How to freeze bread at home in the freezer

Why is bread frozen?

If you have a small family, and the purchased loaf or long loaf is not eaten immediately, then freezing is the best way out. Just do this right away, without waiting for the bread to go stale.

By the way, large supermarkets have long practiced finishing frozen semi-finished bread products within the walls of the store. This bread, baked 80% until done, can be stored in the freezer for a very long time, and if necessary, it is sent to the oven to finally complete the cooking process. Buyers respond to the smell of fresh baked goods by purchasing more goods. What a marketing ploy!

Rules for freezing bread

It is important to remember that after defrosting the bread will be exactly the same as when you put it in the freezer. That is, if you put in fresh bread, then after defrosting the loaf will also remain fresh. If you used already dried bread, then the freezing will be tough and not tasty.

Do not put hot bread into the freezer! It will quickly become covered with frost and will be damp after defrosting.

If your family is large and you can eat a whole loaf of bread during the day, then you don’t need to cut the bread before freezing. A loaf of bread is wrapped in a plastic bag, as much air is removed as possible and sent to the cold. Some people use paper bags for freezing in which the bread was purchased at the store. I do not recommend doing this, since in such containers the product easily absorbs extraneous odors from food stored in your freezer.

The best way to freeze is to cut the loaf into slices. As in the previous case, the bread is placed in bags or wrapped in several layers of cling film. It is advisable to place the number of pieces in one bag for one use.

Frozen bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.

How to defrost bread

There are several ways to defrost bread:

• If the whole loaf was frozen, you will have to take it out of the cold, unwrap the film or bag, and let it thaw for several hours. Typically, whole frozen bread will thaw within 4 hours.
• If freezing was carried out in pieces, then you need to get only the part that is needed for one meal. The bread slices can be laid out on a flat surface and allowed to thaw for about 20 minutes.

• To save time, defrosting bread can be done in the oven. To do this, place the pieces on a wire rack or place them on a baking sheet, set the temperature to 200 °C and leave the bread in the oven for 5 minutes.
• To get pieces with a crispy crust, keep the bread in the oven for 20 minutes. But don’t forget to grease the crust with water first, otherwise the loaf will simply dry out.

• You can use a frying pan to defrost. The pieces are placed on it without adding oil and heated over low heat for several minutes.
• A great way to defrost is in a toaster. After using it, the pieces will acquire a golden crispy crust.

• Some housewives recommend using a double boiler, but with this method the bread will be saturated with excess moisture and will be soggy.

Now you know how to properly freeze and defrost fresh bread. Choose the option that suits you.

See the video from Marmalade Fox - BREAD WILL BE FRESH FOR WEEKS! How to store bread - the Marmeladnaya method