Part baked bread can be a real life saver when you’ve run out of fresh bread but don’t want to spend hours making and proving your own dough. But, what is the best way to store part baked bread?
Can You Freeze Part Baked Bread?
Yes, you can freeze part baked bread for up to 1 month. The best way to do this is to keep the rolls sealed within their original packaging, before placing the whole package into the freezer. Alternatively, remove the rolls, and wrap them individually in a layer of cling film, ensuring that it seals.
Do Does Part Baked Bread freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Part Baked Bread? No
How to Freeze Part Baked Bread
Knowing the best way to freeze part-baked rolls will enable you to keep food safe and ready for a long time. Weāre going to write out instructions here for an opened pack. If the pack is unopened, though, it can simply be placed into the freezer.
- Remove the rolls from their packaging – Taking each individual rolls out of the packaging will ensure that you are able to wrap them up more securely and evenly. In turn, this will reduce the chances of freezer burn sets in, as youāre establishing a distinct environment for the rolls.
- Portion out the rolls – Portion out the rolls into portions that youāll be able to eat, as the rolls really shouldnāt be refrozen. Freezing them in portions will allow you to thaw and eat them as efficiently as possible, leading to a totally filling meal with little waste.
- Wrap in a layer of cling film – Wrap the rolls in a layer of cling film, ensuring that each roll is totally wrapped, with no exposed surface. On top of that, make sure that each roll is sealed, and that the cling film has stuck down to itself very well, regardless of the size of the film or the roll. This will also secure the moisture of the roll, preventing freezer burn
- Freeze in the center of the freezer – Freezing the rolls in the center of the freezer will keep them as far away as possible from the frost front that tends to form at the edges of the freezer. In turn, this will allow the rolls to be kept away from freezer burn, as frost is the conduit through which freezer burn tends to spread.
3 Tips for Freezing Part Baked Bread
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing part baked bread to have the best results:
Check the Cling Film Seal
The cling film sealing well is an important part of ensuring that the rolls freeze well. The reason for this is that if the moisture of the rolls is allowed to balance with the moisture of the freezer, itās likely that youāll end up with rolls that have absorbed a lot of water, ruining their texture.Ā
Avoid Ice Forming!
If any ice forms on the rolls, itās very likely the water within the rolls themselves will then become frozen, which will damage the structure of gluten and starch cells within the rolls. In turn, the final texture of the bread rolls will be greatly damaged, leading to a poor final eating experience.Ā
Don’t Bother?
Part baked bread tends to have a long shelf life, often 3 months if not longer. Part baked bread will only last in the freezer for a month so you’ll actually shorten the life by putting it in the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Part Baked Bread?
You can freeze part-baked rolls for up to 1 month. The reason that they canāt really be frozen for any longer than that is that the rolls have a high air content.
Over time in the freezer, the air bubbles within the rolls will condense to water and then freeze into ice. This will lead to terrible freezer burn, and complete destruction of the texture.
Part baked bread does not need to be kept in the fridge. Instead, it should just be kept in a cool, dark cupboard where it will often keep for 3 months, if not longer.
How Do You Defrost Part Baked Bread?
The best way to defrost part-baked rolls is to leave them in a cool, dry place for two hours or more. This should be plenty of time for the ice to thaw, allowing you to place them into the oven.
Avoid placing the rolls into the fridge overnight, as that will thaw and dry them, leading to final rolls that are much less moist and enjoyable than they otherwise could have been.
Can You Refreeze Part Baked Bread?
No, you canāt really refreeze part-baked rolls.
The main reason for this is that while it would be totally safe to thaw and refreeze the rolls, their air and water content would damage the delicate gluten structure within them.
Therefore, once thawed and refrozen, even if only once, the rolls will be damaged, and their final texture will be less enjoyable.
Does Part Baked Bread Freeze Well?
Yes, part-baked rolls do freeze well.
The reason for this is that their final crunchy, soft texture is developed when theyāre cooked after being thawed. This process isnāt hampered by the freezing, allowing you to ensure that your rolls are tasty.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing part baked bread or bread in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can cook more part baked bread directly from the freezer with no need to thaw them out. Most part baked breads will take between 15 and 20 minutes to cook through from frozen.