Can You Freeze Artisan Bread?

Almost everyone loves bread. It’s not unusual to buy a loaf or two at the bakery, but some people are more adventurous and make bread in batches. So the question, “can you freeze artisan bread?” often gets asked. Let’s see if and how it’s done!

If you have extra artisan loaves, freeze them! Bread can be frozen for several weeks before losing its texture. You can freeze part of your loaf or whole loaves, sliced or unsliced. Consider making extra when you bake and put them in the freezer to have homemade bread whenever you need it.

Can you freeze artisan bread?

Yes, you can freeze artisan bread. There are several ways you can store your baked goods, so they last longer – freezing being one of them. Because of its high moisture content, bread doesn’t keep well if left out on the counter overnight. Freezing artisan bread is a great solution for home bakers to keep bread fresh for longer.

There will be a slight degradation of flavour and texture when freezing artisan bread. Yet freezing the bread is the best way to store artisan bread for more than a day or two. The best way to combat the effects of freezing bread is to refresh the frozen loaf in the oven.

The trick to preserving the freshness and flavour of any loaf of bread is to make sure it’s appropriately wrapped before freezing. This helps ensure your homemade loaves remain moist and retain their signature flavours. It also importantly prevents the bread from freezer burn.

How to freeze artisan bread

Double wrapping the bread in airtight bags is a great way to store bread in the freezer. Ideally, the wrapped bread should go into a thick cardboard box before going into the freezer. Finding a suitable box is hard though, so don’t worry too much about this.

Some guys will slice the bread before freezing it. This allows you to take what you need for defrosting to save waste. The drawback of this method is that it should only be stored in the freezer for a couple of weeks as the bread slices are more susceptible to freezer burn.

Sliced, or unsliced, double bag your bread and store it in the freezer. Frozen bread should keep fresh for up to 3 months.

How to defrost slices of artisan bread?

Artisan bread freezes very well, and when ready to use one allow it to thaw slowly overnight at room temperature before eating. You can also toast it right from frozen, which is terrific if you have no time to let it thaw completely.

How to refresh frozen artisan bread

Defrosting artisan bread on the counter is the simplest way, and perfectly acceptable. But if you want the aromas of freshly baked bread to return, alongside a crisper crust, you might want to refresh the bread in the oven. To do this, preheat at 210C (410F), rub a small amount of water over the crust, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Smaller bread types can be refreshed at warmer temperatures, but for less time.

Can you refreeze frozen bread?

The answer is yes, but it’s difficult for a few reasons. The main issue with freezing is the moisture. Bread has lots of water in it, and if you try to refreeze it, the water expands, rupturing the cell walls of the bread crumbs. This will make them stale much faster than normal once defrosted.

Freezing artisan bread frequently asked questions