✔ Updated · when to freeze each dough, step-by-step wrapping and 3 ways to thaw
Yes, you can freeze dough, and a stash of it in my freezer has saved more busy weeknights than I can count. Here's how to freeze bread, pizza, cookie and pie dough so it bakes up like fresh.
Yes, you can freeze dough for up to 3 months at 0°F. Freeze yeast bread and pizza dough after the first rise: punch it down, shape it or divide it into balls, coat lightly with oil, wrap tightly and freeze. For best rise, use it within 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking.
- Bread and pizza dough: after the first rise, up to 3 months (best within 1 month)
- Cookie dough: scoop into balls, freeze on a tray, then bag; bake from frozen
- Pie dough: wrap flat disks; up to 3 months
- Thaw: overnight in the fridge, or about 1 hour in a bowl of cool water in a sealed bag
How Long Can You Freeze Dough?
Kept airtight at 0°F (-18°C), these are the times I go by. Dough is safe for longer, but yeast dough loses rising power and all dough picks up freezer flavors after this.
| Type of dough | When to freeze | Freezer time | How to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread dough | After the first rise, shaped | Up to 3 months, best within 1 | Thaw overnight in the fridge, rise, bake |
| Pizza dough | After the first rise, in balls | Up to 3 months | Thaw in the fridge or a water bath, rest, stretch |
| Cinnamon roll or sweet dough | Shaped rolls, before the second rise | Up to 1 month | Thaw overnight in the fridge, rise, bake |
| Cookie dough | Scooped into balls | Up to 3 months | Bake from frozen, add 1 to 2 minutes |
| Pie crust dough | Flat disks | Up to 3 months | Thaw in the fridge, roll out cold |
| Biscuit or scone dough | Cut and shaped | Up to 3 months | Bake from frozen, add a few minutes |
How to Freeze Bread Dough
- Make your dough. If you know it's going in the freezer, add about 25% extra yeast to make up for yeast that won't survive the cold.
- Let it rise once. Let it double, then punch it down.
- Shape it. Form your loaf, rolls or buns. Flat or small shapes freeze and thaw faster and more evenly.
- Freeze it firm. Set the shaped dough on a parchment-lined tray (or in a loaf tin lined with plastic wrap) and freeze uncovered for 2 to 3 hours until solid.
- Wrap it well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Label it with the type and date.
- Freeze. Up to 3 months, but for the best rise I bake mine within a month.
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
Pizza dough is the easiest dough to freeze, and it's how I keep homemade pizza night on the calendar even on our busiest weeks. After the first rise, divide the dough into single-pizza balls, rub each one with a teaspoon of olive oil, and seal them in individual freezer bags with the air pressed out. Freeze flat so they thaw quickly.
How to Thaw Frozen Dough
- Overnight in the fridge (best): move the dough from the freezer to the fridge 12 to 18 hours before you need it, still wrapped. This slow thaw keeps the texture best.
- Cool water bath (fastest safe way): keep the dough sealed in its bag and submerge it in a big bowl of cool water. Pizza dough balls thaw in about 1 hour; change the water every 30 minutes.
- On the counter: lean bread and pizza dough (just flour, water, yeast, salt) can thaw covered at room temperature in 2 to 3 hours. Dough with eggs, milk or butter should thaw in the fridge.
- Then let it rise. Once thawed, unwrap, cover loosely and let yeast dough sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until puffy. Pizza dough just needs 30 to 60 minutes to relax before stretching.
- Don't bake it frozen. Frozen yeast dough burns outside before the center rises and cooks. Cookie, biscuit and pie dough are the exceptions and bake well from frozen.
How to Freeze Cookie and Pie Dough
Cookie dough: scoop into balls, freeze on a lined tray until firm (about 1 hour), then tip into a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Having warm cookies on demand is dangerous knowledge, I know.
Pie dough: shape into flat 1-inch disks, wrap tightly in plastic and a bag, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and roll it out while still cold for the flakiest crust.
Common Mistakes
- Wrapping loosely. Air leads to freezer burn and a dry, cracked crust on the dough.
- Freezing big blobs. A large ball of dough thaws unevenly. Portion it first.
- Forgetting to label. Write the dough type and date on every bag.
- Rushing the rise. Thawed dough is cold and slow. Give it time on the counter or the bread will be dense.
- Refreezing thawed dough. Bake it instead, then freeze the bread.
More Dough Guides
For shorter storage, see how to refrigerate dough, and check whether dough goes bad. Trouble with your rise? Read why your dough isn't rising and whether you can bake dough that hasn't risen. Freezing baked bread instead? Here's whether bread can be frozen twice. And for a pizza dough worth freezing, try our Roberta's-style pizza dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can bread dough be frozen?
Yes. Bread dough freezes well for up to 3 months, though it rises best if baked within a month. Freeze it after the first rise, once you've punched it down and shaped it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.
How do you thaw frozen pizza dough?
The best way is overnight in the fridge, about 12 hours, still in its bag. For same-day pizza, seal the bag and submerge it in a bowl of cool water for about 1 hour, changing the water once. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes until soft and stretchy.
Should you freeze dough before or after it rises?
After the first rise is best for most yeast doughs. The yeast has done its flavor work, and shaping before freezing saves time later. You can freeze it right after kneading, but some yeast dies in the freezer, so expect a slower rise, or add about 25% extra yeast.
Can you freeze donut dough?
Yes. Let the dough rise once, roll and cut the donuts, then freeze them on a parchment-lined tray before bagging. Thaw them on a tray in the fridge overnight, let them rise at room temperature for about an hour until puffy, and fry as usual.
Can you refreeze dough?
It's best not to. Refreezing damages the gluten and weakens the yeast, so the bread comes out dense. If dough was thawed in the fridge and you didn't use it, bake it and freeze the finished bread instead.
