Passionate About Pizza: Making Great Homemade Pizza by Curtis Ide Page A

the dough for storage? Well, that depends on how long you intend to store it. If you plan to use the dough in the next day or two, you can place it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or place it in a plastic bag, just as you would for letting dough rise. Make sure there is a good seal so that the dough will not dry out. Be prepared for the dough to rise while in the refrigerator; remember refrigeration slows the yeast but rising does not stop.
     

     
    If you want to store the dough for a longer period, it is best to prepare it carefully. First, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and make sure to seal it well. Second, place the wrapped dough into a zip-seal plastic freezer bag. I suggest that you use bags specifically made for freezer use. If you use the bags for letting the dough rise as I do, you will always have them handy! When you seal the bag, make sure you get as much of the air out of the bag as possible so that there is less chance for the moisture to seep out of the dough and cause freezer burn. If you have the luxury of a vacuum sealing unit, you can vacuum seal the dough in the bag or whatever container works best with your sealing unit.
     
    Preparing Stored Dough for Use
     
    Your dough has been stored for some time and you are now ready to use it. You have done well to plan ahead when you made the dough. Now, you will need to plan just a little bit further to prepare the dough for use. The dough needs to come up to room temperature before you can easily shape it. In other words, you need to warm up the dough. The colder the dough is, the longer it will take to reach room temperature.
     
    Does it matter where you let the dough come to room temperature? Well, yes and no. You can set the dough almost anywhere you would allow food to sit. Keep the dough in its storage container. Just set the container in an out of the way place. You should keep it out of direct sunlight, away from direct heat, and away from where pets and children might mess with it inappropriately.
     
    There is one thing to consider – dough that comes out of storage will be cold and moisture may condense on it or on its container. This is one reason to keep the dough in its container. Be prepared for a little water on and around the dough’s container. That way, any condensation will be on the outside of the container and not on the dough. Also, be sure to place the cold dough on a surface that the condensation will not hurt if it drips. The colder the dough and the higher the humidity in your kitchen the more likely that condensation will occur. Therefore, condensation is more likely to be an issue with frozen dough.
     
    When dough is in the refrigerator, the yeast slows down but it does not actually stop. Refrigerated pizza dough will continue to rise while it is in the refrigerator. The dough will probably have grown in size and may have risen and fallen several of times. You will need to treat the dough as if it has just risen. Let it come up to temperature then peel the dough away from the bowl, plastic wrap, or plastic bag. Knead it briefly, then make a dough ball, and let it rest. It may be quite sticky! Wrap it in fresh plastic wrap or a new bag.
     
    Preparing Refrigerated Dough for Use
     

     
    The dough will be ready for use when it is near room temperature and the disk has rested just a few minutes. You can let the dough come partway up to room temperature then shape it into the disk and let it further come up to temperature as it rests, if you prefer.
     
    Refrigerated dough may take 1 – 2 hours to reach room temperature. The exact time will depend on the temperature of your house, the humidity, and so on. As a result, it is difficult to give specific guidance on timing. You will need to try it and gain experience. If you do not give it enough time, it is no big deal; you will have cool dough that will stretch or roll out more slowly so just be patient and persistent. If you let it sit out too long, the yeast will begin