Being able to make pizza dough at home (and pile on glorious amounts of whatever toppings you want) doesn’t necessarily diminish a person’s need for takeout and frozen pizzas. (Or…delivery. Delivery is, like, the unicorn of pizza options.) Because sometimes you don’t have the time…or the energy…or the relevant ingredients. Your people need dinner stat! You’re going out of town/just got back in town and you only have old celery and Cheerios but no milk! It’s time for second dinner and Netflix! (Wait, what?) This is why we must maximize our pizza-making effort by making our own frozen pizzas.
Lots of people advocate freezing pizza dough in the dough ball stage. Which is great, if you remember to thaw it. But I tend to have pizza emergencies that don’t allow for that kind of planning ahead, so I love to partially bake a couple of extra crusts when I already have the pans out and the oven on.
The key is to make slightly smaller pizzas so that they fit inside a gallon-size freezer bag. (With this dough recipe, the “2 pizza” amount of dough will make 3 frozen pizzas that are about 9 oz each instead of 14 oz.)
Instead of topping and baking, you prick the surface of a bare crust with a fork (to minimize bubbles) and bake for just 2-3 minutes. Let the partially baked crusts cool on a rack.
You can freeze them naked, or top and freeze so they’re ready to pop straight into the oven!
If you pre-top, you need to flash freeze the pizzas before putting them in a bag so the toppings stay put.
Once the toppings are frozen solid, you can transfer the pizza to a bag for storage until you need it!
You guys know I love to stock my freezer by doubling up a recipe whenever possible, and homemade frozen pizza is such a great option to have tucked away for a busy night. Bonus: it’s healthier and less expensive than its grocery store brethren. Give it a try!
PrintHomemade Pizza Part 3 – Homemade FROZEN Pizza.
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Ingredients
- pizza dough (you can make any amount; the directions here are for the “2 crust” amount which makes 3 frozen pizzas)
- Optional: toppings for the pizza!
Instructions
- Divide the kneaded dough into 3 equal portions instead of 2 (the dough balls will be about 9 oz each) and proceed with the rising step according to the recipe. Preheat the oven to 500 and shape the first dough ball into a crust on a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet, making sure it will fit inside a gallon-size freezer bag! Prick the surface of the crust all over with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Partially bake the crust for 2-3 minutes, until it is just beginning to get some brown spots. Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack while you bake the remaining two pizza crusts.
- You can freeze the crusts “naked”, or add sauce, cheese, and other toppings. Naked crusts can go straight into a freezer bag (just top the frozen crust when you’re ready to bake). Topped pizzas should be flash frozen (I do this on a dinner plate in the freezer) until the toppings are solid before being bagged.
- To bake a frozen pizza, preheat the oven to 450 and place the pizza directly on the oven rack. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted and getting brown/bubbly.
Notes
I highly recommend making the “4 crust” amount of dough on a night you’re going to eat 2 (14 oz size) pizzas fresh, and freezing 3 (9 oz size) pizzas for another night! One 9 oz frozen pizza also makes a great lunch for me and the girls, or a dinner for the two of them on a night we’re going out.
View Comments (4)
This is genius!! Will definitely be trying this.
Mere - I made all these freezer meals before our last baby but all anyone REALLY wanted was the pizzas! ;o) You'll have to stock up!
YESSS!!! Love this! My hubby always buys grocery store frozen pizzas (yuck) and I have to fend for myself. With these in the freezer, we'd both be happy campers! Thanks for measurements that fit in freezer bags!
Haha - the first time I did it I made them regular size and then I was like - oh. Now what?? I also didn't flash freeze them and the combo of yards of plastic wrap and loose cheese was kind of disastrous. ;o)