In most people, even far from cooking, yeast dough is associated with a warm place in which it fits, comes to life, grows. There is a significant share of truth in this belief; most recipes really recommend just such a way of ripening. But few people know that you can make yeast dough in the refrigerator. And the result will be no worse!
Do not be afraid of the refrigerator and those who are faced with the need to save a piece of dough for future use. It is perfectly acceptable to keep it in the cold. But you need to do this competently, given the features of the product and strictly observing the technology.
We will understand everything in detail. Let's talk about yeast dough recipes, the technology of which involves cooling, and also consider ways to save the semi-finished product in the refrigerator and freezer.
Recipes for a Hot Summer
When outside the windows +30, the last thing I want is to bother in the kitchen for a long time. But nobody canceled the love of homemade goodies! Try making yeast dough in the refrigerator. This can be a great outlet for the hot season. Do not worry, the recipe does not imply any complicated processes, and the list of products will seem quite accessible and familiar to you.
Special recipe
This recipe for yeast dough in the refrigerator has gained considerable popularity. In the cookbooks of many housewives, he took root with the mark “quick” or “simple”. It actually does not require any special efforts, while it is suitable for both fried and oven pies.
Essential Products
To prepare the yeast dough in the refrigerator, prepare the following ingredients:
- 0.5 l of water;
- 2 tsp dry yeast;
- 1 tsp salts;
- 1 large egg (2 small);
- 2 tsp Sahara;
- 4 tbsp. l oils;
- 4 cups flour.
If you plan to cook pies in the oven, add more sugar - up to half a glass. You can use ordinary yeast, they will need about 50 g.
Cooking process
Pour the yeast with a little warm water (about 30 ° C), add sugar and salt. Let stand. Flour does not need to be added, even if the yeast producer recommends doing so. The mixture quickly becomes turbid, covered with a cap of bubbles. When it doubles, pour into a large bowl, add the rest of the water, also slightly warmed up. Beat in the egg, pour in the butter.
Sift the flour first so that it becomes lush and enriched with oxygen. Add to the dough gradually, one glass each, kneading well each time. Not all of the amount of flour recommended by the recipe may go away. It is necessary to stop when the dough begins to lag behind the hands, but has not yet stopped staining them a little, sticking with thin layers. It doesn’t matter if it seems liquid to you - but the products will come out tender.
At this point, the dough has completely cooled to room temperature. It's time to send it to the refrigerator. How long can yeast dough be stored in the refrigerator before sculpting? The optimal time is considered an hour and a half. You can extend the time up to several hours, but in this case, you will have to periodically knead the dough, otherwise it will start to be arbitrary.
When the deadline expires, remove it, wash it, using vegetable oil to lubricate the table and hands, form the product.
Sweet toppings for yeast cakes
You can cook a huge number of different dishes based on such a recipe. While our yeast dough settles in the refrigerator, you can make the filling for the pies. Whether to fill them all in the same way or to cook several types is up to you. You can use any favorite foods: fresh and frozen fruits and berries, jam and jam, nuts, cottage cheese. They can be baked in an oven preheated to 180 ° C or fried in vegetable oil in a pan.
Salted Baking Toppings
If you insist on yeast dough in the refrigerator, it will not have a characteristic smell that not everyone likes. Therefore, it is ideal even for the most delicate and delicate fillings. You can cook pies with savory cottage cheese, eggs and herbs, meat, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, peas, rice and any other filling. The result will certainly delight you, because the dominant taste will be the taste of the filling, not the yeast.
Shelf life of the dough in the refrigerator
It happens that you need to postpone the preparation of pies the next day. For example, when one of the ingredients ends or urgent matters appear. In this case, there are several storage methods that are suitable for almost any yeast dough.
If you plan to leave the yeast dough in the refrigerator overnight, knead it, grease it on all sides. For storage, use new clean bags, always dry. Just put the dough com in a bag, puncture in several places, tie a knot, leaving enough space inside. Put in the refrigerator, away from the freezer. Keep in mind that when cooled, the yeast does not die - their vital processes slow down, but do not stop. What does it mean? And the fact that the next day you will get a larger lump out of the refrigerator than you sent it the day before.
Puff yeast dough (purchased)
Surely you paid attention to the frozen dough. And if you tried to cook from it, you could make sure that it behaves perfectly: it has plasticity, splendor, it grows very much and obeys. Therefore, does the freezer harm the components of the dough? The answer to the question of how much yeast dough is stored in the refrigerator at low temperatures is written on its packaging: the lower the degree, the longer the shelf life. Deep freezing allows you to store the product for six months or more.
Can this be repeated at home? The answer is yes, but do not forget that you cannot freeze yeast dough repeatedly. Get packs that you can use at one time.
How to keep yeast dough for a long time?
If you are convinced that nothing bad happened with your billet in one night, perhaps you have a question: how much yeast dough is stored in the refrigerator without loss of quality? Experts do not recommend prolonging the shelf life for a long time. In the most unforeseen cases, a balcony is preferable. In any case, fold the dough into a deep pan, leaving at least half the volume free. Be sure to cover with a lid or foil. Do not seal - otherwise the dough will turn sour. Air access for live yeast culture is needed.
You can store the dough in the refrigerator for no more than three days. Knead it thoroughly before use.
Can i use a freezer?
As we see from the experience of manufacturers of semi-finished products, freezing does not harm the product. A dough is prepared from ingredients, each of which tolerates sub-zero temperatures quite normally.
You already know if yeast dough can be stored in the refrigerator and how to do it. Now consider the features of freezing.
Roll the dough into a layer. Firmly lay a layer of cling film over it, pressing it with your fingers so that there are no bubbles. Roll the dough into a roll, wrap it in a film layer. Send to the freezer. But what about air access? At temperatures below 0 ° C, the biological processes in the yeast strain stop, therefore, they do not need oxygen. But when defrosting, you must definitely give the test the opportunity to breathe.
Defrosting
If you are working with frozen dough yourself, do not hope that you can just lay it on the table and start sculpting in a few hours. The process of defrosting a home dough is different from working with convenience foods. Raise the temperature gradually: let it “wake up” in the refrigerator, only then remove it. You need to defrost the dough at room temperature, in a place where there are no drafts and excessive lighting.
When the dough has thawed, knead it again, cover with a towel and let it gain strength in the heat. Tasty cakes will serve as the best proof that neither low plus or even negative temperatures are harmful. The main thing is to follow simple rules.