Best Way To Defrost Bread | What’s The Right Method?

Whether buying or making homemade bread is your thing, freezing bread is a handy trick. But how to defrost bread the right way to keep your bread fresh tasting. Well, you might think this is simple, right?

Well, there are actually a few options, and what’s great is they don’t require a lot of effort but produce outstanding results!

Freezing bread: The choices

Before we go through the steps for the best way to defrost frozen bread, let’s first talk about the best way to freeze it. There are two options, freezing in slices or as a whole loaf:

Freezing slices

If you only require a few slices at a time, freezing your bread in slices is much easier. The defrosting process is much quicker than whole loaves, and there’s much less waste this way!

To freeze your bread in slices, place two or three slices into a zip-lock freezer bag, write a date on the bag and place it in the freezer.

Freezing whole loaves

But if you’re in a larger family or want to serve a whole warm loaf at your next dinner party, freeze it whole.

Wrap it in a large freezer, slicing it into two if your bags aren’t big enough. These plastic food storage bags make neat work if you freeze bread often!

TIP: To protect your bread from freezer burn, double wrap it with a second bag, aluminium foil or place it in a cardboard box.

How to defrost bread on the counter

To defrost slices of bread

To defrost, remove a bag of bread slices and place it on the counter for 2-3 hours, keeping the slices in the bag.

If excess moisture appears, place the slices on a piece of kitchen roll and cover them with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents the bread from drying out, whilst the kitchen paper soaks up any excess moisture.

To defrost a loaf of bread

A whole loaf will release more moisture than slices, so removing the loaf from the packaging first is best.

When defrosting an entire loaf of sliced bread, keep the packaging on.

Then, place it in a draft-free environment, such as a bread box, for 3-4 hours.

For best results, reheat your frozen bread

Reheating frozen bread locks in moisture and makes the bread taste much fresher than simply defrosting on the counter. It’s faster, too!

The only downside is consuming the bread within a couple of hours is best. Otherwise, it can turn quite dry and hard.

Defrosting frozen slices quickly

The best way to defrost slices of bread is at room temperature, but sometimes we don’t have the time. Thankfully, the microwave will work, too!

Just take out the many slices you need. Place them on a microwave-safe dish or plate.

Cover with a sheet of kitchen paper, and heat on a high setting for 15 to 20 seconds. 

Inspect and repeat the short bursts until you end up with soft, ready-to-eat slices of bread.

Reheating a loaf of bread

The best way to defrost a whole frozen loaf is to “refresh” it in the oven.

First, preheat your oven to 410F (210C). Bread that is already “well coloured” requires a lower temperature of 350F (180C).

Once your oven is up to temperature, unwrap the loaf and place it directly on the oven shelf. 

Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the bread. Small rolls and bagels will only need 5-10 minutes.

If you wish, spray the oven with water from a water mister to create steam for a crisp and shiny crust.

Tip: If you find that the bread darkens quickly, reduce the temperature of your oven. 

To check that the bread is fully defrosted, poke a hole in it with a metal skewer. If ready, the skewer should go through easily and feel warm when removed.

For optimum accuracy, insert a temperature probe into the core of the bread. It should reach 131F (55C) for ultimate refreshment.

TIP: If you are going to freeze whole loaves of bread, under-bake them slightly. This way, the bread will have more moisture and be fresher after it’s reheated.

What Does Re-baking Bread Do?

When bread is at room temperature, the starch particles will change their structure to become more like their rigid, pre-baked state.

Freezing slows this process down, but once bread is thawed, the starch retrogrades into a weakened state, expelling water in the process.

By refreshing bread in the oven, more water is retained in the bread, making the outside crispy and keeping the centre moist.

Freezing also dampens many of the bread-like aromas we associate with freshly baked bread.

The fresh, bready aromas and flavours are brought back to life by reheating.

The bread tastes, smells and feels almost as good as when it came out of the oven the first time!

How to freshen up stale bread

To retain as much freshness as possible, it’s best to freeze bread as soon as it’s cool. But sometimes, we forget and find a hardish loaf in the bread bin a few days later.

But don’t worry, you can still get a decent meal out of it!

To refresh stale bread, run it under the tap to soak up water, wrap it in aluminium foil and bake at 180C (150F).

After around 10 minutes, your bread should be soft again.

Remove the foil and continue baking for a few more minutes if you want a crispy crust.

Get Baking In Bigger Batches!

Making bread is a timely and precise process. Thankfully, you can make bread in larger batches and freeze them.

Now you know how to defrost bread in the oven – you can have that warm, fresh bread taste whenever you want!

NOTE: Alternatively, you can follow my tips on how to make dough rise faster to speed up the rising process and make bread fresh on the day.

Ending thoughts

Freezing bread is perfect for impromptu sandwiches, unexpected guests and more. Since discovering these simple hacks for defrosting bread, I always have a loaf or a few slices of homemade bread in my freezer.

You never know when you are going to need it!