Best Easy Freezer Bread Recipe | Homemade Bread Stockpile 4 Loaves (2024)

FAQs

What is the best bread to freeze? ›

Some breads last better in the freezer than others. "Sourdoughs and simple breads that are only flour, salt, and water store extremely well in the freezer," says Boonthanakit.

Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.

One of the best ways to freeze bread is to cut them into slices or to divide the slices up if the bread already comes pre-sliced. Why? Because not many people eat a whole loaf at a time! Freezing bread this way helps to make it last longer and minimise waste.

Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.

Most breads freeze very well with little to no loss in quality or texture. The enemy is freezer air, which can cause freezer burn and impart freezer-aroma flavors. To prevent this, wrap each loaf tightly in two layers of plastic wrap before placing it in a large resealable freezer bag.

Quick breads, like banana, pumpkin, or carrot, are great for freezing. Bake several loaves. Eat one and freeze the others, tightly wrapped with plastic and then slipped inside a freezer bag.

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.

Before freezing the bread, make sure that it is still fresh. Moldy bread will still be bad when frozen. Place the bread in an air tight container or bag if possible, this will reduce the freezer burn. Typically I toast my bread after freezing it and it tastes great, but some people prefer to thaw the bread.

To freeze homemade bread for less than three weeks, wrap it in a bit of plastic wrap, foil, or freezer paper after it has cooled completely and frozen. Place store-bought bread directly in the freezer. The plastic bag that it came in will keep it protected for a few weeks.

Before you need to use a loaf, remove it from the freezer and set it on a countertop in its packaging. The bread will reabsorb any moisture on the inside of the bag or wrap. Let it sit until it reaches room temperature. Wade then reheats room-temperature, unwrapped bread at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

How to stop frozen bread sticking together? ›

Sometimes I might separate the fresh slices (or every few slices) with sheets of plastic deli wrap, etc, before putting in the freezer so slices can't stick together at all. And sometimes I just take out a few slices (or up to half a loaf) at a time to thaw so that the slices will no longer be stuck together.

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

The Bakery Advantage

Ever wondered, "How do bakeries make bread so soft?" The answer lies in their techniques and special ingredients: Consistency: Bakeries often use machines to ensure consistent kneading and proofing times.

Dense or heavy bread can be caused by not kneading the dough enough, not letting the dough rise enough, or using too much flour. To fix this issue: try kneading the dough for longer or allowing it to rise for a longer period. You can also try adding a little more liquid to the dough or using a higher protein flour.

That's it! Wrap homemade bread tightly in plastic wrap, such as Glad^® Press'n Seal^®. Then, tuck it into your freezer.

So while freezing your bread before eating it may help lower blood sugar levels at one meal (and have a small effect on the next meal too), the long-term effects on appetite, weight gain or risk of certain diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) is not known – and is likely to be very small.

Most bakers recommend storing bread in a cool dry spot, at room temperature. Why? Excess heat and moisture creates mold, and too much air creates stale bread. So yes: a cool dry spot such as a pantry shelf works.