Can you freeze bread?

I often get asked, Can you freeze bread? The answer is Yes! There are a couple of tips to freezing bread that I wanted to share with you.

Can you freeze bread?

By freezing you can extend the life by up to 3-6 months. Just write the date you put it into the freezer with a permanent marker so you know how long it has been there.

Bread bags have tiny wholes in them by design.  When you freeze your loaf of bread in the freezer it is possible for it to get freezer burn or become stale because of the holes.  A tip is double bag your bread!  If you do you will have a better chance that it will thaw without being stale.  When you thaw your bread just simply place it on the counter.  I find that it gives the best results in 24 hours.  Often times we need to use it sooner than that but after the full 24 hours I find it returns back to its pre-frozen state nicely.  After thawed you can store in your pantry and use as normal.  You can do the same technique for hot dog and hamburger buns.

If you have nicer loaf of bakery bread it is best to take it out of the original package and wrap it with freezer paper.  The freezer paper will keep the quality of the bread better.  When I find french bread or other artisan bread or rolls on clearance or even high end loaves of bread on clearance I am sure to use freezer paper or double bag.  I always double bag my gluten free bread.  When I pick up inexpensive sandwich bread I normally don’t double bag.

A tip from our reader:  “I save the wax bags that cereal comes in and use it to double bag stuff I put in the freezer – especially some homemade sourdough bread I make and also packages of meat. It works great! (I just write on a piece of paper what I want to “label” my package with and then slip it in between the double layers so that it is able to be read.”

Hope these tips help you!