Freezing bread...

[Blackitty]

When you bake bread and want to freeze a loaf, do you pop it straight into the freezer while it's warm or do you wait until it's completely cooled?

I'm thinking that when it's warm, there might be more water in there that would lead to freezer burn, but also have this urge to freeze it quickly to keep it soft. I just don't know.

Can I just wrap it in plastic wrap and then put it in a normal plastic bread bag or do I need to use big freezer bag? Should I use foil? My grandma always had a bunch of layers of stuff around things she froze- plastic, then paper towel, then more plastic, then foil. Is that necessary or was she just nuts with the wrapping?

I know I'm reaching here, but...could I maybe take it out of the oven a few minutes early, freeze, and then pop it back in the oven to thaw/warm later? Or would that just ruin everything?

Any answer to any of my multiple questions will be much appreciated. I am falling in love with home-made bread.

 

[Andy M.]

I would cool the bread completely to room temperature before wrapping and freezing. It's not extra moisture that causes freezer burn. It's the warming nd cooling cycles the draw moisture out of the food item and leave it dried out.

Wrap cooled loaves/rolls as snugly as possible in plastic wrap. Air spaces promote freezer burn. Place the plastic wrapped bread into a freezer bag, press air out of the bag and seal it.

 

[jennyema]

Yes, what Andy said!

 

[GotGarlic]

What Andy said Thaw it, unwrapped, on the counter. If you want, you can warm it up in the oven after thawing.

 

[Blackitty]

Okay! Freezer bag shopping I will be!

I hadn't thought of thawing wrapped vs unwrapped. Excellent add-on advice.

Thank you so much.

 

[Zagut]

You might also consider how you're going to use the bread.

Freezing the whole loaf is best for freezing and the way to go if you're going to consume the loaf in short order once thawed.

Slicing it before freezing is the way to go if you want to use it a few slices at a time while keeping the rest frozen.

 

[Addie]

And no, your grandmother was not nuts with wrapping. She was just overly cautious.

I know it may sound crazy, and I am not the only one in the world who does this, but I squeeze as much air out of the freezer bag as possible, zip it close almost to the end of the zip track, then suck the remaining air out with a straw. Your freezer bag should be hugging the item to be frozen.

 

[Blackitty]

You might also consider how you're going to use the bread.

Freezing the whole loaf is best for freezing and the way to go if you're going to consume the loaf in short order once thawed.

Slicing it before freezing is the way to go if you want to use it a few slices at a time while keeping the rest frozen.

I'd love to freeze half-loaves because I usually don't get all the way through a loaf before it begins to stale and end up eating bread when I don't want it, just to use it up.

I figured you had to freeze it whole or nothing. I'm going to do the Half-loaf thing, for sure.

And no, your grandmother was not nuts with wrapping. She was just overly cautious.

I know it may sound crazy, and I am not the only one in the world who does this, but I squeeze as much air out of the freezer bag as possible, zip it close almost to the end of the zip track, then suck the remaining air out with a straw. Your freezer bag should be hugging the item to be frozen.

Overly cautious vs nuts...a fine line there. The woman wore heels to the park and to vacuum, lol. I loved her, but she had her quirks, like we all do. I think a lot of women back then wore heels all the time, though.

I suck with a straw, too. I did that even before I saw that real cooks do it. I just couldn't figure out any other way to get the air out!

Doesn't sound crazy to me.

I tried the ziplock bags with the pump and I don't know if mine was faulty or what, but it didn't work at all. So, back to the straw I went.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'd love to freeze half-loaves because I usually don't get all the way through a loaf before it begins to stale and end up eating bread when I don't want it, just to use it up.

I figured you had to freeze it whole or nothing. I'm going to do the Half-loaf thing, for sure.

You can freeze a single slice if you want Sometimes I slice a loaf and then freeze the slices. Then I can just thaw as many slices as I want and leave the rest in the freezer.

 

[Dawgluver]

We can never go through a whole loaf of bread before it would get stale, so all of our bread goes in the freezer. We get the pre-sliced.

 

[Addie]

I'd love to freeze half-loaves because I usually don't get all the way through a loaf before it begins to stale and end up eating bread when I don't want it, just to use it up.

I figured you had to freeze it whole or nothing. I'm going to do the Half-loaf thing, for sure.
Overly cautious vs nuts...a fine line there. The woman wore heels to the park and to vacuum, lol. I loved her, but she had her quirks, like we all do. I think a lot of women back then wore heels all the time, though.

I suck with a straw, too. I did that even before I saw that real cooks do it. I just couldn't figure out any other way to get the air out!

Doesn't sound crazy to me.

I tried the ziplock bags with the pump and I don't know if mine was faulty or what, but it didn't work at all. So, back to the straw I went.

I considered getting one of them also. But the reviews were that great on it. So I passed.

 

[larry_stewart]

A few years back , I shopped at " When Pigs Fly Bakery" up in Maine.
All different kinds of breads you can Imagine.
I bought a bunch myself, but also had a bunch of Unique Breads sent to my dad.
One of the options was to have the bread " Par-Baked" in which Im assuming it was baked to a certain point, than frozen. When You get it, you keep it in the freezer until ready to complete the baking process.

Im not sure how they did it, of what they wrap it up with, but Im just writing this that Par Baking is an option.

https://www.sendbread.com/cart/index.php

Larry

 

[GotGarlic]

A few years back , I shopped at " When Pigs Fly Bakery" up in Maine.
All different kinds of breads you can Imagine.
I bought a bunch myself, but also had a bunch of Unique Breads sent to my dad.
One of the options was to have the bread " Par-Baked" in which Im assuming it was baked to a certain point, than frozen. When You get it, you keep it in the freezer until ready to complete the baking process.

Im not sure how they did it, of what they wrap it up with, but Im just writing this that Par Baking is an option.

https://www.sendbread.com/cart/index.php

Larry

Without knowing the process, I wouldn't do this myself. Commercial bakeries and kitchens have equipment that can chill and freeze foods much more quickly than home equipment can. You might not get the same results.

 

[Cheryl J]

We can never go through a whole loaf of bread before it would get stale, so all of our bread goes in the freezer. We get the pre-sliced.

That's what I do, too - I live alone and freeze pre-sliced loaves of bread, English muffins and rolls and thaw what I need. When I bake things like banana bread, muffins or cookies, I give away half to my daughter and her family.