Can the Dough be frozen?

If Mexican cuisine is a favorite in your home, making fresh, homemade tortillas and other corn dough products may be a standard practice.

The batter can be whipped up in seconds, so it doesn’t necessarily benefit from batch cooking, but over time, you’ll probably make more batter than you need and be at a loss for what to do with the rest.

Can the dough be frozen? Yes, the dough can be frozen very effectively for 3-6 months depending on whether it is pre-formed or not. The dough will cool down easily once thawed for use.

This article will answer all of your questions about the dough, including detailed instructions on how to freeze the prepared dough and some other storage options as well.

What is the mass?

Dough is a staple of Latin American cuisine. It is a type of dough made from corn that is used to make everything from corn tortillas to fruit-filled dessert tamales.

This virtually instant dough is incredibly versatile, quick to make, and has a slightly sweet flavor that’s undeniably corny.

You can make masa in seconds simply by mixing masa harina (a cornmeal) with water, or you can often find masa preparada, masa preparada, in Mexican grocery stores.

However, there are different ways to prepare the dough, so check the ingredient list or the label to make sure you’re buying the type of dough you want.

For tortillas, the dough is made with just flour and water, or sometimes broth. For tamales, however, lard is also added to increase the fluffiness of the dough.

Tamales dough is generally not suitable for vegans unless specifically stated. Of course, if you do it yourself, you have more control.

nixtamalization

Nixtamalization is the process of treating corn with calcium hydroxide, or lime.

Rather than simply grinding the dried corn kernels, they are first boiled and soaked in lime water. The corn is then thoroughly washed to remove lime and corn husks. Then it is left to dry again to grind it.

Nixtamalization makes the corn easier for your body to digest, as the nutrients are easier to absorb once the husk is removed. It also increases the niacin content to better balance the nutritional profile.

After nixtamalization, the grain is now called nixtamal and has many whole uses. Once ground, the fine flour called masa harina is created, which can be instantly reconstituted with water to make the dough, or massa.

How long does the dough last?

Once you have made the dough, you should use it immediately or store it carefully. Corn dough goes bad relatively quickly if you’re not careful.

In your fridge, the dough will last up to 3 days. Beyond that, it’s more likely to go bad or be too dry to handle and cook properly.

Dough that has gone bad may develop visible signs of mold or may start to turn sour, which is very different from sour dough by the way, sourdough.

How to preserve sourdough

To keep the dough fresh for as long as possible, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in your fridge. The cold will protect it from the appearance of mold and the double hermetic closure will help prevent it from drying out.

Can you freeze the dough?

If you prefer to make your dough ahead of time, you can easily freeze it without compromising quality. As long as it’s carefully packaged, the dough will stay fresh in your freezer for 3 to 6 months.

Beyond that, the quality and flavor will start to deteriorate. In addition to not being as flavorful, the dough can be prone to breaking and crumbling, making it more difficult to handle and cook.

It’s always a good idea to label the packets of dough in your freezer with the dates they were frozen, so you know when to use them.

How to freeze the dough

You have two main options when it comes to freezing the dough.

You can shape it and prepare it to make tortillas or masa for tamales, depending on your future use, or you can freeze the masa as is, which is less reliable but still quite effective.

1. Shape the dough

If you know that you are going to use your dough to make tortillas, it is best to press the dough before freezing it.

Separate each shaped tortilla using plastic wrap or parchment paper, then carefully stack inside an appropriately sized freezer bag.

If you are going to make tamales, meatballs, or are going to use the dough for another purpose, it is best to prepare your pieces and freeze them uncooked.

Freeze each one individually by spreading them out on a cookie sheet and, once well frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container to store them for longer.

The pre-shaped dough will last up to 6 months.

2. Freeze the shapeless dough

If you’re not sure how you’re going to use your dough, you can freeze the entire dumpling by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then placing it in a freezer-safe bag or container.

The freezing process will break down some of the structure of the dough, making it somewhat more difficult to handle and shape when thawed. It should be used within a maximum period of 3 months to avoid as much difficulty as possible.

How to thaw frozen dough

If you’ve made entire meals like empanadas with your dough, they can often be cooked straight from the freezer or thawed in the fridge overnight.

The tortillas will defrost very quickly if you leave them sealed on your counter at room temperature. They will usually be ready to use within 1 hour.

If you’ve frozen a dumpling, it’s best to let it thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also substitute a fresh, damp towel for the plastic wrap and let it thaw on your counter, which can take up to 3 hours depending on the size of the dough.

What is Masa Harina?

Masa Harina is the flour used to make the dough. The exact translation from Spanish is “harina de masa” and most packages additionally label the products as instant corn masa.

Most masa harina is made with yellow corn, which may be labeled Amarillo in Spanish, although specialty brands may also offer white or even blue corn varieties.

How long does masa flour last?

Commercially produced masa flour will keep fresh for up to 1 year if stored in an airtight container in a dry place and away from direct light or exposure to wide temperature fluctuations.

It is very susceptible to moisture, so you need to be very sure that the container is secure and airtight.

It is not a good idea to keep masa harina in the fridge, as there is a much higher chance of it being exposed to moisture and spoiling.

Can cornmeal be frozen?

You can freeze the masa harina as long as it remains tightly sealed against moisture.

Many people choose to do this, not so much to extend the life of their cornmeal, but to protect it from pantry weevils and other opportunistic critters.

If you have purchased multiple packages of cornmeal, you can freeze the extras before opening. Once the original package has been opened, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag and make sure it is perfectly sealed.

You’ll also need to be careful that the bags aren’t punctured by anything else in your freezer, so placing them inside a sturdy container is a great option.

Related questions

Is the dough cornmeal?

Masa is similar to cornmeal in that both are made from corn, but they are not identical or exactly interchangeable.

Cornmeal, like cornmeal, is simply ground corn kernels. The coarseness of the grind dictates whether it is flour or flour, flour being a much finer powder.

Instead, masa is made with ground corn kernels that have been soaked in lime (calcium hydroxide). It is only ground after having been properly treated and resected.

What is done with the dough?

Traditionally, the dough is mainly used to make corn tortillas and tamales.

It can also be used for many other Latin American favorites, such as atoles, pastels de masa, emempanas, gorditas, sopes, and pupusas.

It can also be used to make the popular southern-style grits.

Masa harina is a reasonable substitute for cornmeal in any style of cooking, although it does have a stronger corn flavor. In many cases, you can also use the masa as a substitute for cornmeal, but it has a finer texture, so not all recipes will have the same, or just right, consistency.

The dough can even give a very unique and pleasant flavor to desserts, although if you want to try it, it is a good idea to combine your masa harina with at least 50% of the whole wheat or whole wheat flour called for in your recipe.

Can you make cornbread with dough?

You can make cornbread with dough, but it won’t be quite the same as the southern-style bread that many people are used to. Masa, or more specifically masa harina, is not as thick as cornmeal and also has a stronger corn flavor.