Can the bread be frozen? How long does it last in the freezer?
If you take a long time to finish a loaf of bread, it’s likely to go stale or even moldy quite often. Fortunately, you can freeze the bread to prevent that from happening.
It only takes a few minutes of work and something to wrap the bread in, such as a freezer bag, plastic wrap, or freezer paper.
Are you interested in freezing your leftover bread? If so, keep reading.
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| The instructions that follow apply to both store-bought and homemade bread. It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring home cook or buy yours at a bakery or grocery store, we’ve got you covered. |
Can the bread be frozen? Advantages and disadvantages
Before moving on to the freezing method, let’s briefly touch on the pros and cons.
There are many pros, such as
- your bread doesn’t go stale (here’s how long bread lasts in the fridge) and you don’t have to worry about finding it moldy the next morning
- you can buy a couple of loaves at a time, and leave one on the counter and freeze the rest (I always do this because I only go to my favorite bakery once a week)
- Having some extra bread in the freezer means you don’t have to worry about running out of bread or running to the bakery first thing in the morning
As for the cons, some people complain about its freshness, but everyone who freezes bread regularly (that I know of) never complains about its quality.
| ADVICE |
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| If you’re worried that your frozen and thawed bread won’t taste as good as fresh, give it a try. Freeze a couple slices and see how it goes. You will most likely be happy with the results. |
How long does bread last in the freezer?
Individually wrapped bread retains its quality in the freezer for up to a month. For a longer storage period, like a couple of months, you have to wrap it twice.
Bread easily keeps for 3 months in the freezer, possibly much longer if it’s quality bread that’s well wrapped. The same goes for similar baked goods, like hamburger buns (here’s how to freeze hamburger buns).
Remember that bread never goes bad in the freezer, but after half a year, its quality can be noticeably worse than when you first frozen it.
How to defrost and reheat bread
When defrosting, these are the options I recommend:
- Defrost and reheat the slices with a toaster. It’s simple and only takes a couple of minutes, plus you don’t have to do anything in advance. The bread will take a little longer to defrost and heat up, and you may have to turn the toaster to a higher setting, but that’s about it.
- Defrost slices on the counter. To do this, take the slices out of the freezer about 20 to 30 minutes before you need them. Thaw them spread out and leaning against each other, as if you were building a house of cards. In this way, the area exposed to hot air is the highest, and the slices defrost more quickly.
Truth be told, if you like bread toasts, the first option is all you need. I always opt for this method and I am super happy with how the bread turns out. You can also use a toaster to reheat frozen baguette slices or sliced zucchini bread (if you like them warm).
| ADVICE |
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| If you’ve frozen all the bread, thaw it overnight on the counter. |