. Start with a cooking pan that your dough can comfortably fit in. Spray the pan and the dough with oil. Then spray some plastic wrap with oil and use it to cover the dough.

Heat the oven to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or use the lowest setting in a gas oven. Some ovens have a bread proofing setting, which is ideal for thawing your pizza dough. Let the dough sit for an hour, and then check to see if it has been defrosted. It will also rise during this time. Once the dough is ready, it will have risen to twice its size. Then place it on the counter and get ready to prepare your pizza.

5. Counter Method

This method for defrosting your pizza dough takes around two hours. Start by removing the pizza dough from the freezer, and then remove it from the airtight storage bag. Make sure that you find a container that is big enough to let the dough expand.

Place the dough inside the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. It will take about two hours for the dough to defrost and rise.

Final Words

There are several different ways to defrost your pizza dough, and you can choose the one that works best with your schedule. Some of them require constant monitoring, while others allow you to leave the dough and return when it is ready. The cool methods are safer than the hot methods because you won’t have to worry about partially cooking (and ruining) your pizza dough.