February 21, 2009 - 8:16pm
How Can I Freeze Yeast Bread?
I'm fairly new to the bread making world (although I'm dying to get better and much more into it) and I'm curious how to go about Freezing Yeast breads? I know it's fairly easy for Quick Breads etc, but my husband and I just can't eat two whole loaves before 1 goes bad - what type of preperation should I give the second loaf before I freeze it until we're ready for it?
Thanks!
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I have had the best luck when freezing bread by using 2 bags - the first one is called Food and Bread and comes with twist ties. Mostly I cut a sourdough boule in half, put it in the bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before fastening the twist tie. Then place that in a Ziploc bag, seal it and into the freezer. To thaw it I leave it out overnight then place it cut side down on the bread board and cover with a teatowel. That way the crust is crisp - you can also warm crusty loaves to re-crisp them. Be sure the bread is cold before freezing - I had one where the crust came off in big flakes like cedar shingles! I assume it was because steam had loosened the crust. A.
You can also slice it before freezing it, so you can just take out as many slices as you need and leave the rest in the freezer. It will thaw very quickly that way.
I double wrap my loaves, rolls, or buns in aluminum foil for freezing.
I put them in the freezer as soon as they are no longer hot. I leave them unwrapped until then. I wrap them in aluminum foil and then put them in a plastic bag. Actually, if it's cold outside (below zero), I will throw them outside on the back porch so that they don't make whatever is in the freezer thaw.
Thanks so much everyone!
I notice that a number of respondents wrap in aluminum foil. What's the advantage of using aluminum foil as opposed to plastic wrap?
When I freeze a loaf of bread, after it is *completely cool*, I double wrap it in plastic wrap. I include a label with the type of bread and freezing date between the first and second layers of plastic wrap.
When we need bread, if there isn't fresh, a frozen loaf is defrosted, unwrapped, either in the refrigerator or on the counter. We normally slice the bread as needed and reheat the slices in the toaster or toaster oven. Or just use it "straight" for sandwiches.
I pop the frozen loaf directly in the oven and thaw it in aluminum foil. It prevents the crust from burning. By doing it this way, I find it's as close to the way it was when I fist cooked it as I can get it.
IMHO, the basic question(s) about freezing bread have only been partially answered.
Bread, prior to be frozen, must be completely cool. This does not necessarily mean only that the outside of the bread is cool to the touch. For best results, allow bread at a weight of about 1 pound to cool on a rack for at least 4 to 5 hours prior to wrapping for freeziing. For loaves above one pound, allow 8 to 12 hours to cool.
When freezing bread, the aim is to wrap the loaf tightly and securely in a material that will prevent water evaporation and - if the the bread is to be frozen for more than one month - prevent freezer burn. IMHO, plastic wrap is superior to aluminum foil for this purpose. For extra insurance against freezer burn, place a loaf, double wrapped in plastic wrap, in a zip lock freezer bag, taking care to expell as much air as possible from the zip lock bag.
Substituting aluminum foil for plastic wrap is a matter of convenience. If your aim is to to be able to remove a loaf of frozen bread directly from freezer to oven (to defrost and reheat / recrisp) aluminum foil has it's advantages. This would work best for a loaf that is about one pound in weight.
If your aim is to have frozen bread as a backup AND you are organized about your family's bread consumption needs, then aluminum foil is unnecessary. Frozen bread wrapped well in plastic wrap will defrost (unwrapped) in the refrigerator in 8 - 12 hrs OR at room temperature in about 5 hrs.
Both allowing my bread to thaw in the refrigerator and freezing it when completely cool result in a dry loaf with poor crust.
Of course, it depends on your taste and the type of bread you bake, I suppose. Are you talking about a sandwitch loaf? I'm talking about a typical artisan bread like a batard, boule or baguette.
Par baking it? I have a book that give that option and I made some fougasse and did this, worked beautifully. I cooked it until 75% cooked, cooled completely then put in two ziploc bags and froze. When ready to use I placed them frozen in a cold oven (on my stone) turn the oven on to 425 and baked for 12 minutes! came out great.