Freezing Dough

It IS possible to freeze dough, however, it is best to use frozen dough within about a week while the yeast is still good and fresh. For this I go ahead and shape the dough into the finished shape (rolls/buns/cinnamon rolls/etc.) and freeze on baking sheets, then transfer to a bag. The exception to that would be a loaf which I typically leave in the pan. If you cannot spare your loaf pan for a few days you could line it with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Once the dough is frozen, you may remove it from the loaf pan and store the foil wrapped dough in a freezer bag.

When it's time to thaw and bake your rolls or loaf the timing is the big question mark when it comes to how long it will take for them to thaw and rise to doubled in size. This uncertainty is why I prefer to go ahead and rise and bake extras over freezing dough for later.

There's a notable exception to this preference though that I learned from Sue Becker. She annually makes Cinnamon Rolls a few days before Christmas and freezes the raw cinnamon rolls in the pans before they begin to rise. On Christmas Eve she puts them out on the counter (at bedtime) to thaw and rise overnight. She rises early and puts them in the oven; the family wakes to the wonderful smell of cinnamon rolls baking.