erpp,
What you are asking for is a tall order, especially for one who is making complete pizzas for the first time and with a new dough recipe.
It is possible to par-bake a crust and then add sauce, cheese and toppings, and then freeze, but that approach is not one that works particularly well. The approach that is generally considered to be the best approach at this time, according to Tom Lehmann, a dough expert at the American Institute of Baking, is to make a dough skin using yeast and also a product known as WRISE, dress the skin, and freeze it. WRISE is an encapsulated leavening system sold only to professionals, so that may not be an option available to you. However, if you wish to get a better understanding of some of the challenges in making frozen pizzas, I suggest that you go to
http://www.pizzaradio.com/Index.php?paged=2 and listen to the Tom Lehmann House Calls audio segment dated August 30, 2006 (
http://www.pizzaradio.com/?cat=4&paged=8).
Another possibility is to make a dough skin, freeze it, and then dress and freeze the entire pizza. However, that is an approach that I do not recommend because I don’t believe it will meet the quality requirements you specified in your post. The closest approximation to a supermarket “DiGiorno” crust is the WRISE approach mentioned above.
I personally think the best way to go may be to make par-baked crusts and store them until you are ready to dress them and finish the baking. The par-baked crusts, once allowed to cool, can remain at room temperature for about 3 days, or they can be refrigerated or frozen for a longer period. To give you an idea of how a par-baked crust is made in a home environment, you may want to take a look at Reply 129 at
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,576.msg10061.html#msg10061. I have no idea of whether your dough formulation can be used to make a similar par-baked product.
I have read that one can also take a par-baked crust, dress it, and freeze it to be later baked like a typical frozen pizza. I have never done this so I can't tell you what the disadvantages are, if any. However, it is usually suggested that veggies and other high-moisture toppings be kept at a minimum.
It is also possible to make frozen dough balls, defrost them when ready to use, shape them and dress and bake. That’s a less convenient approach and comes with its own set of shortcomings. However, if you would like more information on frozen dough balls, I can lead you to some posts on that subject to read.
Maybe others with greater experience and success than I in making frozen pizza products can offer some suggestions of possible value to you.
Good luck.
Peter
