How do you freeze bread?

laura_al (zone 10; sunset 24) Santa Barb

19 years ago

We just had a cookout and had a ton of buns left over. Before I resorted to passing them out to all the neighbors, I thought I'd ask the experts...would you freeze them? And how?

Thanks,

Laura

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Comments (21)

jasper_austin
19 years ago
I have always just tossed bread in the freezer in its wrapper.
RockingG474
19 years ago
Laura -
I buy all my bread, buns etc. cheap at the bakery outlet and just throw them into the freezer in their store wrappers. No special attention and I've always found them to be fresh and soft when unthawed.

Tami in Michigan
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The science behind the staling of bread is really interesting to study. You need to choose the right ingredients, don't over-bake the bread, and to choose the correct type of wrapping to help keep breads "fresh" longer than 2-3 days. Moisture changes in the loaf after it cools, and that contributes to staling through evaporation and moisture redistribution. If you leave your loaves unwrapped, you will quickly see a 10% weight loss, but usually less than 1% in tightly-wrapped bread. So how quickly you package your loaves after they are cool, and what you package them in can affect it's "freshness". Choose a close wrap - such as plastic wrap or a tight-fitting plastic bag, rather than a loose-fitting plastic bag. If you reuse plastic bags for your bread storage, make sure they are sprayed with a bleach/water solution (1-quart water and 1 t. bleach) to kill any mold spores on the bag surface. Adding coconut oil to your bread will also aid in preventing mold longer than using vegetable oil or butter, as well as using honey and agave nectar instead of sugar. When bread is wrapped loosely in a plastic bag, the moisture from the crumb of the bread quickly migrates through the crust and then into the air in the bag. Even more so if the bread has one end sliced, or if you slice the entire loaf. I only slice bread as needed so it stays fresh longer. The moisture level in the crust increases from about 12 to 28% when stored in a loose-fitting plastic bag, such as a zip-lock bag which is much larger than the loaf of bread. The worst place to store bread is in the refrigerator. In one scientific experiment I have in my files on the subject, refrigerated bread staled as much in one day as bread held at 86°F did in six. Because of the ingredients I use, methods of making and proper storage of the bread, the 100% whole wheat bread recipe I make will stay fresh enough for a peanut butter sandwich after 7 days. We typically use one 1-pound loaf of bread a week. Those ingredients that aid in preventing staling and mold are agave nectar (or honey), coconut oil, and a mixture of chia seeds and water. Chia seeds hold moisture in the crumb of the bread. I also use an overnight sponge method to make the bread, make sure the dough is well-hydrated, use a long, cool, slow rise, and make sure I don't over-bake the bread. If you choose to make lean breads, they begin to stale within 2 hours of baking, which is why fat-free loaves like Italian or French breads stale so quickly. Fats slow staling by improving the loaf volume. -Sweeteners slow staling directly by retaining moisture. The better choices for sweeteners are honey and agave nectar, especially if you are going to freeze the bread. -Use emulsifiers, such as egg yolks or lecithin. Choose breads that are good keepers to begin with. -panettone -breads made with starters (acidic doughs) -breads prepared with cold slow rises -breads that include moist cooked grains (wheat, rice, etc.) or fruit (such as raisins or currants). -breads containing dairy products, potato, potato starch, mashed potato or other mashed cooked vegetable, potato water, eggs, oatmeal (dry or cooked), etc. -well-hydrated (moist) doughs - Slack doughs, along with optimum proofing and oven temperatures, maximize absorption and reduce staling. It's better to err on the side of a wet dough. If your dough is dry and you over-bake the loaf, this contributes to breads quickly drying out and going stale. Bake most panned loaves of bread to an internal temperature between 195-205°F. The higher the temperature, the dryer the loaf will be. Some of the more interesting aspects of staling breads... -Unwrapped bread looses moisture and flavor faster, but retains crumb texture. If you use a loaf of bread quickly, just up-end the cut side on a cutting board and cover the loaf with a cotton towel. This method is often used by people because they like the improved crumb texture from using this method. -Wrapped bread stays softer (especially if you wrap the bread while it's still slightly warm) and tastes better (especially when wrapped after the loaf is completely cool), but the crust softens faster. -The crumb firms fastest at low temperatures between 20-50°F, which are refrigerator temperatures. -High storage temperatures (above 95°F) affect color and flavor. -Optimum storage temperature for bread is 70-95°F. -Freezing at 0° to -20°F has the effect of about one day's storage time, but cold storage effectively stops all other aspects of staling IF the bread is tightly wrapped in one or two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Tight wrapping is necessary to keep the moisture in the crumb from migrating through the crust, creating ice crystals which are found when bread is stored in a loose-fitting bag in the freezer. -You can re-gelatinize the starches in stale bread by spritzing a slice with a fine mist spritzer (often used for plants) mist the slice with water. Warm the slice/s in a toaster for a moment or two. You can only use this method once. If you want to re-gelatinize a whole loaf, or a portion of an unsliced loaf, wrap it in foil and bake it for 10-20 minutes at 300-350°F. But you will need to use it quickly. -Grainlady
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To be clear, I don't parchment every slice, lol. OCD much. One certain bread we get from a bakery is pre-sliced super thin. At the check-out counter where they ask 'thin, thick, or not'. It is still warm as they allow you to go back into the bakery cavern where bread is on racks still warm. The bagels roll out onto a rolling traveling belt like a carnival game. So hot and have to grab them quickly for your provided paper bag. Also plastic glove boxes are on a table with various paper bag sizes. RocklandBakery. A NY institution here. I don't visit that often but take house guests. We make our own breads. And don't really eat that much bread. We always buy too much at the bakery especially taking house guests with big eyes...it has to be frozen. (they supply all over to Manhattan restaurants). Their pumpernickel is moist, soft, yet dense. Not like grocery bread soft. In a hurry i sometimes have to use a double bread bag, parchment every sixth slice so when i take it out frozen solid, a tap on the edge of the counter it will split at the parchment point. Rest goes back into the freezer. It never gets soggy. I have tossed out lost bread in the freezer if in too long. Best to date it and have a good rotation. No bringing back frost burned bread.
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wanda1101
19 years ago
If you have a ton of bread left, you will lengthen the time you can freeze it if it's sort of vacuum sealed. Unless you have a sealer, just freeze on a cookie sheet until solid then place in freezer bags. Seal the bag with a straw in the zipper and suck out the air. I'm really not kidding. When the bag is air free, you never get freezer burn.

Even when I'm not vacuum sealing, I always loose freeze on a cookie sheet first. That way you can remove 1 or 10 rolls - whatever you want - because they're not stuck together.
kathy547
19 years ago
My husband works for a major bread company & I work for him. Sometimes he forgets to bring home any bread or buns; other times I have lots to freeze. I just stick everything in the freezer as is. I have noticed that sometimes when I allow it to thaw before using it, it's as fresh as when I put it in the freezer but other times it's hard on top. I think buns & wheat bread do better than white bread.
lindac
19 years ago
If you wrap it in foil that will keep the bread from losing moisture and keep it fresh longer.
Even plastic bags allow moisture loss....particularly supermarket bread bags. That's why your bread is sometimes hard on the top.
Linda C
ann_t
19 years ago
I bake bread a couple of times a week, 3 or 4 loaves at a time. When the bread has cooled I wrap it in papertowels and then place it in freezer bags. I find that the papertowels absorb any moisture and the bread doesn't get damp when it is defrosted.

Ann.
Kevin_S
18 years ago
I freeze bread regularly. Double used bread bags, suck all the extra air out, in the deep freeze........for homemade bread. The store bought stuff is just thrown in as it comes from the store. It will last a month or better with no freezer burn. When you thaw it, it'll be fine. Try it.
Terrapots
18 years ago
White rolls dry pretty fast in the freezer. I wiould vacuum or wrap in foil to keep them moist. Always freeze before trying to vacuum seal or you'll flatten fresh bread too much. My DH brings home bags of SF sourdough when he goes to SF and it works best if I wrap in foil before freezing. I put them in the oven with foil on to thaw and reheat and it comes out as if it was just baked. I now freeze all my sliced bread immediately and only take out what I can use in a couple of days and I never have to throw out moldy bread any more. It thaws so fast you don't have to take it out until just before you need it if all of a sudden you need a whole loaf.
Ilene29
18 years ago
I use some that has been there awhile for bread crumbs.
audrey_mi
16 years ago
Thank you, Thank you ladies. Freezing buns & some loaves of store bought bread has been a delima for me. The tops are dry even though I double wrap them without air. Never thought of tin foil as a first wrap! I am going to try all of your tips, because I am tired of throwing out bread & buns. Audrey
lazy_gardens
16 years ago
I use gallon size Zoplock freezer bags.
gluecille
16 years ago
Here's a tip someone told me and it works. What ever side is on the bottom in the freezer put it on top when you are thawing. If you lay the bread bottom side down in the freezer when you get it out let it thaw with the bottom side up.
grainlady_ks
15 years ago
I wrap (homemade) loaves of bread tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap in foil. This tight-fitting wrap prevents ice crystals from forming (the famous sticky bottom of a thawed loaf of bread) as well as freezer burn - which is caused by evaporation of moisture in the bread because it's in a loose-fiting plastic bag - which causes the ice crystals.

Air-tight is always the trick to better freezing. Never leave things loose in a plastic bag - that's an invitation to freezer burn.

I also make all our burger and hot dog buns, and they are best wrapped individually in pop-up foil (I get boxes of it at Sam's). Once again, if you use a close-fitting, air-tight wrap, it will prevent freezer burn. You can't place a whole bag of commercial hamburger buns loosely in the bag you purchase them in, in the freezer and not expect anything else but a formation of ice crystals and freezer burn.

Grainlady
evaperconti
15 years ago
I also find defrosting baked items in the fridge overnight instead of on the counter helps with the texture.
marie26
15 years ago
I have been following Ann T.'s advice above." When the bread has cooled I wrap it in papertowels and then place it in freezer bags. I find that the papertowels absorb any moisture and the bread doesn't get damp when it is defrosted." It really works well.

I made homemade bread a couple of weeks ago and froze it this way. I then put it in the fridge to defrost, keeping the papertowels on it while still in the plastic bag. It's been lasting longer than when I took the paper towels off once defrosted.
hawk307
14 years ago
Laura: Wrapping the bread in alluminum foil or paper towels,
Like Linda c and Ann T suggested is good.The only thing is; as someone else said, don't take the bread out until it is defrosted, or it will collect humidity as on a cold glass of ice water in the summer. Sometimes this is helpful if the bread has dried a little. You can throw it in the oven for 5 nmunutes to freshen it. When I freeze Pizza
I will take it out and leave it sit a few minutes, dampen all the areas that are cooked more,even the topping and put it in a toaster oven. Another thing : a lot of bags (not freezer bags)have
small holes punched in them;that you can't see, so that a small child can't suffocate. Twist the end closed and squeeze it . It will deflate if there are any tiny holes.
LOU
shaun
14 years ago
I wrapped my bagels in paper towels and then put them in a bag and sucked all the air out of the bag with the Food Saver. When I took one out and let it defrost, the darn paper towel stuck to the bagel! It was awful. What went wrong here?
marie26
14 years ago
Shaun, I freeze my bagels the way you described but I don't use the Food Saver. I've used a straw to suck the air out of the outer bag. I also make sure the bagels are not warm when I've prepared them for the freezer. I've never had a problem doing it this way.
heyjdub
13 years ago
I'm making mini loaves of Zucchini, Pumpkin and Banana breads for Christmas gifts. How should I wrap these to put in the freezer. I have about 600 (yes, that's 600!) loaves to make, so I need to start now. Help!
jaylen
12 years ago
jam is nice jam is nice with toast good nite bread toffe is good 2 but i likw coffe see ya and i woud like to say thank you to my friends who help me get here thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
DLawrence910_msn_com
10 years ago
I have started saving alot of money with the couponing latley and when I typed in " How to freeze bread" this is the first blog to come up. VERY helpful...Thank you to everyone who had answered Lauras question! :)

How do you freeze bread?

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