Who doesn’t love fresh French bread? Its fluffy texture, delicious flavor and crusty exterior make it the perfect breakfast or snack. What’s more, its shelf life can be extended with just a few simple steps. That’s right–you can actually freeze fresh French bread and still enjoy it days later!
In this article, we discuss why you should freeze your fresh French bread, how to do it properly, and the pros and cons of this method of storage.
Benefits of Freezing French Bread
When you freeze fresh French bread, you extend its shelf life for up to 3 months. This means that you can buy a loaf of fresh bakery-quality bread and keep it around for much longer than usual.
By freezing your bread before it has a chance to go stale, you can enjoy the same perfect texture and flavor as if it had just come out of the oven. Additionally, freezing your fresh French bread saves money since there will be fewer trips to the bakery required to ensure a steady supply of delicious loaves.
How to Freeze Fresh French Bread
Now that you know why freezing is beneficial, let’s get into actually doing it. Don’t worry, the process is straightforward so anyone can do it!
Prepping the Bread for Freezing
Begin by making sure that your fresh French loaf is completely cool before putting it in the freezer. If possible, let it sit out on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes before wrapping in plastic wrap tightly or place into an airtight bag. This will help prevent freezer burn from occurring during storage.
Storing the Frozen Bread
Once your French loaf is wrapped and sealed properly, simply place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To make sure that the loaf doesn’t absorb any unwanted odors from other items in the freezer, consider storing in its own distinct bag or container so that all other food items don’t touch or affect your precious loaf!
Additionally, if you plan on keeping multiple frozen loaves around mark each one with a date so that you know when they were stored and how long they have been in the freezer.
Defrosting The Frozen Bread
When ready to enjoy your frozen loaf again simply let it sit at room temperature until thawed completely or defrost in a microwave for about 1 minute on low heat (make sure not to get it too hot!).
Once thawed you can use as desired with butter, jelly or jam and dig into that crusty exterior with soft center!
Conclusion
Freezing fresh French bread is an easy way to extend its shelf life so that you can enjoy bakery-quality loaves longer than ever before! Preparing the bread for freezing is simply a matter of letting it cool completely before wrapping tight or placing in an airtight bag then storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For defrosting simply let sit at room temperature or microwave on low heat until thawed completely then indulge as desired! The advantages are clear–extended shelf life along with money saved by not needing to buy new loaves regularly–while possible disadvantages could include slight changes in texture due to freezing but overall no major drawbacks exist with freezing fresh French bread correctly and safely!