# Making pizza dough the day before?



## LoveLife (Feb 8, 2007)

We're having friends over to watch the hockey game tomorrow and I'm making my homemade pizza. But it will be a lot of work to finish cleaning the house, get dough made for 2 pizzas and get them prepped and in the oven (especially w/ a 7 month old), so I was thinking about making the dough today, but since I'm so new to bread baking I have no idea how to go about it.

Do I make the dough and stick it in the fridge right away (then do I let it rise tomorrow)? Or do I let it rise then refridgerate? Then tomorrow do I let it come to room temp before rolling it out? Anything I'm missing? Any tips?

Sorry if it sounds silly, but I really am clueless here.


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## adoremybabe (Jun 8, 2006)

I typically make my pizza dough in a double batch and then freeze the 2nd half for later use. It is perfectly fine to put the dough in the fridge until tomorrow. I'd let it rise today. Punch it down and then put it in the fridge.

When I bake my pizzas I always double bake the crust; twelve minutes or just lightly browned, then I add my toppings and bake until finished. We like thin slightly crispy crust. If I were you and was planning on making it this way, I'd do the first bake today and then just wrap the baked crust in plastic wrap until tomorrow.

If you don't bake it, then I would let it come to room temp for the most part before rolling it out. It seems easier to roll out when it is a bit warmer.


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## Delicateflower (Feb 1, 2009)

I think you could let it rise and then refrigerate it then just use it as is (cold) the next day.


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## russsk (Aug 17, 2007)

This is an excellent overnight pizza dough recipe: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html

I've had good luck using whole wheat flour, as well.


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## notneb (Aug 31, 2006)

I use this recipe which has a partially bake the crust, add toppings, bake until done order. If you have room to store the dough this way, I would make the dough the day before, let it rise, shape it into pizza crust and bake for the initial 8 minutes. Then, the day of the party, pull out the crusts, throw on the toppings and bake for the remaining 15-20 minutes.

As a side note, the recipe works well with 1/2 whole wheat flour.


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## mrs joe bubby (Mar 1, 2009)

You can easily make it the day before, in fact it will only make it better. It gives the dough a nice taste.







Just throw it in the fridge after the first rise. Be sure to take it out in time to let it come to room temp before your friends arrive though, otherwise it will be impossible to work with.


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## LemonPie (Sep 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mrs joe bubby* 
You can easily make it the day before, in fact it will only make it better. It gives the dough a nice taste.







Just throw it in the fridge after the first rise. Be sure to take it out in time to let it come to room temp before your friends arrive though, otherwise it will be impossible to work with.

Yup. And after you roll it out, bake immediately for thinner, crisper crust, or let it rest for 15-20 minutes for a thicker, chewier crust.

Pizza/bread dough tastes even better after 4-5+ days in the fridge--it gets a sourdough-ish flavor to it. I just made some part-rye bread that had been in my fridge for 11 days and it almost tastes like traditional sourdough. SO yummy.

I love Alton Brown's Pizza Dough Recipe.


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## mommy2two babes (Feb 7, 2007)

My family owned pizzarias for years and I aslo worked in another one after.
We always made fresh dough but it was always used the next day It makes the dough better to work with.
If you make the dough and don't let it rise. Just section it and put it in the fridge. It will rise in the fridge just very slowly. You can punch it down the next day before you are ready to use it.


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