Store the dough in the refrigerator after the first rise. Let it rise again on the counter when you pull it out of the refrigerator. [2] X Research source If the recipe only calls for one rise, place the dough in the fridge after you knead it. The dough will slowly rise in the fridge, so punch it down a few times in the first couple of hours.
To thaw, set a disc on your counter. Let it thaw out, and then place it in a covered bowl to let it rise. Punch the dough down, and shape it how you’d like. Let it rise again before baking it.
The plastic wrap helps keep the dough from forming a skin on the surface.
Pinch the dough off and gently shape it into a ball. You may need to lightly flour your hands if the dough is sticky.
The dough needs a very thin coating of oil.
To thaw, set it on the counter for about 30 minutes.
Some doughs, such as sugar cookie doughs, need to be chilled for a set time to make forming the cookies easier, though you can still store the dough even if it doesn’t have that requirement.
If the dough has a chill stage, you don’t need to complete that step before placing it in the freezer. Cookie dough lasts about half a year in the freezer.
You don’t even need to thaw this dough; just bake the cookies from frozen with a couple of extra minutes added to the baking time.
Place the disc into a zip-top bag, and squeeze out any air before freezing. Let these doughs thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter until they soften enough to roll out. They’ll soften overnight in the fridge and within 1-2 hours on the counter, depending on how thick they are.
Roll these into the log shape, and then wrap them up in wax paper. Store them in large zip-top bags. You can slice these when they are mostly frozen, but let them thaw out a few minutes so they don’t crumble.
