Disney Dreamlight Valley Recipes List

Freeze Bread And You'll Always Have A Fresh Loaf On Hand

When you make a grocery shopping list, how soon does the word "bread" appear? Probably right at the top! Because it doesn't matter what type of bread you and your family prefer, it's one of the most ever-present, versatile food staples that everyone relies on practically every day.

From homemade sandwiches to garlic bread, you always want to have bread on hand. But what if you have too much bread in the house? Yes, it's possible. Maybe there was a sale and you stocked up or maybe you have a fresh loaf you know might go bad quickly. Either way, you don't want it to go to waste.

And while you can certainly repurpose stale bread in a number of ways, you might be wondering: Can you freeze bread to keep it fresh? Long answer short: Yes, you can. But really, you should be wondering how to freeze bread, because storing and defrosting it properly is key to making it taste just as good as the day you bought it.

Caitlin Bensel

How to Freeze Bread

First things first, make sure you are freezing bread that is still fresh. Freezing bread that has already started to become stale will still taste stale once it is defrosted. That means for fresh bread that you buy at a bakery or make at home (say, a no-knead boule), that means within a day or so after determining you won't finish it. Store-bought, processed breads like white sandwich bread have a longer shelf life so you can follow the expiration date for guidance.

The good news is that almost all bread, once frozen, should lose little of the quality and texture as long as you store it properly. You want to avoid freezer burn or any smells from other items stored with it. So, all you have to do is wrap your loaf in two layers of plastic wrap before sealing it in a resealable freezer bag. Push as much air out of it as you can as you seal, label it with the date, and stash it in the freezer. Just don't store anything on top of it, because it will get squished.

You can use this method for full loaves, partial loaves, and even sliced bread. It should last for up to three months. If you want to pre-portion slices before freezing, go for it! Simply wrap them in as you see fit (for example, two slices for a sandwich double wrapped) and then store them altogether in a freezer bag. Then you just remove and defrost each portion as needed.

How to Defrost Bread

When you're ready to finally eat that bread, take it out of the freezer and take a look at it. No weird smells or freezer burn? Great, then just place the wrapped bread on the counter to let it come to room temperature, about one to three hours for a whole loaf. Slices should take about 30 minutes. It's that simple!

If you feel that the crust needs a little reviving or you just prefer warm bread, you can also pop it into a 350-degree oven for about ten minutes to bring it back to life. If you are making toast from slices, you don't even have to wait for it to defrost. Just pop them in the toaster―most newer models have a "frozen" button you can use to help the process along.

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