Throwing away the frozen dough, which you could have used to bake something delicious, might upset you. So you might be searching for a way to keep it from getting wasted.
In depths of despair, you might wonder, can you refreeze dough?
If you handle the dough cautiously, you can keep it refrozen for 3-4 months. It is safe to refreeze the dough that thaws in a refrigerator. However, constant refreezing is not a recommendation as there will be a significant quality loss. Refreezing the dough into meal-size portions is a much better option.
Refreezing won’t steal away the dough’s soft, spongy texture if you do it correctly. Let’s look at a few simple refreezing practices that can help it stay almost as good as fresh dough.
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Is it Safe to Refreeze Dough?
Refreezing the dough can help you save it from wastage. It will also enable you to make bread or pizza whenever you want.
You’ll be happy to know that it is safe to refreeze dough that has thawed slowly in a refrigerator. Refreezing the dough thawed/defrosted by other methods isn’t recommended, as they increase the risk of contamination.
Defrosting/thawing the dough on the countertop is a big no-no. It affects the overall quality and also makes it unsafe for consumption. If you defrost the dough in the oven, you’ll notice that it has not at all risen and is hard too.
It would be best to avoid refreezing dough sitting out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. Air exposure for such a long time might promote bacterial growth. It is why you should always defrost the dough in a refrigerator if you think you might have to refreeze it or even if you want to bake it.
Another thing to remember is that refreezing all the dough in the same bag or container should be avoided. Make sure to divide it into meal-size portions and seal each dough ball individually before freezing and refreezing.
The refrozen dough won’t taste as good as the freshly kneaded dough after baking. However, it will still be safe for consumption. If the texture is not a huge concern for you, you can go ahead and refreeze it.
Upon noticing the signs of spoilage, it’s better to throw it away immediately.
How to Refreeze Dough?
Most people do not recommend refreezing dough, but you should know that refreezing won’t make it unsafe for eating. If you don’t have a problem with a compromised texture, you can refreeze it.
You can follow the instructions mentioned below to ensure the safe refreezing of dough.
- First, wait for the dough to defrost slowly in the refrigerator for the whole day or overnight.
- Next, take out the thawed dough and sprinkle flour on both sides.
- Place it on a freezer-safe tray and let it flash freeze overnight. While flash-freezing, make sure the dough is resting on a flat surface, and avoid putting anything on top of it.
- Once the dough has frozen solid, take it out of the freezer and transfer each dough ball into separate Ziploc bags/Tupperware containers. Individually refreezing them will keep the balls from sticking together in case of partial thawing.
- After sealing, label the bags with the date of refreezing and place them into the freezer until you are ready to use them.
Note: If you refreeze the dough in a freezer-safe Tupperware container, lightly brush the bottom and sides of the container. It will keep the dough from sticking even after thawing.
How Long Can You Refreeze Dough?
The properly refrozen dough will last you in the freezer for 3-4 months. Rolling it out and flattening it before refreezing might help it last for 1-2 more months.
You can safely use the refrozen dough before the 4-month limit has crossed. If the flour ball was frozen, defrosted, and refrozen correctly, it might last you for an even longer time. However, the dough still has the chance to start spoiling even before this limit has passed.
To enjoy optimum flavor after baking the dough, try to use it as soon as possible. Because the longer you keep it refrozen, the greater will be the quality degradation.
Can You Refreeze Dough more than Once?
Refreezing the dough once is acceptable, but it will bring a considerable change in the flavor, texture, and overall quality. Thus, refreezing it more than once is not recommended, and you should avoid it at all costs.
Besides the quality loss, you might also notice it has started showing signs of spoilage. After the second thaw, it’s best to toss it out, or if you want, you can cook it and then refreeze it.
Can You Refreeze Pizza Dough?
It is safe to refreeze homemade/store-bought pizza dough if you thawed it in a refrigerator. Not letting it sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours and quickly refreezing it can enable you to store the pizza dough for four months and sometimes even longer.
Can You Refreeze Bread Dough?
Bread dough is much like pizza dough which means it is also safe for refreezing. However, refreezing it more than once will significantly affect the quality, so you should avoid doing so. Cautiously refrozen bread dough will last you for 3-4 months.
Can You Refreeze Cookie Dough?
It is entirely safe to refreeze the cookie dough. Unlike other types of dough, the cookie dough will hold on to the yummy flavor even after refreezing. If you work quickly and keep it in airtight bags or containers, you can get away with refreezing it for up to 2-3 months.
Can You Refreeze Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo dough tolerates freezing and refreezing exceptionally well. There won’t be a noticeable difference in taste and texture, so refreezing it is a great way to prevent spoilage. Depending on how well you handle it before refreezing, this incredibly versatile dough will last you for somewhere between 2-4 months.
Can You Refreeze Pie Dough?
Pie dough will remain safe for consumption after refreezing, but the overall quality might disappoint you. You can place the defrosted dough back into the freezer if it has not been resting at a room temperature greater than 40 F for more than 2 hours.
Can You Refreeze Pastry Dough?
Though you can safely enjoy the pastry dough after refreezing yet, keep in mind that it will adversely affect the quality. The refrozen pastry dough will not bake that beautifully. The overall texture will also suffer due to the melting and refreezing of butter.
Conclusion
Refreezing the dough is an entirely safe process. But make sure the flour ball you are about to refreeze has thawed only in a refrigerator. Also, make sure you didn’t store it at room temperature for more than two hours.
If you refreeze the dough in an airtight container, you can keep it refrozen for as long as four months. However, it would be best if you don’t try to refreeze it more than once, as refreezing twice might lead to significant quality deterioration.
Different types of dough act differently in the freezer, but it is safe to refreeze most of them. To learn more about refreezing the dough, you can check out the part where we have discussed it in detail.