Have you ever wondered about refreezing bread? If so, keep reading!
How to Freeze Homemade Bread
You can definitely freeze homemade bread. This is a great way to get the most out of your efforts, as baking bread is not for the faint of heart. I suggest baking a couple loaves at once and then freezing so you have homemade bread available for months to come. It’s great to have at your disposal.
With homemade bread, though, you have to make sure you’ve wrapped it tightly. You’ll want to wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap or foil, and then put it in a freezer bag or some other airtight container. It will keep well and be oh so tasty whenever you defrost it.
Be sure to let your homemade loaf cool completely before putting it in the ice box. If it is not completely cooled when you freeze it, it’ll affect the quality.
Freezing Store Bought Bread
You sure can freeze store-bought bread, and it’s a great storage method, especially if you were a bulk shopper. It’s important, though, that you give your store-bought bread that extra protection.
Take a look at your loaf and determine how many layers it has. Unfortunately, lower quality bread is likely only wrapped once, whereas higher quality bread likely has two layers of plastic wrap. If your loaf needs another layer, take it out of its packaging and wrap it in plastic. Return it to its original packaging and put in a freezer bag to store.
Can You Freeze Bread?
First things first, can you freeze your bread to begin with? Yes, you can certainly freeze your bread, and it is a great way to preserve it. Bread will last in the ice box for one to three months, so it’s a great way to make sure you are not wasting any bread.
Can You Refreeze Bread?
Okay, now for what you really came here for. Can you refreeze bread? The short answer, yes! Refreezing bread is super easy and is a great way to keep your bread fresh, especially if you and your family do not eat it that often.
Refreezing bread is a very common practice and one to use if you have large amounts of leftover bread. Do know, though, that each time you refreeze your bread, its quality will decrease. So, although you can do this and may want to so you don’t waste food, you should try to limit the amount of times you do it.
Again, make sure you include a best by date to avoid eating stale bread or bread with freezer burn.
Can You Refreeze Multiple Times?
Yes, you can refreeze bread as many times as you like. Again, though, keep in mind that it is going to affect the quality. The more times you refreeze your bread, the more it’ll taste stale.
It’s best that you do not leave your bread open to the elements if you plan to refreeze it. Only thaw what you need and leave the rest alone. If you can, refreeze your bread as soon as possible after thawing it.
Should You Use the Original Packaging?
You can use the original package to store your bread, just as long as you make sure it has multiple layers of protection. If you need to alter the packaging a bit, go right ahead. But still use the original package when refreezing bread so as not to waste anything.
Will It Lose Moisture in the Freezer?
Bread will retain moisture in the ice box better than it will in the refrigerator, but it will drop moisture every time you defrost it. Once it is defrosted, at least some of that moisture leaves, and it does not get any more back when you put it in the ice box.
So although it’s better to keep it in the ice box long-term than it is to keep it at room temperature, it is still inevitably going to drop some moisture.
What is the Best Way To Defrost Frozen Bread?
Let’s face it, defrosted bread tastes much better than frozen bread. And although freezing and refreezing bread is a good way to keep it fresh, it is kind of inconvenient to defrost it.
You can just let your loaf of bread or bread slices sit out on the counter, but that takes a long time.
To avoid that frozen bread taste and eat it within a reasonable amount of time from pulling it out of the ice box, you can microwave sliced bread for about 20 seconds, or you can put a whole loaf of bread in the oven for around 20 minutes at 325°F.
You can also put your sliced bread in the toaster to defrost it.
Is Frozen Bread Better Than Fresh Bread?
Nothing can beat fresh bread. It tastes amazing and has a wonderful texture. But, it cannot really be sustained. Leaving it at room temperature is the perfect way to get stale bread. So no, frozen bread is not better than fresh, but it is a close second.
Can You Freeze a Whole Loaf?
Yep, you can freeze a loaf bread whole. You can also freeze them in slices.
No matter how you choose to freeze your bread, make sure it is wrapped tightly in plastic or aluminium foil, and placed in an airtight container.
How to Avoid Mould
Bread can turn mouldy in the freezer, so make sure you are taking the proper steps to avoid this.
In order for mould to grow, it needs to be exposed to moisture. To avoid this, make sure you have secured your bread from retaining moisture. Whenever you are freezing bread, keep it in an airtight container.
Shelf Life in the Freezer
Bread can last in the ice box for up to three months. Technically, it could last longer, but any longer than that and you’ll miss out on texture. You don't want a stale taste.
To keep your desired crust, don’t leave it in the ice box for longer than those three months. Keep your bread in freezer bags and you can have refrozen bread as long as you want.
Make sure that you are timing that three months from when you originally froze it. Do not add more time every time you do a bread refreeze.
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The Best Types of Bread to Refreeze
You can freeze just about any type of bread. Whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, rye bread, French bread, Jewish bread like challah bread, and the list goes on. Bread freezes well, and it does not discriminate against the types of bread.
What does differ between the types of bread is how long they can be stored. Rye bread and sourdough bread have different freezing caps, as the latter of the two should be used up within two months of freezing it. If you have questions, make sure you research your type of bread before freezing.
How to Save Space in the Freezer
Freezing bread and refreezing bread can take up space in your ice box. To avoid that, I suggest placing your bread on a tray to save space, or stacking your bread.
How to Keep It From Becoming Stale
At some point, frozen bread will become stale. There is not anything you can do to completely stop that from happening, aside from eating it.
You can, however, prolong it by keeping it in its proper packaging and only refreezing and defrosting as necessary. Try not to defrost and refreeze bread more than you have to.
If you only consume bread in small amounts, consider freezing it in individual slices to maintain freshness and avoid staleness.
Eating Frozen Bread
You can eat frozen bread, but it probably won’t taste that good, especially the crust. It’ll be very hard and very cold. I suggest waiting until it is defrosted to eat it.
Once it's defrosted you can make yourself a fabulous lamb sandwich or even some French toast!
How to Avoid Freezer Burn
Freezer burn comes from food being directly exposed to freezer air, staying in the freezer for too long, and not being cool enough when placed in the freezer.
To avoid this, make sure you wrap your individual slices or whole loaf of bread properly before freezing. This will keep ice crystals off your bread and prevent that dreaded freezer burn.
How to Refreeze Bread Dough
You can certainly refreeze bread dough. Just don’t leave it at room temperature for too long. If it is out for more than two hours, it should not be refrozen.
Make sure your bread dough is properly packaged before being put back in the ice box. You do not want it to take on any rogue odours or tastes.
Freezing Bread
Freezing bread is very simple. It's important that you provide plenty of protection, as exposure to ice box air can cause your bread to become stale, lose its texture, take on rogue flavors, or even become freezer burned, none of which you want to happen.
To avoid all of this, simply wrap your bread in multiple layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store in a freezer bag. This will protect your bread from the freezer elements, and keep your loaf of bread looking, tasting, and smelling fresh. Be sure to add a best by date, too.
📖 Recipe
How to Refreeze Bread
Do you have plenty of bread you don't know what to do with? Click here to learn whether you can refreeze bread and how to do it.
Materials
- - Saran Wrap
- - Foil
Tools
- - Airtight container
Instructions
How to Refreeze Bread
So, how do you refreeze bread? Well, you refreeze bread just the same way that you freeze your bread. Make sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic or foil and stored in an airtight container. Put it in the ice box and thaw it whenever you want to eat bread.
How to Refreeze Homemade Bread
You can refreeze your homemade loaves, too. Again, make sure you prepare your bread properly for the ice box to avoid freezer burn and other dangers.
Refreezing Store Bought Bread
You can also refreeze store bought bread. As you would when freezing it, make sure it is tightly wrapped and put back in the proper container before refreezing.
Freezing and and Refreezing Gluten Free Bread
You can definitely freeze and refreeze gluten free bread. In fact, most gluten free bread brands suggest that you keep it frozen, especially after it's been unwrapped for a couple days.
Gluten free bread is susceptible to drying out, so keeping it in the ice box is a good way to combat that. Gluten retains water, so without it, it is difficult for bread to stay moist. That is why it’s so important to find ways to keep gluten free bread’s freshness.
Never put gluten free bread in the refrigerator, though. This will dry gluten free bread when it is already so prone to drying out. To keep its moisture, put it in the ice box within three or four days after baking or opening.
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