Freezing bread dough

foaly · #1 07/06/12, 08:43 PM

Need some advice. I'd like to freeze several loaves of bread dough. Should I freeze it after the first rise or the second? What type of container should I put it in?

Raeven · #2 07/06/12, 09:49 PM

I freeze mine after the first rise. Then I defrost in the fridge and continue to second rise before baking.

Sometimes the bread is extra sticky after freezing, so dust it with a bit of flour if you need to.

foaly · #3 07/07/12, 06:06 AM

Thanks Raeven! What type of container do you put it in?

Raeven · #4 07/07/12, 07:19 AM

Ah, foaly, I'm sorry -- you did ask that, didn't you?

I just grab a bread storage bag -- the kind you use with a twist tie -- and wrap it tightly before freezing. I don't worry too much if it isn't super tight... the bread will start to rise before freezing and fill in the gaps. If I'm freezing multiple blobs of dough, I often start with one in a corner, give it a twist, add a second, give it a twist and sometimes a third. So long as they don't touch, they're easy to remove one at a time for baking.

Mickey · #5 07/26/12, 08:16 PM

Raeven, about how long before baking do you need to get it out of the freezer?

Raeven · #6 07/26/12, 08:38 PM

Hi, Mickey, I usually try to remember to pull them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then pull them out in the morning, roll into my loaf shape, let rise as normal for a second rise and bake. That works best for me.

Mickey · #7 07/26/12, 11:00 PM

Thanks Raeven

lathermaker · #8 07/29/12, 06:57 PM

I freeze mine before the first rise, then take it out, put in the fridge to rise overnight. I'll double-wrap it in plastic wrap, then into a freezer bag it goes. I love doing this with sweet roll dough for cinnamon rolls....those make my DH vERy happy! LOL