Freezing yeast dough

[aaronatthedoublef]

Hi,

How many of you freeze yeast dough? I do it on a regular basis. When I make challah it is typically a big batch of dough. And rather than shrink the recipe I just cut it up in to 1/3 lb balls, wrap and freeze.

Same with pizza dough. I have 4 lbs of pizza dough in 7 oz balls in the freezer right now.

They've both worked.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

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[Italiancook]

I contacted Fleischman's about this several years ago. I was told that if I freeze yeast dough, I have to increase the amount of yeast. I don't recall by what percentage. I can't recall whether I contacted KAF or read this on a blog, but KAF also said to increase the yeast. Again, by what percentage, I don't recall.

On October 5, 2016, KAF posted a blog about freezing yeast rolls. I'm sorry, I don't know how to post a link, but if the title of their blog is, "Freeze and Bake Rolls: A Head Start on the Holidays." It has a note about increasing the yeast if the dough is going to be frozen longer than 2 or 3 days.

I haven't tried their method but intend to do so soon.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Italiancook.

[S_Wirth]

Here is the link, Italiancook:

Freeze and bake rolls

Do you know how to copy/paste? I'm on a laptop and just highlight the address bar of what I want to copy by right-clicking on that line, it will turn blue and I click Copy, Then I go to where I want to Paste it, right click again and select Paste in the box and it should appear for you.

[S_Wirth]

That is a nice article. Kidpizza used to tell us about freezing dough balls for making his pizza. He mentioned the increase of yeast as some die-off will always occur in the freezer.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by S_Wirth.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, S_Wirth, for the instructions. I know how to copy and paste and should be able to do that. Here I've been thinking posting a link was some technical computer magic that I would never be able to do. But I now think I can do this.

[BakerAunt]

My one attempt to freeze bread dough came at a moment of desperation. My oven went bad with a cake in it, and orange-cinnamon swirl bread rising. I ended up putting the pans in the freezer, then wrapping them after they froze. They did ok, when the oven was repaired. As it was a new recipe, and I've not gotten around to baking it again, I do not know if the freezing affected it negatively.

A lot of KAF's recipes use too much yeast, so I don't know that you would need to increase the yeast all that much. I usually reduce the yeast a bit in their recipes.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

The easiest way to post a link is to use the link tool at the top of the text box. You put the link in one box, the description of what the link is in the other. I find that easier and more dependable than just typing in a link and hoping browsers recognize it as one.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks. My pizza and challah doughs are pretty yeasty. Although I cut the yeast in half on this batch so we'll see how it goes.

I went to SAF (owned by Red Star). They talk about freezing dough here:Freezing Dough

In their frequently asked questions they talk about storing yeast in the freezer here.Storing yeast in freezer

I may still do my own thing but then I only have myself to blame when it does not work...

[luvpyrpom]

I keep my opened yeast in a small mason jar in the freezer. I use it straight from there. The excess I store in smaller Ziploc containers in the freezer, too. I haven't had good experiences in freezing yeast doughs - the last couple of times, they didn't rise very much before I put them in the oven.

[BakerAunt]

I also keep my opened yeast (regular active and the higher sugar one) in the freezer. I have that acrylic jar with the locking lid that KAF sells. It won't hold two pounds of yeast, but I can put the excess in Tupperware. I use it straight from the freezer with no problem. I always proof it, having had a bad experience when I first baked bread, even though I know that the prevailing wisdom is that it is not necessary. I enjoy seeing it bubble up before I add the rest of the ingredients.

For me, it works best not to freeze dough, since if I've got time to take it out, let it come to room temperature and rise, I might as well have baked it first. It's easier for me to pull out a frozen loaf or rolls and let them thaw overnight. I just have to watch my husband who has been known to attack a frozen loaf with a bread knife because he did not tell me we needed to thaw another loaf. I think that cutting it while frozen compromises the thawing, the taste, and the texture.

[Italiancook]

It sounds like I'm the only one who keeps yeast in the refrigerator. I simply can't give up freezer space to the yeast container. After a year, I occasionally do a proof test to make sure it's still viable. If I kept it in the freezer, I'd still do that.

Mike, thanks for your instructions on putting links in a post. But it was Greek to me. Next time my computer tech comes here, I'll have him show me how to do it. In the meantime, I'll use the copy/paste method that S_Wirth mentioned.

[cwcdesign]

I freeze my yeast as well. I keep a small jar and the rest in a ziplock freezer bag

[Italiancook]

Since so many of you freeze yeast, I wonder: How long does it last in the freezer? Does freezing it give it an super long lifespan?

[Mike Nolan]

In the freezer it lasts for years. It took me nearly 2 years to use up the last pound package of yeast I opened, I used to go through a pound in about 4 months. Shows how much less I bake since our younger son moved to California. I keep it in an Ikea container that holds a full pound of yeast.

[aaronatthedoublef]

As Mike says, it lasts years, especially if treated properly. The SAF site says to always keep it chilled and not to let the bag come to room temperature. Just take what you want and use it. It also says that as the yeast ages you may want to proof it before you mix in the rest of your ingredients.

I keep mine in the package in a quart bag. I keep the quart bag in a gallon bag along with the oven bags I use for letting the dough rise.

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