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There are some days when I know what I’m making for dinner well in advance and I have all the ingredients ready.
And then there are the normal days. Or – at least sometimes it seems that way. On the days when I can’t remember what in the world I was planning for dinner and my pantry ingredients look shady, that’s when I turn to the freezer. But not for fish sticks and chicken nuggets. Nosirree. Every once in a while, I get this great idea to do freezer cooking. And on crazy days, I’m so glad I do.
Over the next 6 weeks, I’m going to share 6 of my family’s favorite freezable recipes! These aren’t new recipes I’m trying out just for this series. They’re good old standbys. One of them I made with my mom when I was younger. Some of them I’ve made for the past several years. The one I tried most recently has been in our regular meal rotation for 5 months. So, consider these recipes tried and true. At least for my family’s taste buds. Over the next 5 weeks, I’ll share:
- 2 entrees {wild rice soup & bean+cheese burritos}
- 2 breads {pumpkin dinner rolls & muffins}
- 1 dessert {freezable cookie balls}
Today, I’m going to share my freezable pizza dough recipe!
We love homemade pizza in our house. When Jonathan comes home and smells pizza in the oven, he’s a happy man. And my kids love it too! If you have picky eaters in your home, pizza is a great way to get some extra veggies into your kiddos’ diets. I always use sauce with mushrooms in it just for an added nutritional punch. And one of our fave pizza combos includes spinach. Talk about getting in your greens!
The recipe below makes 2 thick pizza crusts. I made it on Monday, doubled it, and now I have 4 pizza crusts in the freezer all ready to go! And if you get a brain block when it comes to pizza toppings, here are 4 of our faves:
- traditional red sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, and italian seasoning
- garlic white sauce, shredded cooked chicken, olives, basil, and mozzarella
- olive oil, spinach, fresh tomatoes, feta, and sea salt
- red sauce, cooked hamburger, green peppers, mozzarella, and italian seasoning
- bbq sauce, shredded chicken, chopped red onions, and cheddar cheese
And when I get tired of those options, I get inspiration from checking out awesome pizza menus like this one.
Ingredients
- 2 Tblsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5 cups flour (I use half white & half whole wheat)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients with the yeast mixture.
- Dump on floured surface and knead for 3 minutes.
- Divide dough in half.
- If freezing: Seal tightly in freezer bags & store in freezer for up to 6 weeks.
- When baking: Allow to thaw at room temperature for at least 4 hours. Roll onto greased pan, top with desired toppings, and bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes or until light brown.
So, what’s your favorite pizza combination? Have you ever tried to freeze your pizza dough?
p.s. Don’t forget to check out my other freezable recipes! Freezable Cookie Balls
Can’t wait to try this recipe out(Fridays are our pizza nights) and it will be so nice to stock it up in freezer! =) Looking forward to following this series!
I’ve been using you’re pizza dough recipe for a while now…really like it and so easy! Thanks for sharing!
hope you love it like we do! we are having pizza this Friday too! 😀
I’m so glad, Michelle!! That makes me happy. 🙂
I’m a big fan of freezing pizza dough! Have done this for years and years and it’s always worked out great. It’s so nice not having to make it every time!
yea for time-saving dinners!!!
Love this! Thanks for sharing! I have never tried making or freezing pizza dough but this is my inspiration! Thanks!
I’m so glad! It’s easy & super tasty. Enjoy!!!
We are going low sodium here… do you think I can leave out the salt?
Hey Laura! I wouldn’t unless you want the crust to be virtually flavorless. Instead, maybe try a low sodium sauce with fresh vegetables as toppings?
Can’t wait to try this! I have wondered if I could make ahead and freeze pizza crust dough. And it turns out well and not too heavy to do with 1/2 whole wheat flour? I am trying to incorporate as much whole wheat as I can into our diet.
It definitely changes the taste and consistency by adding whole wheat flour. But the benefits make it worth it. Try it and see what you think!
I’ve never made dough before so forgive me if this is a dumb question…Is the flour all purpose or self rising? I do want to do the whole wheat combo but i just didn’t know if it mattered which white flour. Also, is there a period that i need to let this rise or rest before freezing or do i just throw it right into the freezer bags and put it away? Do you think this would work out ok if I went ahead and worked it into the pizza crusts and then froze before baking? I want to use this to make mini pizzas for my toddler for lunches so i need it to be ready to go quickly. Pizza is his favorite and I’d love to use homemade rather than store bought crusts.
hey Chelsea! Not a dumb question at at all! Here are some answers:
Use all purpose flour for the white, not self-rising.
You don’t need to let the dough rise before freezing.
And totally! you can form the dough into pizza crusts before freezing! I just don’t have room in my freezer for the crusts already rolled out, but that’s a great idea!
Just keep in mind: after you freeze the dough, it will rise, but not as much as if you baked it without freezing. Enjoy!!!
Thanks so much for this recipe. It is the best recipe we have used!!!
So glad to hear it, Ashley!
Gah! I’m like freaking out here cuz I logged on through Pinterest and your actual recipe is GONE??!!?? Just some weird link posted… This is my fav pizza crust recipe and now I’m kicking myself for not printing it off :o( Any way you can fix?
Yikes! Sorry, Jackie! I think everything is back to normal now. 🙂