None of us can resist the bakery’s exquisite bread loaf — baguettes, sourdough, rye. And we end up storing most of it and thinking, “How to defrost frozen bread?”
The first move is to ensure that the loaf gets no air while it’s stored. Take the bread out of its original package and wrap it in plastic as tight as you can, so that there is no contact with air. You also want to make sure that the bread is as fresh as possible before going in the freezer. Storing stale bread is not going to do much.
Before we get into the details, there is a quick and easy way to defrost bread if you run out of time and patience. Preheat your oven to 350 ° F, take the bread from the fridge, cut the plastic and put the whole frozen loaf in the now-heated oven. Let the loaf steam and leave it inside for about 40 minutes. While 40 minutes sounds like a long time, you already did all of the work and the rest is up to the oven. However, we recommend taking a different approach, as detailed below.
How to defrost bread
- Prepare the Bread for Freezing
If you’re freezing a big hunk of bread, when you’re ready to defrost you might not need it all. So if you want the option to take out individual slices for sandwiches and toast, then the best strategy is to slice them before freezing them. Store the slices in the freezer in a zip-top freezer bag, making sure all of the air is pressed out before sealing.
In case you purchased a good loaf of bread and you want to use the leftovers later, get a big freezer bag and put the rest of the bread inside, properly packed with all the air drained. If it can not fit, break it in two halves. Keep in mind to only freeze the amount of bread you plan to eat in the upcoming days.
- We advise against thawing your loaf on the counter
It’s better to thaw it under higher temperatures. Allowing the bread to defrost at room temperature on the counter will actually make it stale. Heating the flour, on the other side, will get the molecules of starch and water to break down the crystalline areas, creating fluffy, ready-to-eat bread.
Do you have frozen slices?
Take out the slices you want to use and put them in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds. In case you want to avoid the microwave, an alternative is to use a rimmed baking sheet. Set the temperature at 325 ° F for around five min. In case you like toasted bread, feel free to toast slices of bread straight from the freezer, and add a few minutes to the toasting duration.
How to defrost a loaf of bread
Epi Test Kitchen says you can take a whole loaf of bread and defrost it in an oven at 325 ° F. Wait until it is soft, usually it takes around 25 minutes.
Now that you know how to defrost bread without it getting soggy, there’s no reason not to purchase a decent loaf in your local bakery and have slices stashed away for sandwiches or big chunks of a loaf ready for dinner at any moment.
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