Freezing/defrosting bread

gelato_cat

Hey all

I'm on the GI diet and am sick of eating steamed veggies at work every day so I'm now going to start eating sandwiches made with granary bread. Not as MSE as the veggies but I'd rather pay a few more pennies to have something I actually like.

As I live alone, whenever I buy bread it goes hard before I reach the end of the loaf. I remember that when I was young, my mum used to separate loaves into batches and freeze them, but I have bad memories of soggy sandwiches when the bread was defrosted!

Can anyone tell me how to defrost bread without it going soggy? I've read a few threads on here where people are freezing sandwiches for the week ahead (and a guy at work does this) but I can't help thinking they're going to come out really soggy!!!

Suze

Pollybear

I always freeze my bread and just take it out of the freezer and leave it on the worktop to defrost. Occasionally I get a few soggy slices but not very often.

gelato_cat

Cheers - how long do you have to leave it out for? And do you take it out of the bag to defrost?

Suze

Pollybear wrote:

I always freeze my bread and just take it out of the freezer and leave it on the worktop to defrost. Occasionally I get a few soggy slices but not very often.

feistymiss

im on a budget and cant afford to throw bread out, so i take a fresh loaf, pack it into 4 slices or individual cobs/rolls, etc, or scones, instead of a whole pack, then i pop it either into the microwave for so many seconds to defrost on the defrost setting, or i take it out the night before to defrost, this way, no waste, and it tastes gorgeous cos it has only been frozen once, sometimes the bag goes soggy it has been defrosted in but i put it onto a plate and its fine

Linda32

Hi, We freeze loaves of bread all the time. Pop them striaght in the freezer, the take out when you need them. I'd say a standard size loaf takes about 5 hours to defrost.

I guess you could split up one loaf into two if one is to much and just take out half a loaf.

LizEstelle

For what it's worth, standard sliced loaf (if you want to trust that salt-laden stuff) defrosts pretty well at normal room temperatures. Going the extra mile, you can defrost it a couple of slices at a time by using a toaster for a short blast. You have to judge it well so that it doesn't actually dry - but some people quite like having their sandwiches with warm bread!

gelato_cat

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to try it again.

I think half the trouble when I was young was that we used to defrost in the microwave sometimes and the bread went soggy.

Suze

Smashing

We always just take it out the night before and leave it on the draining board.

For toast, it's straight from freezer to toaster/grill.

V.Lucky

I find it goes soggy if it has been in the freezer for too long.

I would say a maximum of 3-4 weeks before it goes manky and is not nice defrosted and goes dry and soggy at the bottom.

lil_me

I freeze it as we eat different breads, freeze it in small useable portions (my sons is in 4s 2 for toast and 2 for packed lunch) and then take it out as I need it.

You aren't mean't to leave it in the freezer for more than a month.

Mine just defrost on the bench or in the fridge in the summer.

madauri

It takes such a short time to have bread defrosted that it is no use to microwave it - unless you like it soggy, that is.
Just take it out of the bag some time before needing it.