From cinnamon and raisin to poppy seed through to a simple, plain bagel – it’s hard to find a bagel that people don’t love. But the question you’ve got is, can you freeze bagels, and will they freeze well?
Can You Freeze Bagels?
Yes, you can freeze bagels for up to 6 months. The most important thing to remember is that you need to wrap your bagels to ensure they are fully airtight before popping them into the freezer.
Do Do Bagels freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Bagels? Yes
How To Freeze Bagels
You do not have to eat your bagels immediately to savour the taste. You can store them for later use. The freezing process is not rocket science, just some easy instructions to keep them sealed.
Contrary to popular belief, freezing your bagels will not make them hard to eat. The freezing process for bagels is better than refrigeration. If you refrigerate bagels, they dry out quickly and become stale.
It is recommended that you either store them at room temperature or put them in the freezer.
Here are some instructions to remember for the freezing process.
- Cool: If you have made them fresh or have bought them fresh, then they might still be warm. Before you freeze them, you’ll need to allow them to cool to room temperature. If you freeze them as warm, the sudden drop in temperature will result in ice crystals. Instead, let them cool down for a few hours.
- Slice: After the cool down, slice the bagels. This step is done beforehand because slicing bagels after freezing is harder to do.
- Bag Up: There are various storage methods for bagels. You can get Ziploc bags or an airtight container. If you go with a Ziploc, try to squeeze out the air as you are closing it.
- Freeze: As the last step, label each bag. The label will include the date and the flavour, so you do not forget.
You can divide your bags of bagel by flavour if needed. Every Ziploc will be for a different bagel. Once they are in a Ziploc, you can put each in a larger bag. It gives the bagels some extra protection to preserve the taste.
How to Freeze Bagel Dough
Bagels are also really easy to cook. There are tons of general recipes available on how to make your bagel dough. Perhaps you’ve made a batch of dough but only want to use a third of it right now. Well, can you freeze your bagel dough?
Yes, you sure can. The uncooked dough will need to be set in shape before freezing. Knock the dough well to release any air bubbles. Then wrap the dough with a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminium foil.
This dough can stay frozen for up to 3 months. When you need to take it out, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then knock the dough back again to release air bubbles. Youāre now ready to make fresh bags.
3 Tips for Freezing Bagels
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing bagels to have the best results:
Slice Before Hand
When freezing bags, if you slice them in half before you freeze them, it’s far easier to place them into a toaster to use the defrost function. That’s why we’d always recommend slicing in half and then freezing together.
Eat them Quick
Unfortunately, after just 2 weeks, the flavour will begin to degrade. They will be perfectly safe to eat, if stored airtight, for up to 6 months.
Don’t Refreeze
The only exception to refreezing is if you have the frozen dough, made bagels, cooked them and then want to freeze the cooked bagels.
How Long Can You Freeze Bagels?
For the best taste and freshness, it is recommended you eat them within 2 weeks. That being said, you can freeze them for longer.
Some people believe that you can keep them frozen within an airtight bag for 3-4 months. With a good seal, you can extend this to 6 months. Just remember, the longer you leave them in the freezer, the greater the degradation will be both in flavour and texture.
Bagels kept in the fridge will last for around 1 week before they begin to turn stale.
How Do You Defrost Bagels?
If you see ice crystals on your bagel, then start by putting them in the refrigerator. You can leave the bagels in there overnight. Then thaw it out at room temperature. It will defrost in 20-30 minutes. Now, you can get started with toasting the bagels.
Toasters are a great way to warm up your bagel. If your toaster does not have a bagel setting, just put it on high. You can toast it once or twice based on your liking. A microwave or a toaster oven is also great.
Can You Refreeze Bagels?
The general rule of thumb is that a baked or cooked product can be refrozen. It should be kept in mind that refreezing it too often might affect the taste of the bagels.
The story is different for refreezing bagel dough. As we know, the dough is uncooked. While it will be safe for eating, the refreezing process makes the dough lose some of its moisture and elasticity.
It becomes harder to cook and even harder to eat. Try to defrost only what you will need to use to avoid wasting it.
Do Bagels Freeze Well?
Yes, they do. The taste is retained for several months, and you can pull them out whenever you want a quick snack.
No frozen baked good is going to be as delicious as it would have been fresh. But frozen bagels are one of those baked products that will freeze almost as good as they would be when in the cupboard.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing bagels or bagels in general, then these may help:
The good news is that even those New York Bakery bagels you’ve bought from the supermarket can be frozen. Generally speaking, you should freeze them on the day you bought them and try to use them within a month.
