Have you ever used frozen bread dough- whether rolls or loaves? Did you know you can make your own? Fleishman Yeast company came up with the first make-at-home frozen dough recipe. The earliest version I've found is from a booklet they published in 1987. In cooking terms, that's pretty new!
It's simple; make as much as you want to have on hand. The same batch can be shaped into loaves or rolls-- even into oven-rise pizza crusts, cinnamon rolls, caramel nut rolls, pizza pockets, breadsticks, and more. There are lots of ways to use it; see some of them here.
Freezer White Bread Dough
Makes 4 loaves (8"x4"),
OR 5 dozen "Texas size" (2-ounce) rolls,
OR about 7 dozen regular (1.3 oz) dinner rolls.
Or any combination you like.
INGREDIENTS
12 1/2 to 13 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup dry milk (optional)
4 packages active dry yeast*
1/4 cup butter, softened, or olive oil
4 cups warm water (120 to 130°F)
In a large bowl thoroughly mix 4 cups flour, sugar, salt, dry milk, and active dry yeast. Add butter or oil. Add the warm water to dry ingredients and beat for two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat at high speed two minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. The dough will start to become stretchy. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough, for a total of 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 cups of flour. (This can vary because of the humidity level in the air, how you measured your flour, and how accurately you measured the water.) Sprinkle flour onto a clean surface (countertop or table), dump the dough on top, and knead until smooth and elastic. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Cover with a towel so it doesn't dry out; let rest 15 minutes.
For loaves, divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each into a smooth loaf about 7-8" long. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm. Transfer to plastic bags, or wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Try to use within 2-3 months. The dough won't 'go bad', but will get freezer burned if not wrapped well, and the yeast may weaken, with the bread not rising as high. My worst experience was with dough that was about a year and a half old. It simply didn't rise much at all. Dough that won't rise is still great for making into fried scones!
To bake the loaves- remove from freezer and rub oil all over the loaf. (This keeps it from drying out as it thaws and rises.) Place in greased 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size, about 4-6 hours.
Bake at 350°F about 35 minutes, or until done. (Sides of loaves will have browned.) Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.
To freeze in dinner roll sized pieces (these will thaw much more quickly), divide the batch into 4 equal pieces. For "Texas" rolls, divide each piece into four more equal pieces. Divide each of these into four equal pieces. (Each original fourth becomes 16 this way.) Smooth each one and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Transfer to freezer storage bags.
To make regular rolls, divide the batch into 4 equal pieces. Divide each into four more equal pieces. Divide these smaller ones into 5 equal pieces, giving you 20 from each original fourth. Smooth each one, place on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Transfer to freezer storage bags.
To bake, pull from freezer, place on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Bake at 350°F about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly brown on bottoms.
For more freezer-dough baking tips, see here.
*Instead of using packets, the equivalent amount of active dry yeast is 3 Tbsp.+ 1 tsp. active dry yeast. To use instant yeast instead, use 3 packets or 2 1/2 Tbsp.
The photo below is the 1987 book the original recipe came from. (I modified it some.)
It's simple; make as much as you want to have on hand. The same batch can be shaped into loaves or rolls-- even into oven-rise pizza crusts, cinnamon rolls, caramel nut rolls, pizza pockets, breadsticks, and more. There are lots of ways to use it; see some of them here.
Freezer White Bread Dough
Makes 4 loaves (8"x4"),
OR 5 dozen "Texas size" (2-ounce) rolls,
OR about 7 dozen regular (1.3 oz) dinner rolls.
Or any combination you like.
INGREDIENTS
12 1/2 to 13 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup dry milk (optional)
4 packages active dry yeast*
1/4 cup butter, softened, or olive oil
4 cups warm water (120 to 130°F)
In a large bowl thoroughly mix 4 cups flour, sugar, salt, dry milk, and active dry yeast. Add butter or oil. Add the warm water to dry ingredients and beat for two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat at high speed two minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. The dough will start to become stretchy. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough, for a total of 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 cups of flour. (This can vary because of the humidity level in the air, how you measured your flour, and how accurately you measured the water.) Sprinkle flour onto a clean surface (countertop or table), dump the dough on top, and knead until smooth and elastic. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Cover with a towel so it doesn't dry out; let rest 15 minutes.
For loaves, divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each into a smooth loaf about 7-8" long. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm. Transfer to plastic bags, or wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Try to use within 2-3 months. The dough won't 'go bad', but will get freezer burned if not wrapped well, and the yeast may weaken, with the bread not rising as high. My worst experience was with dough that was about a year and a half old. It simply didn't rise much at all. Dough that won't rise is still great for making into fried scones!
To bake the loaves- remove from freezer and rub oil all over the loaf. (This keeps it from drying out as it thaws and rises.) Place in greased 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size, about 4-6 hours.
Bake at 350°F about 35 minutes, or until done. (Sides of loaves will have browned.) Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.
To freeze in dinner roll sized pieces (these will thaw much more quickly), divide the batch into 4 equal pieces. For "Texas" rolls, divide each piece into four more equal pieces. Divide each of these into four equal pieces. (Each original fourth becomes 16 this way.) Smooth each one and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Transfer to freezer storage bags.
To make regular rolls, divide the batch into 4 equal pieces. Divide each into four more equal pieces. Divide these smaller ones into 5 equal pieces, giving you 20 from each original fourth. Smooth each one, place on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Transfer to freezer storage bags.
To bake, pull from freezer, place on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Bake at 350°F about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly brown on bottoms.
For more freezer-dough baking tips, see here.
*Instead of using packets, the equivalent amount of active dry yeast is 3 Tbsp.+ 1 tsp. active dry yeast. To use instant yeast instead, use 3 packets or 2 1/2 Tbsp.
The photo below is the 1987 book the original recipe came from. (I modified it some.)
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