Can You Freeze Pastry?

If you’re a keen home baker, then chances are that you like the idea of always having some of your favourite pastry on hand, be it filo, puff, or shortcrust.

But making pastry from scratch takes time and effort, leading to the question – can you make it ahead of time and freeze it?

How to Freeze Pastry

As you well know, there are multiple types of pastry. Below, we have explained how to freeze the 3 most popular pastry varieties: Filo, puff and shortcrust:

How to Freeze Filo Pastry

Let’s start with the most delicate type of pastry – filo. Although it’s quite tricky to work with, filo pastry freezes really well if you follow the steps listed below:

1. Fold and Wrap
   Once you have prepared your filo pastry as you ordinarily would, sprinkle it with a dusting of flour and fold it. You will then need to wrap some cling film around the pastry several times so it’s tightly wrapped and protected from freezer burn. 
2. Bag up and Label
   Add your wrapped filo pastry to a suitably sized freezer-safe bag and label it. You will need to write the date you prepared, as well as the use-by date on the bag. 
3. Freeze
   Once tightly wrapped, you can place your filo pastry in the freezer for up to one month.

How to Freeze Puff Pastry

Frankly, the process of freezing puff pastry is nigh on identical to the process of freezing filo pastry.

Again, make sure you handle it carefully and wrap it extremely well to protect it from freezer burn, and you’re all set to label it and place it in the freezer.

One difference is that puff pastry can be frozen for up to three months, providing it’s tightly wrapped.

How to Freeze Shortcrust Pastry

Freezing shortcrust pastry is straightforward, but you need to shape it before you freeze it, as we explain in the steps below:

1. Shape Pastry
   Once you have prepared your shortcrust pastry, roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disc shape. You can then wrap the individual discs, as this will make your life a lot easier when it comes to thawing and using the pastry for a second time.
2. Wrap
   You will then need to wrap some cling film around the shortcrust pastry several times so it’s tightly wrapped and protected from freezer burn. 
3. Bag up and Label
   Add your wrapped shortcrust pastry to a suitably sized freezer-safe bag and label it. You will need to write the date you prepared, as well as the use-by date on the bag. 
4. Freeze
   Once tightly wrapped, you can place your shortcrust pastry in the freezer for up to one month.

3 Tips for Freezing Pastry

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing pastry to have the best results:

Protect it Well
The most important piece of advice when it comes to freezing any type of pastry is that you need to protect it from freezer burn. If you let too much air in and around the pastry while it’s in the freezer, its texture will be significantly impacted, and not in a good way.

As such, make sure you double wrap your pastry before bagging it up and placing it in the freezer. 

Only Freeze it Once
You should only ever freeze pastry once. This is because you will find that pastry that has been frozen more than once won’t rise particularly well, which will, of course, affect the quality of your baked dish once it has been cooked. 

Pastry Freezes Better Once Cooked
You will find that filo, puff, and shortcrust pastry all freeze better once it has been cooked and can be kept in the freezer for 3+ months. If you’re concerned about the quality of your pastry when freezing it as dough, consider baking it first. 

How Long Can You Freeze Pastry?

You can freeze pastry anywhere between one and three months.

Filo and shortcrust pastry should really only be frozen for one month, as they’re particularly delicate and don’t freeze as well as puff. Puff pastry, on the other hand, can be frozen for up to three months.

If you cook your pastry in advance of freezing it, you will find that it should be good in the freezer for more than three months, providing you have wrapped it tightly and protected it from freezer burn.

You Can Freeze Pastry for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Pastry?

Whether you’re defrosting filo, puff, or shortcrust pastry, you will need to follow the same process. The night before you plan to bake with your pastry, remove it from the freezer and allow it sufficient time to thaw in the fridge.

You can then remove it and shape it in any way that you choose once it has thawed.

You should never leave your pastry to stand at room temperature overnight, but it’s a good idea to let it rest for around one hour after it has thawed completely in the fridge, as this will help you shape it. We would also avoid defrosting pastry in the microwave.

Can You Refreeze Pastry?

No, we wouldn’t recommend refreezing pastry. This is mainly because the crystals that form during the freezing process can affect the texture of the pastry, and therefore the quality of your baked goods in the future.

If you’re working with a particularly large batch of pastry, then we’d suggest splitting it up into individual portions before freezing it, as this will make it easier to remove whatever you need at any given time.

Does Pastry Freeze Well?

Pastry freezes reasonably well, providing you follow the steps listed above. Filo and shortcrust are more delicate than puff pastry and should only really be frozen for one month. But providing you wrap your pastry well and protect it from freezer burn, you shouldn’t encounter any issues when it comes to freezing it.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing pastry or pastry in general, then these may help: