How to Freeze Pizza

Co-authored by Alex Hong

Last Updated: April 4, 2024 References

Freezing pizza is a great way to save a prepared meal for another time. Wrap up each pizza slice individually and freeze the slices for up to 2 months. You can also freeze uncooked pizza! Make the dough ahead of time and freeze that by itself for up to 2 months. Or you can par-bake the dough and add your toppings to create a frozen meal, just like you'd find in a store. Pop your pre-made pizza in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Freezing Cooked Pizza

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1
Cut the pizza apart into individual slices, if needed. If you have a lot of pizza left over, cut it apart into individual slices with a pizza cutter. Skip this step if you have only 1 slice to freeze.
- Most pizzas already come pre-sliced, but they are still connected along the crust. You need to separate the slices from each other completely.
Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and set it on the counter. Place a pizza slice on top of the plastic wrap, making sure it's centered. Fold the edges of the plastic wrap over the pizza to cover it completely. Do this with all of the slices.

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3
Wrap each slide with aluminum foil or wax paper to prevent sticking. Plastic wrap tends to stick to everything, so you need to create a barrier around it. Tear off a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper, then wrap it around the pizza slice.
- If you don't have aluminum foil or wax paper, you could try freezer paper or parchment paper.
4
Place the pizza slice(s) into a plastic freezer bag and label it. You can put more than 1 pizza slice into a freezer bag, as long as the bag is big enough. If you don't have any freezer bags, you can use another freezer-safe plastic container. Write the date on the bag or container with a permanent marker.
- If you don't want to ruin the container, write the date on a piece of masking tape, then put the tape on the container.
Clear some space in the freezer, then place the pizza inside. Leave the pizza in the freezer until you are ready to eat it. It will stay fresh for up to 2 months.
6
Thaw the pizza in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, then bake it. When you are ready to eat your pizza, take it out of the freezer and unwrap it. Let it thaw on a plate in the fridge for about 2 to 3 hours. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for 5 minutes.
- You can thaw and cook the pizza in the microwave, but you may not get that freshly-baked taste.
- For a well-done pizza, try 375 °F (191 °C) for 12 to 15 minutes instead.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Preparing and Freezing Uncooked Pizza

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Make the pizza dough first according to your recipe. Next, toss the dough and shape it into a crust.
A baking sheet meant for pizza will work the best. If you are making a small pizza, then you can use the bottom from a spring-form cake pan instead. Simply find a spring-form cake pan that is the same size as your pizza. Open up the latch on the side of the pan, then pop the bottom of the pan out.
3
Bake the crust at 450 °F (232 °C) for 4 to 5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Place the pizza onto a round baking sheet, if you have not already, then tuck it into the oven. Bake the pizza for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the dough looks puffy and dry.^{[2]
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- Do not add the toppings or bake the crust all the way. You will finish baking the crust when you are ready to eat it.
- Par-baking the crust is the key to keeping the crust from turning soggy when you thaw and bake the pizza.
4
Take the crust out of the oven, let it cool, then add the toppings. Once the crust looks puffy and dry, slide it out of the oven. Allow the crust to cool down to room temperature. Add your desired toppings, such as pizza sauce, cheese, and veggies.^{[3]
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- How long the pizza takes to cool depends on how big is it and the temperature in your kitchen. Expect this to take around 10 to 15 minutes.
- Do not remove the pizza from the baking sheet. You will freeze the pizza while it is still on the sheet.
5
Wrap the pizza with 1 layer of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Wrap the pizza with as many sheets of plastic wrap as needed to cover it completely. Next, wrap it with aluminum foil. Once again, use as much foil as needed to cover the pizza. This double-layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil will help prevent freezer burn.^{[4]
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- If you don't have any aluminum foil, use 2 layers of plastic wrap instead.^{[5]
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6
Tuck the pizza into the freezer and use it within 2 to 3 months. Clear enough space in the freezer so that you can fit the pizza. Set the pizza into the freezer, making sure that it is flat. Close the freezer and let the pizza freeze for a few hours.^{[6]
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- Write the date on the plastic bag with a permanent marker. This will help you figure out how long the pizza has been in the freezer.
- The pizza will taste the best if you eat it within 2 months, but you may be able to keep it in the freezer for 3 months.^{[7]
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7
Bake the pizza in a preheated oven at 500 °F (260 °C) for 10 minutes. Turn the oven on and let it heat up to 500 °F (260 °C). Take the pizza out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Leave the pizza on the baking sheet, and tuck it into the oven. Close the oven and let the pizza bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.^{[8]
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- There is no need to thaw the pizza first.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Freezing Raw Pizza Dough

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Prepare the pizza dough and let it ferment, if needed. You can use this method to freeze balls or disks of raw pizza dough. If your recipe requires you to both ferment and proof the dough, only complete the fermentation step; skip the proofing step.^{[9]
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2
Shape the dough as desired. Whether you roll the dough into a ball or flatten it into a crust is up to you. A ball may be easier to store, but a crust will reduce the amount of work you have to do later on.^{[10]
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- You can divide the dough into smaller portions to make mini pizzas. This will make it easier to store.
Toss the ball around in a bowl filled with flour. If you made a crust, dust the top with flour, flip it over, then dust the back. This is important as it will prevent the dough from sticking in the later steps.^{[11]
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4
Freeze the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then tuck the baking sheet into the freezer. Don't worry about covering the baking sheet. This is just the initial freezing; you will transfer the dough into a bag once it is completely frozen.^{[12]
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- How long the dough takes to freeze depends on whether you left it as a ball or shaped it into a crust; a full ball will take longer.
At this point, your dough is ready to store in the freezer. Place frozen balls of dough or small crusts into a large, plastic freezer bag. If you made a large pizza crust, it might be easier to wrap it with 2 layers of plastic wrap instead.^{[13]
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6
Use the dough within 1 to 2 months. Clear some space in the freezer, and set the dough down. If you made a crust, make sure that it is sitting on a flat surface. Do not put anything on top of the pizza.
- Write the date on the plastic bag that you put the pizza into. This will help you keep track of how long the pizza has been in the freezer.
7
Thaw the dough before you use it. You can thaw the dough in the fridge for 10 to 12 hours, or you can thaw it on the counter at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. How long this takes depends on whether you froze the dough as a ball or as a disk; the ball will take longer to thaw.
- If you didn't let your dough rise all the way before putting it into the freezer, let it rise another 1 to 2 hours before baking it (or turning it into a pizza crust).^{[14]
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Community Q&A

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Question

Why only 2 months in the freezer when other recipes state at least a year of life in the freezer?

diel o' top

Community Answer

Keeping food frozen for long periods of time doesn't really pose a safety concern, but after two months the taste will start to degrade.

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Frozen pizza will taste the best if you eat it within 1 or 2 months, but you could stretch it to 3 months.^{[15]
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You can leave leftover pizza that has been thawed in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you thawed and reheated the leftover pizza, eat it immediately.^{[16]
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Sometimes pizza goes bad before 1 or 2 months. If it looks, smells, or tastes bad, throw it away.^{[17]
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