Pizza Crusts to Freeze

[SkiMama36]

Ok, to keep up with my effort to live beneath our means, I started the pizza saga. That is, we went from buying pizza every Friday night to purchasing a pizza oven and using pizza crust (pre-made) and adding our own toppings. Somewhat cheaper, but still pricey for 6 pizzas.

Well, we all know that more can be done to even further lower the costs: Keep using the pizza oven, but make my own sauce and crusts. Problem: I work full-time and look soooooo forward to Pizza Night, that the last thing I want to do when I get home (with 4 boys + 1 DH to feed) is knead dough to make crusts.

So, long-winded post (sorry!) short: Can anyone share an easy crust recipe that I can "par-bake" and freeze in quantity? I love to bake and could devote a Sunday to just making a ton, but I don't have a recipe. Any faves out there?

TIA!

[1happymom]

I hope that you get some great resonses. The only thing that comes to mind for me is using a bread maker to make the dough and then it would be ready to just put in the pans and then in the oven. I got a bread maker at a thrift store for $4 It was like new. Makes great bread too. Just an idea. I'll be watching here!! :

[songbird45]

I hear that you can freeze pizza dough, but it has to be thoroughly thawed and warmed up before you bake with it. I'm not sure about "par-baking" it though.

[mnnice]

I freeze pizza dough all the time. I don't roll it out until I actually make the pizza.

I also make mega batches of sauce and freeze them in muffin pans and then after they are solid put them in a freezer bag. Two or three "pucks" of sauce make a pizza. If I'm on the ball I thaw these on the counter, but the microwave works fine too. I also freeze grated cheese, and precooked sausage for pizzas.

I think I would work on precutting veggies and browning meat (if that's something your crew eats), making sauce, having cheese in the right portions/grating cheese, and having dough made, and then only having dough rolling out to do. It takes a while to get you oven hot anyway.

We are having pizza tonight and I work all day today. I browned my meat the a.m. before I left and I set the sauce to thaw. I don't have any dough ready. I wanted to yesterday afternoon, but I never got that far). But when I do I'll make a triple batch so I'll have dough the next two times as well.

[katheek77]

It's not a par-baked crust, but it is almost to that point...This will make 2 medium size crusts or one extra large

Basic Pizza Dough:
1 t yeast
3 C all purpose flour (I usually sub in about a cup of whole wheat)
2 t salt (kosher or sea salt is very good)
1-1 1/4 C water
2 T plus 1 t olive oil - I cannot emphasize enough that you HAVE to use olive oil, or it just tastes wrong.

Combine yeast, flour and salt in food processor. Turn machine on and add 1 C water and 2 T oil. Process for about 30 seconds. (It should form a ball and be slightly sticky to the touch - if it's too dry, add more water).

Knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth round ball. Grease a bowl with remaining olive oil, place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise 1-2 hours (until about double in size).

If you want medium size crusts, divide in half after rising. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature or in the fridge.

I have made this recipe before and have frozen it occassionally (usually when I make one medium pizza, and I'll freeze the other half of the dough). You can toss the frozen dough in a bowl in the morning, cover it, and put it in the fridge, and it will be perfect when you get home. Just roll it out and add toppings. It turns out great. You can also add herbs, garlic, etc. to the crust if you like.

[Norasmomma]

I have made pizza crust and par baked them like a Boboli crust type thing, I have a basic crust recipe, it is similar to pp's recipe. What I do to par bake them is roll out the dough and put them in 425 oven for about 10 minutes, I have a pizza stone(which I LOVE), I have the thing pretty seasoned, but I do use a little spray of oil on it. Place the dough on the stone or pan, whatever you are using and prick it all over with a fork, I cannot emphasize this step enough, otherwise I find it gets big ol bubbles all over it. I can fit 3 in 2 gallon freezer bags, they are about 10-12 inches across, it work like a charm. I also freeze dough which works great too, but my DH and I were just discussing that we like to have the par baked ones better, you can have a pizza done in about 15-20 min.

[SkiMama36]

Originally Posted by mnnice

I freeze pizza dough all the time. I don't roll it out until I actually make the pizza.

I also make mega batches of sauce and freeze them in muffin pans and then after they are solid put them in a freezer bag. Two or three "pucks" of sauce make a pizza. If I'm on the ball I thaw these on the counter, but the microwave works fine too. I also freeze grated cheese, and precooked sausage for pizzas.

I think I would work on precutting veggies and browning meat (if that's something your crew eats), making sauce, having cheese in the right portions/grating cheese, and having dough made, and then only having dough rolling out to do. It takes a while to get you oven hot anyway.

We are having pizza tonight and I work all day today. I browned my meat the a.m. before I left and I set the sauce to thaw. I don't have any dough ready. I wanted to yesterday afternoon, but I never got that far). But when I do I'll make a triple batch so I'll have dough the next two times as well.

Would you mind sharing your sauce recipe? I have been wanting to make and freeze a "mega quanitity" of that too...

These ideas are all great....keep 'em coming!!!!

[SkiMama36]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

I have made pizza crust and par baked them like a Boboli crust type thing, I have a basic crust recipe, it is similar to pp's recipe. What I do to par bake them is roll out the dough and put them in 425 oven for about 10 minutes, I have a pizza stone(which I LOVE), I have the thing pretty seasoned, but I do use a little spray of oil on it. Place the dough on the stone or pan, whatever you are using and prick it all over with a fork, I cannot emphasize this step enough, otherwise I find it gets big ol bubbles all over it. I can fit 3 in 2 gallon freezer bags, they are about 10-12 inches across, it work like a charm. I also freeze dough which works great too, but my DH and I were just discussing that we like to have the par baked ones better, you can have a pizza done in about 15-20 min.

Thank you for that suggestion! Do you just pick a day and bake the heck out of pizza crusts to build a stock-pile? (stock-piles are important here...as with the 4 boys and me and DH, we love us some pizza on Friday nights! )

[zersha]

I have a pretty easy 1/2 whole wheat / 1/2 white pizza crust recipe that was on my flour bag.

1 1/2 C whole Wheat Flour
1 C White Flour
2 T olive oil
1-2 t sugar (it says 2, but I've used less)
1/2 t salt
2 tsp yeast (or 1 package)
1 C warm water
1/4 - 1/2 C extra flour for kneading

Add the yeast to the water and let sit for 5 minutes.

Then add all the other ingredients except the flour for kneading and stir.

Knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed.

Let sit covered in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until it looks like it's risen.

Cut in half (this makes 2 crusts), oil your pans, and spread 1/2 on each pan.

Par-bake for 4 1/2 minutes at 425 degrees. (this is what our oven takes, but it's a gas oven and seems to run a little hot).


I usually go ahead an add the sauce & cheese too before freezing, and then when we're ready to cook we might add some black olives or something.

We've been using this recipe for several years, and it's always turned out good.


Hillbilly Housewife has an easy recipe for sauce. You basically just take some herbs, tomato sauce, olive oil, & sugar and shake it up ( I use a mason jar) or stir it together. You don't even have to cook it, so it's super easy.

[SkiMama36]

Originally Posted by zersha

I have a pretty easy 1/2 whole wheat / 1/2 white pizza crust recipe that was on my flour bag.

1 1/2 C whole Wheat Flour
1 C White Flour
2 T olive oil
1-2 t sugar (it says 2, but I've used less)
1/2 t salt
2 tsp yeast (or 1 package)
1 C warm water
1/4 - 1/2 C extra flour for kneading

Add the yeast to the water and let sit for 5 minutes.

Then add all the other ingredients except the flour for kneading and stir.

Knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed.

Let sit covered in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until it looks like it's risen.

Cut in half (this makes 2 crusts), oil your pans, and spread 1/2 on each pan.

Par-bake for 4 1/2 minutes at 425 degrees. (this is what our oven takes, but it's a gas oven and seems to run a little hot).


I usually go ahead an add the sauce & cheese too before freezing, and then when we're ready to cook we might add some black olives or something.

We've been using this recipe for several years, and it's always turned out good.


Hillbilly Housewife has an easy recipe for sauce. You basically just take some herbs, tomato sauce, olive oil, & sugar and shake it up ( I use a mason jar) or stir it together. You don't even have to cook it, so it's super easy.

oooooohhhh.....thank you!!! That crust recipe looks divine!!!!

[Norasmomma]

I usually bake them when we are making pizza already, I just take a few extra minutes and bake the crusts, I said before 10 minutes. I par bake all my pizza crusts before I put sauce and toppings on I don't like my crust soggy at all. I have found this is the best way for us. I personally just take a can of good pasta sauce and use that for my pizza sauce, I like Classico or Newman's Own that's what we use because it's super easy. We also use turkey pepperoni, I always have a stash of it in the freezer. We are a pizza family too, so I pretty much always have the staples for it on hand.

[KariM]

I don't have a recipe and instructions for freezing, but for around 89 cents you can buy packets of pizza crust mix. While the instructions call for kneading I never do and the crust turns out great!

If memory serves (I don't have one near the keyboard) you add water, mix, let it rest briefly and pat it into your pizza pan.

I can make homemade pizza in about 5 minutes and it only takes 12 minutes to bake - about the same time it takes to cook a frozen pizza.

We also make simple pizzas - usually just cheese and onion. I pay about $2.00 for a package of grated mozzarella cheese, around 69 cents for canned pizza sauce (and we only use half a can per pizza), and another 89 cents for the crust mix. The onions come from our garden (we store them over the winter in the basement). I add dried oregano and basil that we grew in our garden as well.

[APBTlover]

I'm still experimenting to find a good crust (to our tastes), but I make sauce like this. It's super cheap!

6oz can tomato paste
1/2 c water or red wine (I always use water with a few drops red wine vinegar, but plain water is fine)
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1-2 tbs grated parmesan cheese (I omit this sometimes and it's still fine)

Just stir it together.

[songbird45]

ok, so once you freeze the crusts, par-baked, then what? Do you thaw it first? Do you just put the sauce/cheese on while it's frozen and bake it longer? How long do you bake it, and at what temperature, once you've got sauce/cheese/toppings on it?

[zersha]

Originally Posted by songbird45

ok, so once you freeze the crusts, par-baked, then what? Do you thaw it first? Do you just put the sauce/cheese on while it's frozen and bake it longer? How long do you bake it, and at what temperature, once you've got sauce/cheese/toppings on it?

I usually freeze mine with the sauce & cheese already on, and then I put it directly into a 425 degree oven and bake until the cheese starts to look bubbly & just a smidge brownish.

I would probably do the same thing if I was adding the cheese & sauce to just a frozen crust, but I suppose the cheese would cook faster than the crust then since they are different temps.

[mnnice]

I'm not sure I'd call this a sauce "recipe"

I chop 1 or 2 onions and 6-8 cloves of garlic

Add to hot pan with a TBS of olive oil in it

Cook onion and garlic until the soften (mediumish heat)

Add one big 28 oz. can of tomatos (I like the stuff labeled chunky sauce best, but anything works)

And one 8 oz can of tomato paste. I season with salt, pepper, dried Italian seasoning blend. I also add basil when I have it in my garden. Not right now

It yields about enought for 5-6 pizzas
I think I'd double it with your crew of za eaters: