Panettone is the ultimate Italian Christmas treat. But if you have opened one and don’t want it to dry out or bought a chunk of them, you’ll want to know how to store them for the long term.
Can You Freeze Panettone?
Yes, you can freeze panettone for up to 3 months. You can freeze the panettone whole or in slices. The method is similar for both approaches, you simply need to wrap it in cling film and then store it in a sealed, freezer bag.
Do Does Panettone freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Panettone? No
How to Freeze Panettone
When it comes to freezing, you gave a couple of options. You can freeze the whole panettone if you know you want to defrost and use the whole thing in one go over Christmas.
However, if you would prefer to thaw out and use a few portions at a time instead, we will look at how you freeze panettone in portions too.
Let’s take a look at how to freeze panettone:
How to Freeze Whole Panettone
If you have a whole, uneaten panettone and know that, in future, you’ll want to defrost a whole panettone then this is the method for you to use:
- Allow it to Cool: The secret to keeping frozen panettone as fresh as possible in the freezer is in the wrapping! So, make sure your panettone has cooled completely if you have baked it at home and then grab some cling film.
- Wrap: You need to wrap the entire panettone in cling film. Wrap it at least twice to keep the air from getting at the panettone.
- Wrap Again: Add a third layer of tin foil. This helps keep it a little fresher in the freezer.
- Label: Label with the date and name to know exactly what is in the freezer and when it needs using by.
- Freeze: Pop into the freezer and freeze.
How to Freeze Slices of Panettone
If you have leftover panettone or are unlikely to eat a whole panettone then this is the method to go for when freezing panettone:
- Slice: Slice your panettone into thick slices. Thick slices will freeze better than thin slices.
- Wrap: You need to grab cling film for this one too. Wrap each slice a couple of times to keep them airtight. Even if you want two or three slices in one go, it is best to wrap them individually. This makes it much easier to use the panettone and stop the pieces from sticking together.
- Place Into a Bag: Pop your wrapped slices of panettone into a freezer bag. Seal the bag tightly and label it with the date and contents.
- Freeze: Pop the bag into the freezer and freeze.
How to Store Panettone
An unopened panettone will actually keep for weeks, if not months. The problems arise when you start opening it and cutting into it. Within a few days, the panettone will dry out.
Once opened, the panettone should be kept in a cool, dry and dark place that is away from temperature changes and any sunlight. It should be kept in a good-quality Ziploc bag, and it will keep for around a week at room temperature.
There is no need to put leftover panettone in the fridge.
If you need to keep panettone for longer than a week, then the only option is to freeze it. Fortunately, it does freeze quite well.
Assuming that it is stored correctly, once opened, panettone will only last for between 7 and 10 days before it completely dries out and becomes unpleasant to eat.
3 Tips for Freezing Panettone
Now you know how to freeze panettone, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing them to have the best results:
Consider Portions
If you’re a big family or have a family get-together, you might consume a whole panettone, so it makes sense to freeze it. However, if you know you’ll only eat a slice or two then take the time to slice it up and freeze it in portions.
Double Wrap
To protect the panettone from the elements as much as possible, it’s a good idea to double wrap it in both cling film and foil.
Toast from Frozen
If you have cut your slices small enough, you can toast them using the defrost function of your toaster. This will give your crisp, crunchy panettone that will be begging for some butter.
How Long Can You Freeze Panettone?
Like most bread and cake-based products, you can keep panettone in the freezer for around three months. After this date, the panettone should still be safe to eat, but it is unlikely to taste as good, and you risk it going stale.
If there are signs of spoiling when you take the panettone out of the freezer, then you should be safe and throw it away.
How Do You Defrost Panettone?
To defrost panettone, the best option is to take it out of the freezer and either pop it into the fridge or on the kitchen counter to thaw out. If you have chosen to freeze a whole panettone, this could take several hours.
If you have chosen to freeze slices of panettone, you may not even need to defrost it. These slices taste delicious when toasted so you can take a slice out of the freezer and pop it straight into the toaster or under the grill.
Before long, you’ll have delicious panettone that is crisp and tasty as a snack or even for a treat at breakfast.
This isn’t a food we would recommend that you microwave to defrost. This can cause the texture of the cake to become moist or even rubbery if you overdo it.
Can You Refreeze Panettone?
Panettone is one of those foods that freeze reasonably well the first time but doing so again is likely to change the texture too much, and it could even make the panettone stale or spoil.
For this reason, we wouldn’t recommend you refreeze panettone and use it up instead!
There are some great recipes out there that can make use of leftover panettone. You can make a great bread and butter pudding or turn it into a delicious alternative to a crumble topping.
Does Panettone Freeze Well?
How well panettone freezes will depend on how well you wrapped it before freezing. Any air getting to it might make it stale in texture and taste.
You may find that it can become a little moist due to the water content freezing and then thawing, but you can always crisp it up in the oven, under the grill or even by popping slices into the toaster.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing panettone or panettone in general, then these may help:
Panettone is a mixture of bread and cake, but if you have a panettone cake, you will be glad to know that you can freeze it. Wrap individual slices of the cake in cling film, place them into a bag and then freeze.
Bread and butter pudding can actually be elevated by using panettone instead of plain, white bread slices. Prepare your pudding as you normally would, then wrap the dish in clingfilm and store in the freezer. It’s that simple!
If you’ve made your own panettone but don’t want to bake it all then the good news is that you can also freeze panettone dough. Portion it out, place it into airtight containers and seal before freezing.
Wrap in clingfilm isn’t a good idea ever. All soft plastic contains strong carcinogens that should never be ingested. Particularly unsafe during heating in the microwave.
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