Homemade pizza dough is the perfect blank canvas. Top it with a simple smear of marinara and mozzarella for a low key lunch, or scatter over some fancy prosciutto and figs for an elevated dinner with friends. Better yet, you can use the same dough to whip up a host of other savory dishes, like stromboli, breadsticks, and garlic knots — or sweet treats such as homemade cinnamon rolls and maple-bourbon monkey bread. But even a versatile staple can go from delicious to malicious in an instant.
Made of a basic mixture of flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water, this forgiving and flexible dough is also affordable — and a breeze to prepare — which is why it’s such an incredible meal prep-able treasure. However, if you’ve made a super-big batch of the stuff for later in the week, be aware that it can spoil even when stored in the fridge. Pizza dough is a perishable food that typically lasts for about five days when chilled, but it can go rancid if improperly refrigerated or poorly covered. For this reason, it always pays to double-check that it hasn’t gone off before you start assembling your toppings. There are four red flags that indicate if your pizza dough has gone bad; It’s smell, appearance, texture, and the potential presence of mold.
Your pizza dough smells sour and boozy
Ever removed your pizza dough from the fridge and found that it smells a little funky? While it should have a mellow, yeasty aroma, it shouldn’t have a sharp, almost alcohol-like stench. If your dough smells overtly sour, it’s likely that it’s gone bad and should be discarded.
To understand why this smell occurs, let’s hone in on a little baking science. Yeast is a living organism that feeds on carbohydrates in flour, breaking it down into the sugars and carbon dioxide that produce those much-wanted air bubbles in proofed dough, whether it be for a brioche or a sandwich loaf. This fermentation process also produces alcohol as a byproduct, which is why your pizza dough can smell sour. This tang gives pizza crust its complex flavor. However, a pungent sour smell is a sign that your dough has over-fermented and been contaminated with bacteria.
You can make an easy no-yeast pizza dough if you prefer, which would eliminate the over-fermentation issue and that unpleasant, sour smell. As this variety of quick dough uses fast-acting baking powder as a raising agent it doesn’t require a lengthy proving period. The rich and buttery flavor that’s normally produced via fermentation comes from a glug of olive oil.
Your pizza dough is discolored on the surface
Unless you’ve enhanced the flavor of your pizza dough with green herbs, red chili flakes, or vivid spices, it should have a white or creamy color once it’s kneaded and proofed. If you can see any gray discoloration on the surface, this is a sign that it’s started to go off. This change in color can be attributed to the beginnings of mold growth. However, if you’ve defrosted your dough from frozen, some discoloration could be a result of freezer burn. It’s safe to eat foods with freezer burn but any white patches on the surface of your dough could affect its flavor and texture.
The best flour for homemade pizza dough is one that has a high protein content, such as bread flour, as it lends structure and chewiness to a crust as it bakes. But if you’ve used a rye or whole grain flour in your pizza dough to boost its fiber content, bear in mind that it may have a speckled appearance anyway even when made fresh. Unsure if the discoloration on the surface is a red flag or just the character of the flour itself? Look for other tells to confirm your suspicions, such as a sour smell or slimy exterior.
Your pizza dough has a slimy or hard texture
At room temperature, your pizza dough should feel soft and flexible in your hands. If you remove it directly from the fridge, it will have a slightly firmer texture but it shouldn’t be hard or have any crusty areas on the surface if you take the proper care to wrap it fully in plastic or place it in a lidded container prior to chilling. It may have developed a thin crust if the cold air in the fridge has managed to get to it, but you can simply peel this layer off and roll it out as normal (Applying a touch of oil to your dough can help it to stay moist and prevent it from drying out). Alternatively, try spraying it with some water to rehydrate it.
However, if your dough has become very hard or has a sliminess to its surface when you touch it, it has likely gone bad. This sticky, slithery substance is a sign that bacteria has started to grow in your dough, which can cause illness if ingested. In this case, it’s best to toss it out.
Your pizza dough is covered in mold
Now, this is the easiest red flag to spot. If your dough has developed mold on the surface, it has definitely gone bad. There’s no middle ground here so you must throw it out. Just be wary that not all mold presents itself as green. Some types of mold can also appear gray, black, or off-white, and have a fuzzy texture.
Mold grows in moist environments and develops on the surface of pizza dough. But fungal spores can run deep inside so it’s not worth just removing the moldy bits — particularly if you’re serving it to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, those with a weakened immune system, or someone who might be pregnant. If you consume moldy pizza dough, you run the risk of developing gastrointestinal issues due to the presence of mycotoxins, or toxic mold. You’re better off making a fresh batch or whipping up a pizza dough of self-rising flour and Greek yogurt that can be rolled out almost instantly after a quick knead and a couple of minutes of rest. Once you give your pizza dough the all-clear, you can get to the fun part: Eating it.
