If you have made dough and can’t use it right away you can place it in the refrigerator and use it later. You can keep the dough in the fridge for about three days covered with plastic wrap to make it last longer.
When you put the dough in the refrigerator you are slowing down the yeast activity but you will also get a final product that tastes and looks better so if you don’t want to bake the dough right away just put it in the refrigerator and you can bake it even after 3 days.
However, not all types of dough can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days and still be safe to consume. How many days you can store your dough in the fridge depends on the ingredients used for its preparation.
Dough made only with flour, salt, water, oil, and yeast will last longer in the refrigerator. It will also be safe to eat because these ingredients can’t go bad easily.
While dough that is produced with dairy products and eggs can go bad faster because bacteria can develop easily.
The time you can keep the dough in the fridge also depends on whether it was fermented before you place it in the fridge. Furthermore, the size of the dough, the amount of yeast, and the temperature of the fridge matter as well.
A bigger quantity of dough, with less yeast and less fermented, will last longer in the fridge than a smaller one with more yeast and more fermented.
Does Refrigerated Dough Go Bad?
The refrigerated dough goes bad if you keep it longer than a few days.
Dough that has ingredients such as eggs or dairy products will go bad earlier than dough made with flour, water, yeast, and salt. So, it is better to use the dough within three days while it is still good.
How Can You Tell If Dough Has Gone Bad?
If the dough has gone bad the first thing you will notice is the bad sour smell, diminished dry texture, and spots of mold formed on the surface.
That means you should throw it away because the dough is not good for eating. Don’t try to cut off the pieces of the dough where mold is formed and use the rest. It’s unsafe for use.
How Long Can You Keep Dough Without Yeast In The Fridge?
You can keep dough without yeast in the refrigerator for over two weeks if it is wrapped with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. You can also keep dough without yeast in the freezer for more than 3 weeks and use it when needed.
How Long Can You Keep Dough In The Freezer?
You can keep the dough in the freezer for about 3 months if it is made of flour, salt, water, and yeast. A dough that contains dairy products and eggs is best to use within one month.
When you are freezing a dough it is very important to use a container with the proper size and shape. You can also grease the container to prevent the dough from sticking.
When you want to use the dough, you only have to defrost it, let it rise for a second time (if your recipe calls for it), bake it, and enjoy.
Can I Put Bread Dough In The Fridge After It Rises?
Yes, you can put bread dough in the fridge after it rises. This way the dough will continue to rise slowly and you will get a more flavorful bread. But before you put bread dough in the fridge you need to place it in a bowl. Or a pan if you don’t want to shape it before baking.
According to FDA, you have to wrap the bowl or the pan with plastic wrap to prevent the outer parts of the dough to dry. You can store the bread dough in the fridge for 48 hours. But it is best to use it after 12 hours to get the best results.
Take the bread dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before baking. You can also freeze bread dough if you want to use it later.
To freeze a bread dough first knead it and let it rise. Shape the dough into loaves and put them on a greased pan. Freeze the loaves for about 10 hours and remove them from the pan.
Wrap the loaves with plastic wrap and put them in freezer bags. You can keep the bread dough for about 4 weeks in the freezer.
For a recipe that calls dough to rise twice, you need to thaw it and let it rise for a second time. Never bake a frozen bread dough. Always thaw it and let it rise for the second time to get bread with a nice soft texture and beautiful flavor.
Can Dough Be Stored In The Fridge?
The dough can be stored in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. Or in an airtight container to prevent it from drying. You can store many types of dough like bread, cookie, pizza dough, or dough without yeast in your fridge.
Depending on the type of dough you can extend its life and use the dough even after a few days. Bread dough is best to use after 12 hours spent in the fridge. You can also store cookie dough in the fridge for about 2 days.
Pizza dough and dough without yeast can be stored in the fridge for more than 2 weeks. According to FDA, you have to check the dough daily. Make sure that it is still safe to bake and eat. If your dough has a bad smell, or you notice small spots of mold formed on the dough it is best to throw it away.
FDA says that mold is a sign of spoilage and it can grow even if the products are refrigerated.
Wrap Up
I hope that I helped you learn how to store and freeze your dough properly. The dough can easily spoil in the fridge or on the counter. It can also lose its quality if you leave it in the freezer longer than is recommended.
According to FDA properly frozen and cooked food is safe.
So, it is very important to store the dough properly so you could make final products with good flavor and texture. Because nothing is better than freshly baked bread and cookies.