Homemade pizza is a delicious meal you can easily make, but what are you supposed to do with the extra dough? Luckily, pizza dough, whether store-bought or fresh, stores easily in the fridge or freezer. If you want to make pizza over the next few days from refrigerated crust or save it for a few months in the freezer, you can keep your dough tasting fresh!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Refrigerating the Dough

  1. Make sure the dough is thoroughly kneaded before storing it. Use baking spray to lightly coat the plastic container on the bottom and the sides so the dough doesn’t stick. [1]
    • You can shape the dough into balls before storing it if you want to, but it is not required.
  2. Place the dough inside the container and seal it with a lid or plastic wrap. While the dough is in the fridge, it will slowly rise and gain flavor. Make sure to use the fresh dough within 3 days, or else it won’t taste as good. [2]
    • The pizza dough will expand and rise the longer you leave it in the fridge.
  3. Take the lid off of the container and let the dough warm up before you cook it. This brings it back up to a workable temperature so you can stretch and knead it. [3]
  4. Make a fist and push the dough down to reduce its size. This helps reshape the dough back into a ball and releases the gas bubbles formed from the yeast. [4]
    • Let the dough rest for another 15 minutes after you punch it.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Freezing Pizza Dough

  1. Lightly spray the dough with baking spray or rub on a thin layer of olive with your hands. Spread the oil or spray over the entire surface of each of the dough balls. This prevents multiple balls from sticking to one another or their container. [5]
    • Balls of dough are easier to store so you don’t have to thaw out all the dough every time you want a pizza.
    • Use a kitchen brush if you don’t want to get oil on your hands.
    • Substitute your preferred cooking oil in the place of olive oil.
  2. Use a small piece of parchment paper for each of the pizza dough balls. This keeps the dough separated so the dough balls don’t get stuck to one another. [6]
    • Use wax paper if you don’t have parchment paper.
    • You don’t have to wrap the pizza dough if you store the balls in separate bags.
  3. Use resealable bags that are meant for freezer use. Push all the air out of the bag so it’s more compact and easier to store. [7]
    • You could also use a resealable plastic container.
  4. Keep the bag sealed until you’re ready to use one of the dough balls. Take one of the balls out each time you want to make a pizza. [8]
    • After 3 months, the dough may get freezer burn, which will affect its flavor.
  5. Pull the bag out of the freezer and place it in the fridge. Keep it there overnight, or for at least 12 hours, so the dough is workable before you cook it. [9]
  6. Put your dough in a bowl on the counter to let it come to room temperature. This will make it easier to work and reshape the dough. [10]
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      Things You’ll Need

      Refrigerating the Dough

      • Resealable plastic container
      • Non-stick spray
      • Refrigerator

      Freezing Pizza Dough

      • Olive oil or baking spray
      • Parchment paper
      • Freezer-safe bag
      • Freezer

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      To store pizza dough in the fridge, first spread some non-stick cooking spray on the bottom and sides of a resealable plastic container, so the dough doesn’t stick to it. Then, place your dough inside the container and secure the lid to keep it fresh. If you don’t have a lid for your container, cover it with plastic wrap instead. When you want to use your pizza dough, take it out of the fridge and let it rest uncovered for 15 minutes so it can warm up. After it warms up, punch the dough down with your fist to reduce its size. Let it rest another 15 minutes before shaping it for pizza. For the best results, make sure to use your pizza dough within 3 days of putting it in the fridge. To learn how to freeze pizza dough, read on!

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