Frozen Bread Dough

A homemade alternative to store-bought frozen bread dough. One batch yields two ready-to-bake loaves and sixteen dinner rolls; you do the work once and pull fresh bread out of the freezer whenever you need it. The dough is enriched with two eggs and a touch of margarine, which makes for a tender, slightly sweet bread with a soft crust.

The key technique is heating the milk, margarine, sugar, and salt to 115 to 120°F (46 to 49°C) before adding to the yeast and flour. That temperature range activates the yeast without killing it. Any hotter and the yeast dies, any cooler and the dough is sluggish to come together.

Freezing yeast dough does slow the yeast, but the yeast does not die, which is why this works. Wrap the divided portions with waxed paper between layers to keep them from sticking, then thaw in the fridge overnight when you want to bake.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a thermometer for the milk temperature; guessing kills yeast more often than any other mistake.
• Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and springs back when poked, around 6 to 8 minutes by hand.
• Wrap dough portions in plastic wrap before placing in the freezer container; the waxed paper alone will let in freezer burn over weeks.
• Use the frozen dough within 4 to 6 weeks for the best rise; longer storage and the yeast may not fully recover.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of dried herbs like rosemary or thyme for savory dinner rolls.
• Sweeten the dough with an extra 2 tablespoons of sugar and roll into cinnamon rolls before freezing.
• Replace one cup of flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier loaf.