Are you looking to use frozen dough to make cookies, bread or pizza? It is essential to thaw the flour and liquid mixture before baking.
Frozen dough has many ways to thaw, however defrosting dough in the microwavecan be considered the easiest and quickest. Let’s discuss the fastest way to get that frozen dough completely thawed.
How do you defrost dough in microwave? Prepare a microwave-safe plate by spraying with cooking oil and place the dough in the center. Cover the plate with a lid and microwave for 25 seconds on defrost setting, then flip the dough upside down and continue microwaving for 10 second intervals until fully thawed.
This will be sufficient time to begin the process of thawing. If your microwave does not have a defrost setting, set the power level to low or 30% and microwave for 3 minutes in total for even thawing.
Microwave is best method to defrost any type of dough for your favorite recipes. However, each dough has slight modification to nuke well and make ready for the oven to bake.
In this article, we will cover benefits of using microwave and best way to defrost dough in the microwave. Answered below are frequently asked questions about defrosting for each type of dough you are dealing with to avoid killing yeast or melting butter before high heat baking.
Can you microwave dough?
Yes, you can microwave dough to quickly defrost. It is safe to do so as long as you are not cooking and just thawing.
The microwave helps to thaw dough so that the yeast can activate and give rise before baking.
It is essential to understand that water forms steam in a closed microwave, creating a humid atmosphere within, which is identical to a bread dough proofer and helps the dough to rise faster. The more humidity, the quicker the bread rises.
Therefore, it is safe microwave dough to poof, as long as the dough doesn’t become overheated causing the yeast to die off before proofing.
So when you want to defrost dough, set the microwave on defrost setting and run for few seconds without cooking the dough. The intense heat will actually bake the dough before it’s thawed resulting a hard and dense dough that is unsuccessful in rising.
Does freezing dough kill yeast?
No, freezing dough does not kill the yeast. In fact, yeast survives freezing and just slips into a dormant phase.
When the dough comes back to room temperature, it revives. Yeast will die off due to over-heating and will be to unable to rise properly, so it is best to let it warm naturally.
It is best to freeze dough after yeast has risen once, that is if you are making a yeast based dough like bread or sweet buns.
Yeast dies down at high temperatures, however it remains unaffected when frozen. When the dough is frozen, the time for final rising could be impacted during unfreezing.
Leave the dough at room temperature from the freezer or defrost it at low microwave heat. It is best to proof the dough after being thawed when it is frozen, this will activate the yeast present in the dough.
However, avoid freezing the dough for too long as the yeast can die down and lose their strength in numbers.
How do you defrost frozen dough?
Defrosting dough is unavoidable step in baking. To bring the dough to room temperature helps the dough rise well and keeps the fluffy and airy texture.
Microwave is easiest way to thaw frozen dough, here are steps for you to follow.
- Take a microwave-safe plate and spray the plate with cooking spray or oil.
- Remove the frozen dough from the freezer and place it on this prepared plate.
- Cover it with a microwave cover or microwave-safe plastic wrap tightly around the dough.
- Spray the plastic wrap too to avoid dough sticking to the surface.
- Microwave the frozen dough for 25 seconds on low power using the defrost setting. This will heat the dough but not cook it.
- Flip the dough over and repeat the defrost timing for another 25 seconds.
- Remove the dough from the wrap and place it on a clean surface.
- Touch the dough and check. The dough should be cool and not hard, making it able to knead easily.
- If you have low heat or defrost setting on your microwave, use these setting for around 3 mins in total for even thawing.
- Let the dough sit for one hour after removing it from the microwave and knead to rise.
Whether you are making loaf of bread or pizza, using frozen dough can be tricky and require a bit of extra time. If you are in hurry, use microwave on the defrost setting to save the time, the proof the dough naturally once it has fully thawed.
How long does frozen dough take to thaw?
Generally, it takes 6 to 12 hours to thaw frozen dough in the fridge. However, it takes less than 3 minutes to defrost in the microwave.
After thawing, let the dough sit for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature to rise properly.
To thaw the frozen dough, set the microwave to defrost and run for 1 to 3 minutes. This will defrost the dough evenly all around, but you will have to flip the dough in between for even thawing.
The time of defrosting depends on your microwave type and the amount of dough. Smaller dough balls will require about 1 minute while a larger dough amount can take around 3 minutes for even defrosting.
How do you thaw frozen dough quickly?
To thaw frozen dough quickly, simply place the frozen dough in a microwave. Set it on defrost setting and run it for about 3 minutes depending on the quantity of the dough and the microwave wattage.
There is one other way and that is to place the frozen dough in a food storage bag and vacuum seal it. Submerge in cold water filled in a bowl, and change the cold water every 15 mins to defrost a pound of frozen dough.
However, if you are thawing in a microwave, use a cooking spray on a microwave-safe plate and then place the dough on the prepared plate. Cover the dough and run it on defrost setting for 25 seconds for less than 3 minutes.
Once removed, let it sit at room temperature to rise naturally. This is particularly ideal for dough you needed defrosted quickly, flip in between and check for even thawing.
How to defrost dough in a microwave
Microwave is easy and quick way to cook, reheat, and defrost food in a push of a button. However, defrosting dough to prepare for baking can be tricky.
The key is that you do not want to cook nor overheat the yeast as it will kill them off before the rise has been achieved.
Not all frozen dough defrosts with one single method. Every dough reacts differently as they require various yeast amount to rise or butter to make flakey crusts.
The type of dough, total weight and power of microwave affects the defrosting time, however, we will discuss the general guidelines to defrost each type of dough briefly.
- Bread: When defrosting bread dough in the microwave, use the lowest heat level or defrost setting for 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to check the dough to bring to room temperature and flip the dough over every 1 minute to reach the desired temperature.
- Pizza: Use olive oil to coat microwave-safe plate and defrost frozen pizza dough covered with plastic wrap. Defrost for 1 minute increments with a maximum defrosting time being less than 2 minutes. Afterward, let it sit at room temperature to allow the yeast the rise.
- Pie: Adjust the power level on microwave to 30% to defrost pie dough for 10 seconds. If the pie crust folds easily, then it is ready to rollout. Use 5 second intervals to nuke the dough on each side.
- Cookie: The frozen cookie dough requires the least amount of defrosting time. Microwave the cookie dough on the defrost setting or 30% power level for 10 to 15 seconds. Ensure to not cook the dough or melt the butter, and avoid giving extra defrosting time as it is unnecessary.
Depending on the type of dough you are working with, defrosting in the microwave requires different power setting and nuking time. The heavier or bigger the dough will require longer time to thaw compared to small and thin pieces of the dough.
Refer to the specific timing to defrost dough in the microwave for best result. Keep a close eye on the dough as it defrosts because it is unrecoverable if it becomes overheated.
Use the defrost setting or low power level, and nuke for short intervals at a time. Flip the dough for even defrosting and keep it wrapped to prevent it from drying out.
Defrosting Frozen Dough: Final Thoughts
To achieve fluffy and sweet baked goods, it is safe and quite simple to defrost dough in the microwave. However, doing it right is essential as the dough should not cook while defrosting.
Remove the frozen dough from the freezer and unwrap plastic from the dough. Prepare the microwave-safe plate and plastic wrap by spraying cooking oil to prevent from sticking.
Take a microwave-safe plate and place the wrapped dough on the plate. Microwave first for 25 seconds on defrost setting for a total of 2 to 3 minutes.
Repeat the process by removing the dough and flipping the dough to the other side for another 25 seconds. Flipping will trigger the thawing process evenly and quickly.
Now remove the wrap and place the dough uncovered onto the dish. Let the yeast do the magic by rising naturally at room temperature.
Defrosting dough prior to baking is important step to take. Working with frozen dough can be simple and rewarding, because you can revitalize the fruits of your labor started on a previous day.
The process can be challenging to not kill the yeast by bringing the frozen dough to room temperature as quick and safe as possible. From chocolate chip cookies to crusty sourdough bread, use these microwave tips and technique to thaw frozen dough and make your fresh baked recipe.