Query about freezing bread

[TdeV]

@Anna N, back on November 8, in 2015, you said " Well, Patrick S, you have inspired me to give the challah a go! The recipe calls for only 1 pound of flour and yet makes two loaves which tells me that for singletons one loaf should be perfect. The other loaf can be frozen. " Post here.

 

My question isn't about the original topic, rather, I would like to know how bread bakers think (go) about freezing bread.

• Do you freeze the bread unbaked?
• How is the bread wrapped?
• Presumably, you freeze the bread because you think it will be just as good as the original?

 

I ask because I really, really love bread. Fresh bread is about as divine as food gets (I M not so H O). I've had a bread machine since the early 90s.

 

I'm now trying to understand the ins & outs of sourdough, so I'm reading a lot of eGullet posts. 😀

 

[Okanagancook]

My DH makes wonderful bread, two loaves at a time.  There are just two of us so a lot of it gets frozen.  I slice the cooked bread.  I place a piece of parchment paper (the single squares one can buy) between each slice and wrap, three at a time, in foil then into a plastic bag.  I can take out one slice at a time and it stays nice and fresh.

[TdeV]

@Okanagancook, so the bread is frozen after it's fully baked?

[Okanagancook]

yes

[liuzhou]

I freeze bread all the time. I live alone and don't eat that much bread, but bake 75% of my own. Bread freezes very well. Just don't refrigerate it. That kills it.

[TdeV]

@liuzhou, how do you unfreeze it? Toaster?

[Anna N]

 Always,  for me, fully baked.  If I plan on giving it away and need to store it for a time first, then I double wrap the whole loaf in plastic before freezing as per Modernist Bread. 

 

Bread intended for my own consumption is always sliced or otherwise separated into single serving portions.   I then wrap the portions in plastic wrap and gather all the portions together into a resealable plastic bag before placing in the freezer.   I find precut deli paper, designed for hamburgers, to work very well between slices so they are easier to separate. If I intend to toast the bread then I will briefly use the microwave so I can separate the slices.  If I intend to enjoy it without toasting then I allow it to defrost at room temperature in its wrapping. 

 Is it just as good as freshly baked bread? No,  but it is plenty good enough and sometimes one must compromise. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Dave Arnold discussed freezing bread on his Cooking Issues podcast a while back and said that freezing and thawing bread was equivalent to one day of age.  I wish I could remember the source he cited.  The bottom line, for me, is that it's never going to be quite as good as fresh baked but it's likely going to be better than the same loaf that's sat around for more than 2 days.

I freeze bread all the time (fully baked and sliced) and I'm OK with that compromise as it allows me to have a few different types at the ready.  Slices either go into the CSO for toast or defrost, wrapped at room temp.  I use the CSO on steam-bake for pita or things like English muffins or sandwich rolls that need to thaw out before I can slice them.

 

[julie99nl]

I freeze my bread all the time. It's just the two of us and bread is a multi hour affair so I like to do 4  batards at a time. After they are baked and have cooled down at least 12 hours I slice part way through and then put them in ziplocks and remove as much air as possible and  freeze. The slicing part way through is so I can snap off half at a time to defrost. I hardly eat bread, but my husband is a bread lover. At the bakery school where I work part time they freeze bread frequently. When they make one type of bread they are mixing 5kg or more of flour at a time. It's just the most efficient way to use the professional kneaders and deck ovens.

 

[liuzhou]

8 hours ago, TdeV said:

@liuzhou, how do you unfreeze it? Toaster?

 

It depends on how I'm going to use it. Very occasionally toaster, sometimes just by leaving on the counter, most often, with baguettes (halved before freezing) in the  microwave on the defrost setting for 45 seconds.

[Shelby]

I freeze my bread all of the time.  Homemade.  After it's baked, I let it cool down overnight.  In the morning I wrap the whole loaves in saran wrap and then place the loaves into Ziplock freezer bags.  To thaw, I take out of the freezer and let set on the counter for a few hours before use.

[ElsieD]

I freeze bread all the time as well.  Bake, cool, slice, wrap in Press 'N Seal, then put in a ziplock bag and freeze.

[lindag]

I freeze all my breads.  KAF (and Amazon) sells bread bags in various sizes...they are very good quality and keep the breads well; I slice before freezing.