How to Freeze and Thaw Bread

Few things taste as delicious and satisfying as fresh bread, especially homemade and bakery bread. However, these fresh and homemade loaves often have a short shelf life because they have little or no preservatives added.

If you leave your bread on the counter or pantry in its original packaging, it can go stale in a few days, eventually growing mold if you’re not careful. This is due to exposure to air and moisture (1).

Commercially produced, store-bought breads tend to have preservatives and keep longer at room temperature.

You can preserve freshness by wrapping bread in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and storing it in your breadbox or bread bag. However, you may find that the crust will lose some of its crunchiness.

Freezing bread is one of the best ways to keep bread fresh. It allows you to keep bread for a longer time while preserving its quality and texture.

In fact, you may find that frozen bread that’s been thawed tastes similar to fresh bread.

You may want to freeze bread if you know you won’t eat it all before it goes bad. Also, if you bought or baked too much bread or are planning to use it at a later date, freezing your bread may help you get the most of your bread.

Summary

Bread can go stale quickly, so freezing bread is a great way to preserve it for a longer time.

Here’s how to freeze a loaf of bread, whole or sliced:

1. Wrap bread tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
2. Place in an airtight freezer bag.
3. Seal tightly. Label with date.
4. Store in freezer.

If you are freezing homemade bread, make sure it has cooled completely before freezing it.

If you want another layer of protection against freezer burn, wrap bread in plastic wrap then wrap in aluminum foil (2).

No matter whether you use foil or plastic wrap, as long as you wrap your bread tightly you should be able to extend how long your bread stays fresh.

Freezing methods by type of bread

Some types of bread may require different freezing methods.

To freeze hamburger buns or other sandwich rolls:

1. Place them side by side in a single layer in a freezer bag.
2. Seal tightly. Label with date.
3. Store in freezer.

You’d want to eat these frozen buns within a few weeks. If you want to freeze them for a longer period of time, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer bag.

Wrapping each one individually also prevents them from sticking to each other. So if you have a lot of buns and can’t put them in a single layer in a bag, wrapping each one is the way to go.

You can follow this same technique for muffins, pieces of cornbread, slices of zucchini or banana bread, and bagels. Slice the bagels before freezing so they’re easier to toast.

To freeze flatbreads like pita or naan bread:

1. Keep pita in original packaging or put it in a freezer bag.
2. If you want an extra layer of protection, wrap in aluminum foil.
3. Store in freezer.

You do not have to wrap each individual slice of pita or naan bread before freezing. They don’t tend to stick together in the freezer.

You can use the same freezing method for tortillas. However, it may be worth putting a piece of parchment paper in between each tortilla before freezing. This can prevent sticking and make it easier to use one at a time.

Finally, some breads keep best if they are always kept frozen. Sprouted breads like Ezekiel bread are often sold frozen and recommended to be stored in the freezer. This is because they don’t have many preservatives (3).

Summary

To freeze bread, store it in the appropriate packaging, wrap it tightly in foil, and keep in the freezer.

It’s just as easy to thaw bread as it is to freeze it.

Keep in mind that most frozen breads is typically best when consumed within 3 to 6 months. Bread that’s frozen for longer periods may get freezer burn or lose some taste and texture (4, 5).

To thaw your bread, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for 1 to 3 hours. You can also store your frozen bread in the refrigerator overnight to thaw it slowly. Keep it in its packaging while thawing.

If you want to warm the bread to freshen it up after thawing, heat it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Frozen, sliced bread or bagels can be reheated straight from frozen. Just pop them in the toaster and toast to your desired crispiness.

You can thaw muffins in the microwave for 30 to 90 seconds on high until thawed. Make sure to remove any plastic wrap or packaging before you microwave.

Summary

Virtually all breads can be thawed in the fridge overnight or on the counter in 1 to 3 hours. You can also thaw bread slices by putting them in the toaster directly from frozen.

Freezing bread is easy and helpful, but you may notice some downsides.

For example, frozen bread can develop freezer burn, discoloration, or changes to taste and texture. This usually occurs when your bread’s been stored for longer than 6 months or if it hadn’t been not stored correctly.

Be sure to follow the above instructions for how to wrap bread before freezing it so that it is protected from these issues.

Frozen bread can also be inconvenient if you don’t have time to thaw it and you need to use your bread right away.

Finally, it you may find it difficult to cut loaves of frozen bread. This makes things hard if you’re only trying to eat one slice at a time. To avoid this situation, try slicing your bread before freezing.

Certainly freezing bread has its advantages for preserving your bread. Still, you may find that once you have your bread frozen, it can be a hassle to thaw and eat if you’re short on time.

Summary

Some downsides of frozen bread include difficulty cutting frozen loaves and the time it takes to thaw.

If you want to extend the shelf life of your bread, consider freezing it.

You can freeze your bread by wrapping it in plastic wrap or foil and sealing it in a freezer bag. Depending on the type of bread, you may need to use a different method.

When you’re ready for a slice of bread, grab it from the freezer and thaw!