Everyone can agree that stale, stiff bread is a pain, whether they choose to buy it completely sliced from the grocery store, pick it up fresh from a bakery, or even make their own bread at home. We were therefore thrilled to learn of a fresh technique to prevent the cut end of a loaf of bread from drying out.
We love this easy but clever tip for keeping loaves of bread soft and ready to slice and enjoy. however, it is important that you use a wrapper from a stick of butter that has been allowed to soften at room temperature rather than one that has just been pulled out of the refrigerator.
How to Freeze It
1. Ensure that it has totally cooled.
It’s important to allow the bread cool completely before freezing it if you’re baking at home. Wade advises giving bread three to four hours to chill.
2. Slice the bread.
Do you freeze sandwich loaves? Before packaging it, cut it up. Likewise with a coffee cake. Leave the loaf entire if not.
3. packaged the bread
Before freezing it, Wade securely wraps the bread with plastic wrap. A vacuum sealer or even a zip-top freezer bag are other options. Hard-crusted breads should be double-bagged, according to the staff at King Arthur Flour, to guard against sharp edges that could produce tiny tears in the plastic and expose the bread to freezer burn. Your objective is to put something between the bread and the freezer air, regardless of how you package the bread.
4. Hold in place.
While bread can be frozen for three to six months, after a month the flavors may start to wane. If you’ll be reaching for it frequently, such if it’s for sandwiches, put it in a warmer area of your freezer, like on the door.
5. Reheat and defrost.
A loaf should be taken out of the freezer and placed in its packaging on a tabletop before being used. Any moisture on the inside of the bag or wrap will be reabsorb by the bread. Let it stand until room temperature is reached. Wade then cooks unwrapped, room-temperature bread for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Wade claims that it “really brings the crust back to life.”
