If you’re as deep into discovering how to make the perfect pizza as we are, you’re going to experiment with dough. But sometimes you need to know how to tell if pizza dough is bad. Sometimes that means bad as in “failed” and sometimes that means bad is in “don’t eat this!” Let’s look into some of the things you need to know!
Who’s Dough Is It?
Part of knowing when pizza dough is bad is knowing where it comes from when and where it was made? A homemade pizza dough is quite a bit different from fully-made dough from the store, like Trader Joe’s.
And in between that is pizza dough kits like those available from Urban Slicer Pizza Worx, which give a great final home-made pizza product without the worry about measuring.
Depending on the origin of your dough, there are a few things to look for. It starts with understanding how long your dough – and the individual ingredients – can last.
Fully prepared, fresh pizza dough with no preservatives (like you might make yourself from one of our dough recipes) should last well over 3 days in the fridge – typically up to 5. Unless you’re working with a dough intended for long proofing periods (like this recipe), too much extra time will allow the yeast to break down the flour too much and will become easy to tear by day 3.
If you are using a sourdough starter, we have a great article to help you figure out the right ratio for how long you will proof it.
A fully pre-formed pizza dough that’s already in a circle from the grocery store can last much longer. Good pizza dough should be soft, pliable, and easy to work with when you’re ready to start forming your pie. If the dough feels excessively sticky, slimy, or too dry, you might be ordering take out! These kinds of texture changes can occur due to factors like excessive moisture or prolonged exposure to air.
So, How to Tell if Pizza Dough is Bad?
- Check the Expiration Date: If you’re working with anything off the shelf, the first step in assessing the freshness of your pizza dough is to check the expiration date. If the dough is past its expiration date, it’s a strong indicator that it should not be used. This even applies to the individual ingredients like the flour. And just because it’s within the expiry date window, that’s not to say that it’s automatically okay either!
- Visual Inspection: One of the most obvious ways to determine if pizza dough is bad is by visually inspecting it. Some of the more distinct and obvious issues include:
- Mold Growth: Mold growth is a definitive indicator that your pizza dough has spoiled. Even if there are no visible signs of mold on the surface, it’s possible for mold to develop within the dough. To check for hidden mold, tear off a small piece and inspect it closely. If you notice green or black spots, fuzzy growth, or any other abnormal texture, it’s a clear indication of mold contamination.
- Texture and Consistency: The texture and consistency of pizza dough can reveal a lot about its freshness. When fresh, pizza dough is typically soft, elastic, and easy to work with. If the dough feels excessively dry, stiff, or crumbly, it has lost moisture and freshness. Likewise, dough that is overly sticky, slimy, or tacky might have started to over-ferment. Time to give it a sniff…
- Is the Yeast Producing Gas?: As dough ferments, it produces gas due to yeast activity. As shown in the picture above, gas bubbles on the dough are an indication that your dough might be over-fermenting. This is probably still fine, but you might want to cook this pizza on a pan or cookie sheet because it might be quite tricky to launch.
- Smell Test: Your sense of smell can be a powerful tool in detecting spoiled pizza dough. Fresh dough has a mild, yeasty aroma. However, if you detect any sour, rancid, or unpleasant odors, it’s a clear indication that the dough has gone bad. Even sourdough pizza crust shouldn’t trust too sour – left too long, it will smell like alcohol or acetone. Trust your senses and discard any dough that has an off-putting smell.
- Touch It:
- Press Test: Gently press your finger into the dough, and it should spring back slowly when released. If the dough fails to spring back at all or leaves an indentation that isn’t going away at all, it may have expired.
- Stretch Test: Take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. Fresh dough will stretch easily and evenly without tearing. If the dough tears or breaks apart easily, it may be dehydrated and past its prime.
- Don’t Taste It! Just like you shouldn’t eat uncooked flour, you definitely should not eat uncooked dough. If you’re at the point where you’re debating this, you should throw it out and start fresh. Our 30 minute cheater dough might be your last-minute best bet!
The Importance of Good Storage and Handling
Proper storage and handling significantly impact the lifespan of pizza dough. Follow these guidelines to maintain the quality of your dough:
- Refrigeration: Store pizza dough in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly sealed plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss and the growth of bacteria.
- Freezing: To extend the shelf life, you can freeze pizza dough. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap or use freezer-safe bags to prevent freezer burn. I find it best to thaw this over 24 hours in the fridge.
- Use-By Dates: Always check the use-by date on store-bought pizza dough and adhere to it. If homemade dough has been refrigerated for over a week, it’s probably not good.
In Conclusion on How to Tell if Pizza Dough is Bad
How to tell if pizza dough is bad requires careful observation of its appearance, smell, texture, and taste. The signs of spoiled dough include visible mold growth, unusual discoloration, abnormal texture, off-putting odors, and unpleasant tastes.
By employing these methods, you can confidently identify whether your pizza dough is fresh and safe for consumption.
Despite the discouraging thought that you might not be eating pizza tonight after all, it is definitely better to err on the side of caution and discard dough that shows any signs of spoilage to avoid any potential foodborne illnesses. With these guidelines in mind, you can ensure that your pizza-making adventures are always a success!
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.