Frozen dough
The frozen dough is dough that have been frozen in order to decouple the dough preparation and baking processes of breadmaking. The frozen dough is used for home baking and by small bakeries, especially the supermarket deli ones, due to the simplicity of baking using the pre-made dough, especially for more complicated products. The storage time for frozen dough is limited, although it is constantly increasing due to the improvements in manufacturing. As of 2013, the 16 weeks storage time was typical.
History
The commercial manufacturing of frozen dough started in 1945, but the initial attempts to freeze the dough resulted in subpar performance. Improvements to ingredients as well as freezing, thawing and proofing techniques reduced the two primary causes of the deterioration: the damage to cell membranes of the leavening microorganisms and the collapse of the carbon dioxide bubbles inside the dough due to the higher solubility of this gas at low temperatures.Manufacturing
To preserve the yeast during freezing, yeast manufacturers produce special cold-resistant strains. The process typically avoids the use of dehydrated yeast in favor of cream or crumble preparations to protect the cell membrane health. The flash freeze is performed quickly after forming of dough to reduce the size of the bubbles. Storage at constant temperatures in the range of -18 to -23 avoids damage that can be caused by thaw-refreeze cycles.The formulation of the frozen dough often includes strengtheners like SSL and DATEM. The autolysis of yeast that dies off while in storage releases glutathione, so oxidants, like potassium bromate, and ascorbic acid are added in significant amounts. Many countries do not permit the use of potassium bromate, leaving lipoxygenase enzymes as the only practical alternative in the beginning of the 21st century.