Can You Use a Plastic Bag for Pizza Dough?

How to make pizza-making more effective? Plastic bag it is!

Take a bag out to make your pizzas, or store them for the long term for later use. Either way, you are getting your pizza in the most convenient method. You can’t imagine how much a plastic bag can do for your pizza, especially if you are going for regular baking or in bulk.

So, how does pizza dough in a plastic bag work?

You can use a plastic bag to prepare the pizza dough with all the ingredients. In that case, it gets easier to leave your dough to rise. Plastic bags also enhance the fermentation process to make your pizza tastier. But you need to know the correct use for this purpose. 

The timing is crucial. Now continue to read to find out how to use plastic bags, the right method of storage, how to make a pizza in a bag, and much more. 

Pizza Dough Plastic Bag: Correct Use

Keeping pizza dough for storage, resting, or freezing is common. It helps the yeast to activate and improve the fermentation process. Otherwise, it gets hard to double the volume of the pizza dough. The best storage option is undoubtedly a plastic bag. But you need to know how to use it for your pizza.

Store-bought or leftover dough can also be kept inside the plastic bag to freeze for later use. Simply reshape them as you take them out from the fridge. 

1. Preparation of Dough

Make your dough with flour, yeast, and warm water. Knead it for about 10 to 15 minutes well. Then allow the dough to ferment inside a bowl covering the top. After the dough initially rises, make separate dough balls.

2. Placing Inside the Bag

Don’t keep the freshly made dough outside for too long. First, add some oil all over the separated dough balls. Then place them inside the bag, or use plastic wrap to cover them. Tie the bag properly to avoid any air inside. 

3. Freezing

Now, the bags are ready to be kept inside the fridge. Remove as much air from the bag as possible. Initially, let them stay for at least 24 hours before making your pizza. But the bare minimum is 6 hours. 

4. Usage

Simply take the bag out and let the dough thaw to room temperature. Reshape the balls and make them warm for use. Then you can make it into a crust for the toppings. 

Making Pizzas in a Plastic Bag

To make a less messy pizza dough, take around 2 cups of flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Place them inside the plastic bag and now add ½ cup water. Seal the bag properly and shake it well. You can also add a little oil. While the dough is inside, knead from the outside by folding and pressing forward.

Once it turns into a ball without sticking, leave it to rest inside the fridge for some hours. The whole preparation is done in 20 minutes. 

Take the dough from the bag later to make the crust, and add your toppings. 

Store and Freeze Pizza Dough

In most cases, we freeze pizza dough to store it for later uses, if not for instant use. Freezing will keep it fresh for a long time.

The right method can keep your dough for a really long time. Make your dough by kneading properly. Leave it to rise, and then make small balls of dough. Place them on a tray to freeze for around 2 hours. 

After they become hard, take them out and store them inside a plastic bag. Remove any air trapped inside. You can keep them for 6 to 8 weeks without worry, but try to use them within this time. Before making a pizza, let them thaw to room temperature and reshape them for the crust. 

How Long Do the Pizza Dough Remain Good Outside?

Pizza dough can even remain overnight on the kitchen counter. But this will lower your chances of having a flavorful and fresh pizza. The amount of time to keep them outside depends on other factors. 

If the dough has milk or eggs, then the dough can only last outside for 2 hours maximum. Any longer will cause bacterial growth. Besides, if it is a particularly hot day and your dough becomes warm from staying outside, it will ruin it if kept overnight. Too much yeast also means less time for staying out. 

But for a plain and simple dough with little yeast, water, salt, and flour, it can stay overnight. Better to limit it to around 8 hours. Then you can have a better-tasting pizza. 

How to Use Bagged Pizza Dough?

If you don’t want to make your pizza dough, you can buy pre-made ones. These are usually stored in bags. All you need to do is take out the dough and mix and shape it to make a crust. This kind of dough can be stored in the fridge as frozen pizza. Then you need less time to make a homemade pizza. 

Before using the dough, let it rest for a while. It’s better to freeze it for hours, even if you have just bought it. Then add a little water and olive oil. Sprinkle some flour and stretch the dough on the floured surface. Make the crust thin, at least 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Then you can add the sauce and toppings of your choice. 

Some of these dough mixes are also pre-baked. In that, you can make the crust with toppings directly. But for raw ones, you need to bake the base for some time before assembling the toppings. In addition, add around a tablespoon of water to the dough to make it workable and moist. 

Getting to the toppings, don’t use a lot of them. This can make the pizza uneven, where some ingredients are well-cooked while others are not. In addition, avoid too much cheese. The ideal recipe is a Margherita pizza for bagged dough. 

Plastic Bag or Ziploc?

Both are great for storing pizzas. You can use either according to convenience.

But Ziploc has a decided advantage over regular plastic bags. It is easier to seal, whereas for plastic bags, you need to twist and tie the end. Besides, the shape of the Ziploc bag makes them suitable for storage in small areas. Plastic bags will take up more space inside the fridge. But the best part is Ziploc allows you to separate the dough into balls and store them properly.

However, we still go for plastic bags because they are easily available and cheaper.

Why Do We Use Plastic Bags for Pizzas?

Plastic bags are used for storing freshly kneaded pizza dough for a better fermentation process. This will allow you to have a soft and fluffy dough that has risen to a satisfying volume. Besides, making the pizza dough with all the ingredients gets easier and less messy inside the bag.

Instead of a container, plastic bags are readily available and easy to recycle. Besides, they take up less space inside the fridge.  Removing air from plastic bags is also easier than other storage options. 

Best Ways to Store Pizza Dough

Two of the most common storage options are either an airtight container or a Ziploc bag. But which one is the best?

Tupperware Container

Be it Tupperware or any other plastic container, it is a great choice for long-term storage. It has an airtight lid to avoid moisture inside. But you must use the right size according to the pizza dough to let it rise properly. The dough remains good for around 2 months. Use plastic wrap on the dough before putting it inside the container for better results. 

Ziploc or Plastic Bag

Ziploc is better than a regular plastic bag, but they have the same effect. Either one is easier to store and takes up less space. It will also remove moisture by shrinking the dough as much as possible. However, the dough won’t be good for more than 5 days. 

Type of Pizza Dough and Container

You also need to know which type of storage is better for different types of pizza. 

FAQ’s:

• What are the problems of not freezing a pizza dough?

If you don’t want to freeze your newly made dough, you will find different problems. There will be a change in taste, the crust may not have the perfect texture, and the pizza won’t rise or bake properly.

• How do you store dry pizza dough?

Whether homemade or store-bought, you can’t let them remain too dry. For this, add a little water to the dough before freezing. Knead a little to let the dough absorb water and become less sticky. Then you can keep it inside the Ziploc bag or any container. 

• Which one works better for a dough to rise: glass or plastic?

Even though plastic is convenient, it’s better to use a metal or glass container for pizza dough. Since they retain heat, the warmth can let the dough rise more. You can also use a glass container to store and freeze the dough.

Summary

Pizza dough in plastic bags is very simple but tricky. A great dough can ensure a delicious pizza, and plastic bags ensure that well. But you must know the right methods to store or make dough inside plastic bags. 

Regardless of the type of pizza dough you make, don’t let them sit outside for long. As soon as you use the bag to refrigerate, the dough can remain fresh for longer. However, inside the fridge, the dough shouldn’t stay for long, either.

Overall, what this storage option is doing is making the pizza baking faster.