How long can you let pizza dough rise?

Pizza dough is so easy to make at home, it only takes 15 minutes and then the rest of the time is spent letting it rise and double in size. But sometimes life gets in the way and you have to let the dough rest for longer than you anticipated, how long is too long?

Depending on the temperature of your home, the dough will take 30 minutes to 1 hour to double in size. Once doubled in size, it's best to cook your pizzas or place the dough in the fridge to slow down the process. If you let the pizza dough rest for too long, 

Once you've made your pizza dough, you can place it in the fridge and let it rise overnight for up to 24 hours. Take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before you intend on using it to let it come to room temperature. This way, you can make your pizza dough the day before. This is great for entertaining.

Pizza dough that has been left to rise for too long, or has been over-proofed, can potentially collapse. The gluten becomes overly relaxed, and the end product will be gummy or crumbly instead of crisp and fluffy. It can also effect the taste, because the sugars in the dough have been consumed by the yeast it can have a sour or off taste.

Now you know how long to let pizza dough rise, get cooking with these recipes! From classic pizzas to monkey bread and scrolls, there's something for every occasion.