A Belgian bun is very much like a Chelsea bun, but with icing and a cherry on the top and filled with homemade lemon curd and juicy sultanas. They are a great item to make in bulk, but if you are somehow left with leftovers, what should you do with them?
Can You Freeze Belgian Buns?
Yes, you can freeze Belgian buns for up to 6 months. It is best to freeze them unbaked and then bake once you have thawed. You can also freeze them after they have been cooked, but do not glaze them!Ā
Do Do Belgian Buns freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Belgian Buns? No
How to Freeze Belgian Buns
Belgian Buns, similarly to Chelsea Buns, are able to be frozen but, for optimal results, youāre going to need to do it in the right stage of the process.
You need the dough to rise and then be frozen. If you skip the rising stage and freeze your dough immediately, the buns will turn out to be hard and dense rather than light and fluffy.
How to Freeze Belgian Bun Dough
In dough form, these buns will last for a few months but they will be best when used sooner rather than later. Here’s how to freeze dough:
- Make Dough: Follow your favourite Belgian Bun recipe all the way up until you would need to bake them.
- Grab a Baking Tray: Find a large baking tray and line with greaseproof paper.Ā
- Spread Out the Buns: Spread the Belgian buns on to the baking tray, making sure that none of the buns are touching each other to prevent them clumping together when in the freezer.Ā
- Cover and Freeze: Cover with cling film, place in a large plastic bag and freeze until you are ready to cook.Ā
How to Freeze Cooked Belgian Buns
If you have already baked your Belgian buns, you can still freeze the buns if you have leftovers.
- Allow to Cool: Before you freeze anything, you must always allow the food item to cool to room temperature so that it does not interfere with the temperature of the freezer.
- Do NOT Glaze: Leave the Belgian buns unglazed and without any icing, you will do this when they are freshly baked again. Ā
- Wrap: Wrap the buns individually in aluminum foil and then wrap again using cling film.Ā
- Freeze: Place the wrapped buns in the freezer and store for up to 6 months.Ā Make sure they are towards the top of the freezer so that nothing heavy squashes them and destroys the nice springy texture.Ā
3 Tips for Freezing Belgian Buns
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Belgian buns to have the best results:
Keep Airtight
To ensure the freshest possible Belgian buns when cooked from frozen is to make sure that your raw dough is kept as airtight as possible when in the freezer. Using several layers of cling film can help.
Use the Tin You Bake Them I
To save time and to save having to scrape out a whole tin of raw Belgian buns to then put in another tin, just freeze them in the tin that you will be baking them in!
Use Quickly
Whilst Belgian buns will freeze perfectly fine, if you have frozen raw dough, itās best to use sooner rather than later.
How Long Can You Freeze Belgian Buns?
You can freeze cooked Belgian buns for up to 6 months in the freezer. Raw dough that has been frozen will last a while in the freezer, potentially up to 3 months, but be sure to keep an eye on it. Ā
There is no need to store Belgian buns in the fridge. Instead, they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How Do You Defrost Belgian Buns?
If you have frozen your Belgian buns raw, simply remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost until soft.
Once they are defrosted, discard the wrapping, place them in the oven in the baking tin you froze them in and bake as per the recipe instructions. Then make the glaze and pour over the hot buns.
If you have frozen cooked Belgian buns, follow the steps above regarding removing them from the freezer and allowing them to defrost. You can then gently reheat in the oven for a few minutes until they are warm and delicious.
Make your glaze in the meantime and then pour over the hot buns once they have come out of the oven.
Can You Refreeze Belgian Buns?
You shouldnāt refreeze Belgian buns that have been defrosted as it will severely impact the taste and texture of the buns.
Refreezing any sort of baked goods will typically lead to a chewy, tough texture when cooked which is not what anyone wants from a Belgian bun.
Do Belgian Buns Freeze Well?
Yes, Belgian buns are surprisingly good for freezing.
Whether you are freezing them in dough form for a fresh bake when you need it, or if you are freezing ones that have already been baked, Belgian buns are the ultimate indulgence and will also last a fair amount of time in the freezer.Ā
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing Belgian buns or buns in general, then these may help:
Where possible, buns should be frozen without any icing or frosting. These are elements that will never freeze well. They will become grainy once thawed. Instead, try to freeze the buns without the icing.
