How To Freeze Bread
Learn how to freeze bread so you can reduce food waste and have bread on hand at all times. Bread freezes so well. Once you start freezing bread, you’ll be doing it with lots of baked goods.
Freezing bread is a game-changer. Whether you’re a baking enthusiast with too many loaves on your hands or someone who loves having bread on hand ready to go, freezing bread is so convenient. Freezing bread not only helps reduce food waste (which is my favorite part) but also ensures you have delicious, almost-fresh bread at your fingertips whenever you need it.
You can freeze an entire loaf of bread. It will stay fresh longer this way, but then you have to thaw the whole loaf. You can also freeze sliced bread and it’s so nice to be able to take out as many slices as you need. Just pop it in the toaster right out of the freezer.
Freezing bread pauses the aging process, locking in moisture and taste until you’re ready to enjoy it. It’s perfect for extending the life of specialty bread, saving those extra loaves from your baking spree, or simply keeping your favorite bread on hand without frequent trips to the store or bakery.
How to Freeze Bread
Let’s dive into the best practices for freezing bread, ensuring its freshness and flavor are preserved.
- Place the bread in the freezer while it is still fresh.
- If you know that you aren’t likely to eat the entire loaf of bread in the next few days, place half of it in the freezer right away, whether you’re bringing it from the store or baking it yourself.
- You can freeze a whole loaf of bread or freeze sliced bread.
- Store the bread in the original packaging or a freezer ziplock bag or vacuum seal it for longer storage.
- If you plan on eating the bread within a month, you can just keep it in a plastic bag, but if you want to store it longer than that, use a freezer ziplock bag or vacuum seal it.
- The bread will stay fresh for 1-3 months in a freezer ziplock bag or 6 months – 1 year if vacuum sealed.
How to Thaw Bread
Thawing a Whole Loaf of Bread
- Remove the bread from the freezer.
- Defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- I like to take the bread out of the package and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. It will protect the bread from drying out AND absorb any condensation from the bread as it is thawing. If you leave it in the bag, the bread will sometimes get soggy from the condensation.
- Store bread that you thawed in the refrigerator.
Thawing Sliced Bread
I love the convenience of frozen sliced bread. You can take out just one slice of bread as needed or take out the whole loaf, depending on what you want that day. If you’re just taking out a slice of bread, it thaws really quickly. If you want to thaw the whole loaf, do the same as above.
Reheating Frozen Bread
If you want warm bread, you can place it into the oven right out of the freezer, but it will take longer to reheat (obviously) but it may also reheat unevenly.
Reheating a Whole Loaf of Frozen Bread:
I recommend thawing it at least half way and then reheating.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the bread on a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Reheat for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your bread.
Reheating Sliced Frozen Bread:
- This is the easiest for sure! Just pop the bread in a toaster or a toaster oven until heated through or toasted to your preference.
