Baking Bread and Your Freezer

There's a lot of bread in our freezer. In our exuberance, we often bake more bread than we can eat in a day or two. What isn't given away goes in the freezer.

Sometimes, we bake bread just to store. It's wonderful to have homemade bread on hand for those periods when we're just too busy to bake. And it's always a good feeling to have bread on hand for an emergency.

There are three ways to use bread from your freezer. Most commonly, the freezer is raided for that special bread (like Canadian Cheese Bread) for a sandwich or for fresh homemade bread for breakfast toast. To accommodate those raids, we keep lots of sliced bread in the freezer. A slice or two of bread is snapped from the frozen loaf and dropped in the toaster while the remaining loaf goes back to the freezer. As long as you don't mind toasted bread for your sandwich, an array of breads are available for breakfast or sandwiches. This way, each kid gets to choose the bread that he or she wants.

Bread can be removed from the freezer and allowed to thaw on the counter. Use it within a day or so just like you would fresh bread.

Frozen bread can also be reheated and recharged in the oven. Defrost the bread completely on the counter then reheat it in the oven for ten minutes at the same temperature at which it was baked.

The secret for quality bread from your freezer is starting with the freshest loaves possible. If you freeze the bread as soon as it is completely cooled, it will taste as if it came from the oven when thawed.

To freeze bread-sliced or unsliced-place it in a plastic bag with the excess air pressed out. For longer storage, cover the plastic bag with aluminum foil. Since air will slowly migrate through the walls of a plastic bag, plastic alone will work for only a month or two (heavier, freezer-type bags will help). If frozen in foil or freezer wrap, bread can be stored for three or four months and still maintain top quality. Mark all bread going into your freezer with the date and the type of bread to be sure that you can tell the difference between Old Wisconsin Cheddar Bread and Sour Cream Onion Bread.

Place the new loaves behind the loaves already in the freezer to help rotate stocks.

By the way, never refrigerate bread. Bread will stale faster in the refrigerator than on the counter.

See a photo and the printable version for Baking Bread and your Freezer

For more articles like this visit The Baker's Library.

© 2004, The Prepared Pantry

---

Better Links Directory

Better Breakfasts Ideas

Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal... Read More

Cooking -- What You Need To Know

From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically... Read More

Don?t Poke the Chicken at Your Backyard Barbecue

You might be planning a home remodeling project and it... Read More

Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More

Make-up or Mixing Methods for Muffins

When muffins aren't perfect, the first reaction is to change... Read More

How to Make Sandwich Rolls with Your Bread Machine

For that next picnic or family outing, consider making sandwich... Read More

Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

It is one of life's oddities that we take a... Read More

How To Eat Fresh Vegetables ? Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet

Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it's important to... Read More

Little-known Tips for Easy Holiday Baking

Are you wondering if you have the time to bake... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken

"Thicken", or "Thickening" is a very common technique used in... Read More

Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear

Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun... Read More

Flax Seed Will Add A Little Extra Flavor To Your Recipes

Flax seed will add a pleasant nutty taste to any... Read More

Compact Refrigerators Are Great When Small Is Needed

The small refrigerator can be used in many places that... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Deep Fry

There are usually 2 ways of deep frying in Chinese... Read More

Grilling Tips ? Safety Comes First at the Barbecue

You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun,... Read More

Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily... Read More

Low-Budget Meals In a Minute

Ever go home and look in the fridge only to... Read More

Garlic: A Quick Guide

Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great... Read More

How to Cook a Lobster

French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in... Read More

Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven

You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy... Read More

How to Care for Your Cast Iron Skillet (includes recipes)

Some of the best meals I've ever eaten were made... Read More

6 Tips for Perfect Homemade Hard Candy

There's nothing better than the juicy, flavorful hard candy from... Read More

Secrets of Great Breads

Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread... Read More

Picnic Checklist

In the previous article, we suggested that you start a... Read More

Picture Perfect Bread

The secret-at least most of it-is in the rise. The... Read More