Freezing yeast dough works best if you follow these three rules

Berlin (dpa) – Timing is everything when it comes to dough. This is especially true if you're thinking of freezing your pizza base, bread dough or cinnamon rolls before baking. Dough that uses yeast as a leavener can generally be frozen without problems, but this kind needs some extra care when being taken out of the freezer for spontaneous use. Here are three tips for successfully baking with frozen yeast dough. 1. Freeze before letting it rise Once all the ingredients are kneaded together, the yeast dough should be frozen straight away before it has a chance to rise. "If you let it rise first and then freeze it, the dough often becomes sticky during baking," says nutrition expert Katharina Holthausen. Your final result will then often be dense and compact rather than light and airy. It’s worth noting that baked goods made from frozen yeast dough may be slightly less fluffy than usual, particularly with sweet doughs. "Freezing works especially well with savoury doughs like pizza or bread dough," Holthausen says. 2. Allow extra time for rising On the day you want to bake, you'll likely need to remove the dough from the freezer a few hours before baking. That's because it needs to thaw first, meaning it will take about twice as long to rise compared to freshly prepared yeast dough. A mildly warm temperature of no more than 25° can help speed up the rise. Avoid defrosting in a microwave since it can dry out the dough. 3. Save time with flat packaging To save time, try freezing your dough as flat as possible in freezer bags. This reduces the time it needs to thaw while also making it easier to store in the freezer. "For pizza dough, you can even roll it out beforehand and freeze it in layers with baking paper in between," says Holthausen. Wrap the layers in cling film to keep them airtight and prevent freezer burn. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn bac yyzz n1 amc

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