I absolutely cannot resist a beautiful loaf of bread at the bakery—I'm talking baguettes, sourdough, rye. So I end up freezing most of it and wondering "What's the best way to defrost bread?" After all, in my household of one, it's difficult to plow through an entire loaf before it goes stale. I know I'm not alone in this. Unlike refrigerating bread, which can actually dry it out faster, freezing bread dramatically slows down the staling process. Even better news? Reheating it will actually re-gelatinize the starches, making the texture springy and almost totally fresh again. Here's how to freeze bread—and how to bring your frozen loaf back to life.
1. Prep Bread for Freezing
If you're starting with a big hunk of bread, consider the fact you might not need all of it at once when you're ready to defrost. So if you'd like the option of taking out individual slices for sandwiches and toast, the best strategy is to slice it before freezing it. Store the slices in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer, making sure to press out all of the air before sealing.
If you bought a nice loaf for dinner, and want to have the remainder to revive as a whole piece for another meal, take a large freezer bag and place the remainder of the loaf in it, sealed carefully with all of the air removed. If the piece can't fit, just cut it in half first. And remember: Only freeze a large piece if you think you'll be able to eat it over the course of one or two days. You won't want to keep freezing and thawing the bread, since this merry-go-round can negatively impact the flavor and texture of the bread.
You can also cut the bread into a couple smaller pieces before freezing, or cube the bread for stuffings or strata. Either way, the bread belongs in a zip-top freezer bag.
2. Don't Thaw Bread on the Counter—Heat It
Allowing bread to defrost on the counter at room temperature can actually make it go stale. Heating the bread, on the other hand "will get the starch and water molecules to break down the crystalline regions, producing soft, ready-to-eat bread," according to Cook's Illustrated. As a bonus, heating defrosts the bread much faster than thawing at room temperature.
If you've frozen individual slices
Remove the number of slices you need from the freezer and microwave them on high power until softened, 15 to 25 seconds." If you'd rather skip the microwave, you can also bake slices on a rimmed baking sheet at 325°F for about 5 minutes.
If you prefer toasted bread, you can toast bread slices straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the toasting time.
If you've frozen a whole loaf
According to the Epi Test Kitchen, a whole loaf of bread can be defrosted in the oven at 325°F until soft and fully thawed in the middle, 20 to 30 minutes.
