thawing bread

[glennbech]

I recently did a small study on thawing bread. Since you cannot use a plastic bag when thawing it (Crust gets real bad), some kind of "breathing" material must be used, meaning dehydration. So, how much water is lost during thawing ?

Here are the results. (Total weight loss over approximately 12 hours.)

Plastic: 0% (start weight 149g, end weight 149g)

Paper: 1.9% (start weight 104g, end weight 102g)

Cloth: 4.9% (start weight 122, g end weight 116g)

Other details; the bread was baked with a 65% hydration, baked into round loaves and cut in halves. Three halves have been used in this "experiment". This means that all loaves have a “cut”, and is not totally surrounded by crust. This probably has an effect on the total result, but the comparisons should be valid.

I conclude with the cloth/fabric giving the overall best results, but at a higher dehydration cost. (I like crispy crusts!)

I guess the overall best approach would have been to put half baked loaves in the freezer ? Any other thoughs on preserving bread ?

(Complete details of my "experiment" can be found on my homepage/food blog.

Go by clicking here

[Sugarella]

I read your blog entry and found this bit interesting......

Water will evaporate from the bread and exit into the plastic bag. However some (or most?) of this water is then absorbed by the crust, making it soft. How much water that is left in the plastic bag is difficult to tell without a more exact kitchen scale.

I'm curious about water being left in the plastic bag: I would expect the crust should absorb all of it. So to that end, I'm wondering if you're freezing these loaves in the plastic, or just freezing them unwrapped, then wrapping for thawing?

[Fat Guy]

Why not use the toaster oven?

[Ann_T]

I'm not an expert, but I bake bread, Italian and/or French, every week and freeze it. I wrap the loaves in paper towels before putting them into freezer bags and haven't had a problem with the crust becoming soft or soggy.

Ann

[capers]

When I make bread, and have extra loaves, I wrap in plastic wrap once it's cooled, then in a double layer of foil. When I want to eat it, I thaw overnight, set the oven to 400 degrees, remove the plastic wrap and cover with a damp tea towel. Then I wrap the whole thing in foil, place in the oven for 15 min., take it out and remove the foil and towel and stick it back on my baking stone for 10 - 15 min. When I take it out the crust is crispy and the bread tastes freshly baked.

The Bread Baker's Apprentice says that different breads have different storage requirements and they record the same moisture losses that you have found in your experiment of plastic/paper and cloth.

[glennbech]

I'm curious about water being left in the plastic bag: I would expect the crust should absorb all of it. So to that end, I'm wondering if you're freezing these loaves in the plastic, or just freezing them unwrapped, then wrapping for thawing?

←

I freeze them in the plastic bag. After thawing I notice that there is some dampness/humidity on the insides of the plastic. I guess this is only a very small percentage of the evaporated water. That's why I suspect the crust has not absorbed "all", and that there actually is a microscopic "loss" even when thawing in a plastic bag.

Thanks for all the tips here. I'll try thawing in plastic and re-baking. Sounds like that is the process that will give the best tasting result. Toasting is of course another option, but beeing north european.... Well... Toast and tea is just not our thing (at least not mine!) :-)

[glennbech]

I'm not an expert, but I bake bread, Italian and/or French, every week and freeze it.  I wrap the loaves in paper towels before putting them into freezer bags and haven't had a problem with the crust becoming soft or soggy.

I guess the tawing tactic "back in the oven" is great for taste, but have you tried masuring weight after leaving them uncovered 10-15 minutes in the oven ? I just did a very and unscientific experiment with a loaf I'm about to have for breakfast, and lost nearly 10% hydration .-)

I might a a math/science freak now. Who cares if it tastes good...Nice looking bakery on display by the way! Inspiring!

Edited April 17, 2006 by glennbech (log)

[Fat Guy]

If you're concerned about losing hydration, one thing you can do is put a little water on the bread before you put it in the toaster oven (as opposed to a pop-up toaster) or regular oven. That's what I do -- I don't care at all about the hydration aspect of it, but it really brings the crust alive.