The ability to purchase ready-made frozen dough makes life easier for housewives. However, not everyone knows that the reason for a failed dish lies not in the manufacturer’s broken technology for preparing and freezing the product, but in the improper defrosting of the mass by the housewife herself.
Sometimes, in an attempt to prepare a dish as quickly as possible, housewives destroy their culinary masterpiece without even starting to prepare it.
Despite the similarity of cooking recipes, the dough on the shelves of grocery stores differs from each other in its quality. Manufacturers use different technologies and products of different quality.
Good dough can be easily identified by its sealed packaging. If the packaging is damaged, opened, or has been opened, the product may be spoiled.
The entry of air can lead to chapping or loss of beneficial properties; the yeast mass in an open package is unlikely to rise during cooking.
The product packaging must indicate the date of manufacture, shelf life and freezing method. In the absence of such information, you cannot count on purchasing a high-quality useful product. Fresh makes better baked goods. During long-term storage, the product changes its texture and acquires an additional specific odor.
The product will be more delicious if the dough has as many layers as possible. Data on the number of layers must also be indicated on the product packaging. The yeast product contains 35 leaves, the yeast-free product contains more than 200.
The cost of the product cannot be cheap, since the ingredients included in the composition cannot be cheaper than the final product, i.e. the dough itself. Low prices can be achieved by reducing the quality of the products used.
The packaging material must be as transparent as possible, without any inscriptions or large-scale drawings covering the product.
A high-quality product inside the package moves freely, is uniform in composition, dry and does not stick.
On the product label you can find the technology for defrosting this product. Its absence indicates the negligence of the manufacturer, who did not think about his customers, and therefore does not take responsibility for possible changes when the goods are defrosted.
Methods for defrosting puff pastry
Puff pastry is sold frozen, not chilled. Careless handling of the product can lead to breakage of the layers, after which it is unlikely to make a good dish.
Slow defrost
If the housewife has a lot of time before preparing baked goods, it is better to use slow defrosting. This way the product will retain its appearance, taste, properties, and will thaw more evenly.
Slow defrosting of the puff paste can take place at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Remove the product from the packaging and place it on a board, waffle towel or special mat. Do not break the integrity: allow them to thaw before separating the layers from each other. Separating frozen layers can cause them to crumble and break. Broken frozen puff pastry crusts will be very difficult to roll out and bake. Complete defrosting will take about five hours.
If you plan to bake the next day, you can defrost the product overnight without removing it from the refrigerator. It is left in the package on the shelf farthest from the freezer. Complete defrosting will occur after 10 hours.
If your baking plans change, you can leave the mixture in the refrigerator for some more time. If the manufacturer has properly prepared and frozen the product, the cakes should not stick together after 10 or more hours of defrosting in the refrigerator.
How to defrost correctly in a microwave, oven and a pan of water?
Defrosting puff pastry requires some skills and experience from the housewife. If the mandatory rules and nuances are not followed, frozen puff pastry can turn into a melted lump with a dry crust.
Carefully remove the mass from the factory bag. Wrap the product in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel. Place the resulting structure on a warm radiator.
By choosing this method, you run the risk of getting regular dough after defrosting, since intense heating can disrupt the structure of the product.
Similarly, you can defrost the product on a hot lid of a pan with water. Boiling water in the pan will heat the lid and thereby defrost it. In this case, the mass must be wrapped in foil, plastic or a bag. It will have to be systematically turned over so that it defrosts evenly.
Instead of a radiator or burner, you can use a hairdryer as a heat source for defrosting. Wrap the product in plastic or a bag to prevent the hair dryer from fraying it.
The direction of warm air should be sweeping. You can't keep the flow in one place. The mass should become plastic and pliable. Each sheet of puff pastry needs to be thawed separately.
A gentler method of quick defrosting involves defrosting the puff pastry, unwrapped, near a heat source at room temperature. So the mass is left on a board, rug or waffle towel near a switched-on burner or radiator.
Complete defrosting will occur within two hours. The edges of the dough, located in close proximity to the heat source, may float or stick together, and the top of the product may dry out.
When the product is slightly defrosted, you should divide it into existing layers and defrost them separately. To achieve uniform defrosting, regularly rotate the layers in relation to the fire or heat source.
Defrosting a puff pastry product in a microwave oven is only possible with a special mode called “Defrosting”. In this case, the power of the microwave in this mode should not exceed 150 W. High heating power will not defrost the product, but bake it. In the future, it will be difficult to roll out and form any products from it. Defrosting in the microwave takes 5 minutes and requires one turn of the food.
Puff pastries can also be defrosted in warm water by sealing the product in several plastic bags.
A quick way to defrost puff pastry also includes defrosting in a water bath. The process does not take much time, but requires extreme care. It should be tightly wrapped in a towel or plastic.
You can speed up the defrosting of puff pastry using the oven. To do this, preheat the oven and turn it off. When the heat in the oven subsides, place the dough in it. The remaining heat from the previously turned on oven will defrost a little. This method will be less effective than using a microwave oven. Over time, the heat will subside completely, and the mass will defrost naturally.
It will not be possible to quickly defrost the product in the oven.
How to defrost dumpling dough
The dumpling dough is defrosted gradually: first in the refrigerator, then at room temperature. On the shelf of the refrigerator farthest from the freezer, the mass is defrosted within 6-12 hours. The time depends on the volume of the product. Finally defrost the dough at room temperature after 2-3 hours.
Compliance with two stages of defrosting allows the product to return to its former plasticity.
If you don’t have time, you can defrost it in warm water, after wrapping it in plastic or two bags to maintain tightness.
The nuances of defrosting yeast dough
Thawing yeast dough requires special attention, since incorrect technology can spoil the dough, after which it will not rise before or during baking.
It is safest to defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
When using a heat source, the product should be placed next to the burner and not above it.
If the product is defrosted using hot water, you should take care of the tightness of its coating: pack it in several bags or wrap it in a piece of polyethylene. The water in the container should not cool down.
You should not defrost yeast dough in the microwave because the waves kill the yeast and it will not rise when cooked.
It is permissible to defrost using a special “defrost” mode. If this is not the case, it is recommended to set the mode to a power of no more than 100 W. Defrost for no longer than 45 seconds on each side.
When defrosting the product in the oven, make sure that the dough does not rise. As soon as this happens, you need to remove the product from the oven.
Conditions for defrosting Filo dough
The easiest and safest way to defrost this dough is in the refrigerator: transfer the dough from the freezer to the shelf farthest from it overnight, and in the morning you can safely prepare your favorite dishes.
You can defrost at room temperature without opening the package, since the dough will begin to dry out and become chapped in the air.
Is it possible to re-freeze yeast-free and yeast dough?
Manufacturers of any frozen dough do not recommend re-freezing the product. This information is indicated on the product packaging.
After the initial defrosting, the product loses some of its normal properties: in yeast dough, a certain amount of fungi die, which are responsible for raising the dough, puff pastry loses its “layeriness,” and “Filo” becomes weathered and sticks together.
To avoid re-freezing or preparing a low-quality dish from such dough, it is recommended to calculate the required volume of the product and not defrost excess.
If necessary, you can cut off a piece of frozen dough (thaw it a little), and seal the rest of it tightly and put it in the freezer.
The safest ways to defrost dough require a lot of time. Only they can guarantee the preservation of all the necessary properties in the dough, its structural and taste qualities. It is impossible to prepare a good tasty dish if the technology for defrosting the dough is broken. When choosing a method that is convenient for you, keep in mind that many types of dough are defrosted in different ways.
Shortbread, yeast, yeast-free, gingerbread and puff pastry are actively used by housewives, despite the availability of semi-finished products that only need to be heated. Such products are usually prepared or purchased in reserve, so every cook should know how to quickly defrost the dough so as not to spend the whole day bringing it to the desired state.
For this purpose, you can use a microwave oven or sources of artificial heat. True, not all foods can be defrosted using a radiator or in a microwave. And, regardless of the type of approach, it is necessary to take into account the features of the technological process. Otherwise, the product will need to be thrown away immediately after defrosting.
How to buy high-quality frozen dough?
The process of preparing the dough takes some time and causes a lot of trouble. For this reason, housewives are increasingly buying a ready-made product of the desired type. In order not to encounter difficulties during use, you should choose the following components correctly:
- The dough can only be purchased in sealed packaging. Violation of the integrity of the container will lead to spoilage of the product even if it is very quickly delivered from the store to the home freezer.
- The label should indicate how the product is frozen. If it is not indicated, the product was produced in artisanal conditions and its quality is very questionable.
- Pay attention to the number of layers, this indicator will give you an idea of how tasty the final product will be. A yeast-free dough should have at least 225, and a yeast dough should have at least 35.
Tip: Despite the fact that industrially frozen dough can be stored for months, it is better to purchase fresh dough. Over time, the texture of the component will change, sometimes unnecessary notes will be added to the clean smell.
- Frozen products should not contain preservatives. The fewer ingredients in the composition, the better.
- A lot can be said by the appearance of the dough, so you should choose products that are packaged in transparent bags. The lump of product should not stick to the packaging, appear wet or have inclusions of a different color from the base.
High-quality products are accompanied by defrosting instructions. Its absence should be alarming, because... by this, the manufacturer, as it were, relieves itself of all responsibility for the condition of the component after heat treatment.
How to properly freeze homemade dough?
Store-bought dough will never compare in taste and texture to a homemade product, so many housewives continue to produce dough on their own. Considering the hassle and length of the process, they try to do everything with a reserve so that the component is enough for several approaches.
The characteristics of such a test will not deteriorate only if it is frozen correctly:
- The mass must be divided into portions so that you do not have to cut the frozen composition later. Homemade or store-bought products cannot be re-frozen.
- Be sure to pack the product in cling film or foil, protecting it from moisture.
- For the first week, the workpiece should be stored at a very low temperature, after which it can be slightly increased.
- Practice shows that dough is best preserved if it is made using flour that contains about 30% gluten.
You should not store homemade dough for longer than 4 months. It will last longer, but its taste will deteriorate a little.
Fast and slow ways to defrost dough
Before you quickly defrost your dough, you should consider slow-processing options. Despite the fact that they take more time, the workpiece turns out to be as fresh and elastic as possible.
- In a refrigerator. Place the frozen dough directly in the package on the refrigerator shelf as far away from the freezer as possible. Defrosting time will be 10-12 hours.
- At room temperature. Place the product on a silicone board, cover with a thin cloth and leave at room temperature. The composition will reach the desired state in about 5 hours.
- In warm water. Place the workpiece in a plastic bag and lower it into a container with warm water. The ends of the packaging should remain outside; water should not be allowed to get on the dough. How long it takes to defrost depends on the volume of dough. Usually 2-3 hours are enough.
Among the quick approaches, the most accessible and safe are the following:
- In the microwave. If the device has an “auto-defrost” mode, then use it. Otherwise, we carry out the manipulation at a power of 100 watts. Remove the dough from the packaging and place it on a suitable stand. It needs to be turned over regularly. Do not allow the product to become hot. The processing time for a component in the microwave is strictly individual, but does not take more than 20 minutes.
- On the battery. The dough can also be defrosted on a radiator. We place it on the stand directly in the package. It is strictly forbidden to refuse a stand in order to save time. The procedure will take no more than 30-40 minutes.
It is worth considering that such approaches are not universal. In the case of some products you have to act differently.
Features of defrosting yeast and puff pastry
Most often, housewives have a question about how to defrost yeast dough without spoiling it. The mass is indeed very capricious and if the processing technology is violated, it will become unusable and refuse to rise.
To minimize risks, you can try the following approaches:
- The option of using warm water is allowed, only there should be two packages. They need to let out as much air as possible.
- A good result is obtained by defrosting the composition on the lid of a pan with hot water. We put the workpiece in foil or a bag, turn it over regularly, and change the water if necessary.
- Another mass can be placed in a clean and dry pan, which is placed in close proximity to the stove with burning burners.
- As a last resort, the dough is defrosted in a water bath. The main thing is not to miss the right moment, otherwise the mass will run away.
But it is better not to defrost such dough in the microwave. Due to the specifics of processing, yeast may lose its properties and the product will no longer rise. Before quickly defrosting puff pastry in a microwave oven, you should also think several times. The consequences of such an experiment can be the most unpleasant. It is better to keep the product at room temperature; it will reach the desired state in just a couple of hours. For emergency defrosting, you can use a battery, but this will noticeably change the taste of the product.
The process of defrosting dough at first glance seems like an easy task. It would seem that there is nothing difficult in taking it out and waiting for it to become soft. But in order to properly defrost the dough, without disturbing its structure, without breaking it, while maintaining the taste and beneficial properties of the product, you need to know some special techniques and rules. Incorrect defrosting technology leads to the fact that the dough turns out watery, a hard, dry crust forms on the surface, the baked goods do not rise and turn out tasteless.
Defrosting methods
The easiest and most reliable way to defrost dough is to place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The dough will thaw completely within 10 hours without losing its shape and properties. But what to do if time is short, and guests will be on the doorstep in a couple of hours?
There are several methods for quick defrosting:
- You can shorten the defrosting time if you do it at room temperature. You need to remove the packaging from the dough, cover with a napkin or towel and leave to thaw; this will take from 2 to 5 hours depending on the type and weight of the dough.
- If time is really pressing, you can quickly defrost the dough in the microwave. In the "Defrost" mode, it will be ready to cook in a matter of minutes. If the microwave is not equipped with a similar mode, you can set the power in the range of 50-100 watts. Defrost, turning the dough occasionally. This method is dangerous because the dough may begin to cook while defrosting.
- If you don’t have a microwave oven at home or you are afraid to overcook the dough, you can use the method of defrosting in warm water. To do this, the dough must be tightly wrapped in several plastic bags or film and placed in warm water until completely defrosted. You can start using the product again after a couple of hours. This method is not the healthiest; it is best suited for defrosting pizza dough.
- Another option for “emergency” defrosting is a regular battery. The dough is placed on a hot device directly in the package and after an hour it is ready for further use. This method, for obvious reasons, is only suitable during the heating season.
- Defrosting in the oven is also an option. Remove the packaging from the dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven preheated to 70 degrees for just a few minutes. However, the danger of overdrying the dough and spoiling it is very high; you need to remove the dough from the oven in time.
- A good way to quickly defrost is a water bath. Place a container of frozen dough onto a pan of boiling water. In this case, you need to carefully ensure that it does not stick to the surface.
These are the most common methods of quick defrosting. Which one to choose depends on the type of dough and the equipment in the kitchen, but in any case, the very first step when defrosting is preparation. Before the procedure, you need to keep the dough for at least 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator, this will preserve most of the nutrients and taste of the dough after “shock” defrosting.
Features of defrosting different types of dough
The choice of defrosting method is largely determined by the type of dough. Yeast and puff pastry are considered the most capricious. In order not to spoil the final product, you need to know the features of defrosting them.
Yeast dough
The most problems arise when defrosting yeast dough. Any mistake leads to the fact that the dough may simply not rise, but this is very important when preparing baked goods. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the following features:
- When defrosting in water, wrap the dough tightly in several plastic bags, maintain the temperature constantly, make sure that the water does not cool down;
- you can defrost the dough by placing it in a container near a lit burner, next to it, but not on top;
- It is not recommended to defrost yeast dough in the microwave. There is an opinion that with this method, yeast loses its beneficial properties. If you nevertheless decide to use this method, then you need to process the dough for no more than 1-2 minutes;
- when defrosting in the oven, remove the dough as soon as it begins to rise;
- Under no circumstances should yeast dough be re-frozen.
Thawing puff pastry
Puff pastry is also quite capricious, and when defrosting it, you need to take into account the following factors:
- Do not defrost puff pastry in the microwave;
- The dough will thaw in the open air in a couple of hours. In this case, be sure to first keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour;
- To prevent the dough from becoming crusty, cover it with a towel while defrosting;
- puff pastry is defrosted on the radiator, having previously wrapped it in a towel;
- If the dough has the shape of a roll, you can remove the top layers as it thaws and work with them, during which time the rest will thaw. But it is important to remove them very carefully so as not to damage the structure;
- When defrosting, the dough must be turned regularly so that it thaws evenly;
- Make sure that the dough does not stick to the surface on which it is defrosting.
It is important to remember that the finished dough can be stored in the refrigerator without freezing for two days. If you purchased store-bought dough or frozen homemade dough in advance, then when defrosting, you should resort to “express” methods only if absolutely necessary. The best option is to defrost the dough in the refrigerator, placing it on the bottom shelf, overnight, or before leaving for work.
Baking is sacred for any housewife. Once upon a time in our area it was served mainly on holidays, since kneading the dough takes a lot of time, which working women always lack. But with the advent of good store-bought dough, pizzas and pies have become almost a daily dish. At the same time, a counter problem arose: how to quickly defrost the dough so that, when you come home from work, you have time to prepare something tasty for dinner. Nowadays, the process of defrosting the base often takes more time than creating a culinary masterpiece from it.
Defrosting options
Before looking for ways to quickly defrost dough from the freezer, pay attention to what type of base you bought. Thawing rules may change greatly due to this. The situation is easiest with the lean and yeast varieties, since you can quickly defrost dough of this “origin” even in several ways.
- Water method. The purchase is wrapped in several bags so that the edges are not stacked on top of each other. You can wrap the dough in cling film. Then you put the package in warm water - and after half an hour you can start baking.
- Oven method. Preheat the oven to 70-80 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment, place the dough on it without packaging and place it in the chamber for a couple of minutes. Vigilance must be extremely high: if you don’t inspect it, you will end up with a dried substance that is no good for anything.
- Jack of all trades - microwave. It is preferred by most culinary enthusiasts, since it is the easiest to quickly defrost yeast dough. Set the defrost mode and after a minute or two start rolling it out.
Whichever way you go, before you quickly defrost the dough, you should prepare it for the upcoming procedure. Namely: remove from the freezer and place on the top shelf of the refrigerator. This can be done as soon as you enter your apartment after work. While you are changing, the dough will “relax” a little and retain its qualities - primarily taste.
Delicate puff pastry: handling rules
Most of the ways to quickly defrost dough are absolutely not suitable for the puff variety. She is picky about temperature, and is especially sensitive to its changes. And if you don’t want to spoil your pies, it’s better to defrost the puff pastry according to all the rules. That is, leave it directly in the store packaging at the bottom of the refrigerator when leaving for work in the morning. By evening it will be ready for cutting.
There is, so to speak, an accelerated version that will take three hours and will not disrupt the structure of the test. The packaging is removed from it, the base is laid out on the table. At room temperature, defrosting is much faster, but requires compliance with two conditions.
How to quickly defrost puff pastry
However, sometimes situations arise in which the foundation is needed soon, but there is no time to wait. In emergency cases, there are two ways to quickly defrost puff pastry. However, you should only resort to them in a desperate situation: the risk of ruining your purchase is quite high, and no one can guarantee that you will maintain the lifting properties of the base.
In the first option, you remove the packaging and put the dough into a bag sprinkled with flour - in case you don't keep track and it decides to stick. A towel is wrapped over the top and the bundle is placed on a warm radiator. You will have to turn it over more often to ensure even defrosting. Half an hour of waiting, and you can proceed to further actions.
The second method will require manual work. The layer laid out on the table is heated as equally as possible with a regular hair dryer turned on at minimum power. You should not achieve complete thawing in the treated area: move sweepingly over the entire area and periodically turn the layer over.
In any case, quick defrosting somewhat spoils the final result. It’s better not to hide the dough in the freezer at all: it just doesn’t spoil in the refrigerator for two days.
Do not refreeze the dough under any circumstances - it will no longer be useful.
Modern housewives often don’t have time to tinker with dough, but want to cook something tasty after work. This is where store-bought puff pastry comes to the rescue. But it is always frozen, so you need to know how to quickly and correctly defrost puff pastry.
Instructions
1 If you have 10 hours left, then you just need to put the dough in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. There it will completely defrost in 10 hours.
2 You can reduce the defrosting time to 3-4 hours if you defrost the dough at room temperature. To do this, you need to take it out of the package, put it on a plate and leave it like that.
3 And if you really don’t have time to wait, you can defrost the puff pastry in the microwave. To do this, you need to put the dough there and turn on the microwave in the “defrost” mode. If your oven does not have such a function, just set the power to 80 watts. Turn the dough constantly and do not let it get too hot.
4 For those who do not have a microwave oven, there is another option for quickly defrosting the dough. Wrap the dough in a plastic bag and place it in warm water.
Of course, the most optimal defrosting methods that do not affect the quality of the dough are defrosting at room temperature or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use the microwave and warm water only as a last resort.
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