Last Updated on September 18, 2024 by Lori Walker
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To save time on your next pizza night, preparing the dough in advance can be highly beneficial. Furthermore, storing the dough in the refrigerator slows down the fermentation process, resulting in a tastier and more textured pizza dough.
But how long does pizza dough last in the fridge? Here’s our quick guide when storing pizza dough in the refrigerator.
How Long Will Pizza Dough Last In The Fridge?
If stored properly, homemade pizza dough can last at least three to five days in the fridge. Most pizza doughs are a mixture of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and water.
After mixing, the yeast would start working, and the dough would be left to rise, creating air bubbles and giving a light, crisp texture to the fresh pizza dough.
If you have leftover pizza dough, it can last around 2 to 4 days in the fridge.
Also Read: What Is the Best Temperature For Keeping Pizza Warm In The Oven?
Factors To Consider
Quantity of Yeast
A standard pizza with more yeast can sit in the fridge for around two days. But a Neapolitan-style pizza dough with less yeast can last at least four days.
Cutting back on the yeast while making pizza dough would slow fermentation and break down flour starches, increasing the dough’s lifespan.
Amount of Protein
A higher protein content could make the dough lasts for a day or two longer than the flour with low protein content.
“The higher a flour’s protein content, the more structure and elasticity it will lend a dough.”
– Samin Nosrat, Chef
Bread flour is a common choice for home pizza baking, and it results in a crispy pizza crust outside with a chewy inside [1].
Temperature
A pizza dough stored at a colder temperature will last longer. The fresh dough can usually sit in the fridge for around three to five days because the cold temperature slows the fermentation.
Meanwhile, a frozen pizza dough covered in plastic wrap can last for two to three months because its fermentation process stops completely in the freezer.
Learn more about the possible reasons why your pizza dough will always tear here.
Shelf Life of Pizza Dough
| Type of Dough | Room Temperature | Fridge | Freezer |
| Homemade Pizza Dough | 4-24 hours | 3-5 days | 2-3 months |
| Store Bought Pizza Dough | 4-24 hours | 3-5 days | 2-3 months |
| Dough Balls | 1-24 hours | 2-4 days | 3-6 months |
| Par Baked Dough | 24 hours | 1 week | 6-12 months |
| Live Dough | – | – | 4-6 months |
Tips & Tricks To Make Pizza Dough Last Longer
- You can shape the pizza dough into dough balls and place them individually in airtight containers or ziplock bags before storing them in the fridge or freezer.
- Use a pizza-proofing box to store Neapolitan pizza dough balls to slow the proofing process.
- Coat the dough with olive oil and use a food sealer machine to freeze pizza dough, ensuring that the cold temperature would not dry it out.
- A cold fermentation process lets the dough rise slowly and improve its flavor simultaneously.
Find out how long you should knead pizza dough in a mixer here.
How To Properly Store Pizza Dough in the Fridge
Store pizza dough properly in an airtight container or a bowl covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It could last up to five days if you prepare it with cold water and three days if you use warm water.
Make sure you let the dough thaw for a few hours before shaping and baking it to make pizza.
Also Read:
- 6 Easy Ways To Cut The Pizza Without Using Pizza Cutter
- 9 Easy Ways To Cook A Digiorno Pizza In The Microwave
How To Tell If It Has Gone Bad
Appearance
A pizza dough left in the fridge for more than five days is more likely to develop a grayish hue, along with a flaky or orange peel.
Meanwhile, a frozen dough ball is susceptible to visible freezer crystals and freezer burn after leaving it in the freezer for several months.
Texture
The longer you let the dough ferment, the more flavorful and better texture it will develop. However, if left for too long, it won’t be able to hold its structure.
The dough has already gone bad if you take it out of the fridge, and it is exceptionally dry with a diminished texture and crusty appearance [2].
Smell
Bad pizza dough has a sour smell, but it may not be a key indicator. The yeast usually causes this smell as the dough balls ferment.
When the dough starts having a strong overpowering alcohol or beer odor, or it exudes an “off” smell, then it means that it has already gone bad.
But how can you tell if the pizza dough is bad?
FAQs
Will refrigerated pizza dough go bad?
Yes, refrigerated pizza dough will still go bad. The amount of yeast, protein, and temperature can affect the dough’s storage life.
How long does it take for the dough to go bad in the fridge?
It takes more than five days of storage before a pizza dough goes bad in the fridge. The raw dough would lose flavor and texture after three or four days.
Find out how long pizza can stay out before it gets bad here.
Can dough last a week in the fridge?
No, the dough would not be able to last for a week in the fridge. The ingredients and state that you refrigerate the dough affect this estimated time.
When should you refrigerate pizza dough?
No matter what pizza dough recipe you use, you should refrigerate it right after cooling it. The room temperature would hasten fermentation and shorten the dough’s life.
Find out if you can refrigerate pizza dough after it rises here.
Key Takeaways
- How long pizza dough lasts depends on how much yeast you add, the flour’s protein, and the temperature where you store it.
- All pizza dough should be stored in the fridge or freezer to make it last longer.
- An over-fermented dough will be moldy and dry, which is inconvenient to bake pizza with.
- Get the pizza dough ready by thawing it first before baking.
References:
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-flour-for-making-pizza-dough-2708766
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/463359-how-to-tell-when-pizza-dough-has-gone-bad/
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