How To Freeze Sourdough Bread
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Baked a beautiful loaf of sourdough but can’t finish it all? Freezing sourdough bread is the perfect way to lock in that fresh-baked flavor and enjoy it later without any waste.
Freezing Sourdough Bread
If you’re like me and kinda, sorta, hopelessly hooked on baking sourdough bread, there will come a time in your life that your family cannot keep up to the baking schedule, and storing sourdough short term won’t keep you ahead.
So… what do I do when we have too many loaves of sourdough bread kicking around? I freeze it!
Bread, in general, has a pretty long freezer life and resiliency. Sourdough bread freezes beautifully, and when done properly, the crust, texture, and flavor are nearly as good as fresh. As an added bonus, the freezer helps to extend the shelf life of your bread, facilitate making/baking in advance, and avoids food waste.
This how to freeze sourdough guide is dedicated to hopelessly hooked.
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Tips
- Sourdough is made without preservatives, which means that it won’t last as long as store-bought bread, but that isn’t a problem, we just need to get creative on how we store it!
- This one is tough, but wait until your loaf is fully cooled – like 2-3 hours post-baking, before slicing it. If the loaf is sliced while still warm, the crumb you worked so hard for has the tendency to get sticky and gummy, and it won’t improve while in storage.
- Need to store your sourdough short term? I’ve got a guide for that too!
- Always bake an extra loaf of sourdough, it saves on effort and you can always freeze one for later! It’s awesome to have a variety of different sourdough loaves in the freezer when cravings strike.
- Always, always try to freeze your fresh bread within 12 hours of baking for best quality. It can certainly be frozen after the 12 hour window, but the thawed result is far superior when it’s frozen at the height of it’s freshness.
How To Freeze A Loaf Of Sourdough Bread
In my opinion, this is the best way to freeze sourdough. This method works for whole or half loaves.
Keeping the bread whole makes for less work, and actually, a better final result.
- Allow the bread to cool completely at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours. It’s important to ensure there is no residual heat in the center of the loaf, as that will create condensation and freezer burn.
- Tightly wrap the sourdough loaf in 2 layers of plastic wrap.
- Slide the loaf into a large freezer-safe bag, I use inexpensive plastic bags that I can buy wholesale from a local restaurant supply store, but a large ziplock bag would work too.
- Place the wrapped and bagged loaf into the freezer for up to 3 months.
How To Freeze Individual Slices
This method takes a bit more effort upfront, but it really pays off in future use, especially for sandwich bread. It’s so much quicker to thaw a slice of bread or two for sandwiches than a whole loaf. I also find it much easier to grab a slice or two from the freezer and pop it straight in the toaster for a quick breakfast!
- Allow the bread to cool completely at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours.
- Slice the sourdough into ½-inch thick slices, using a serrated knife.
- Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper, making sure they’re not touching. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the slices are frozen.
- Once frozen, transfer the sourdough slices to a large freezer-safe ziplock bag or airtight container. Label and date the bag, then place it back in the freezer for up to three months.
Thawing Frozen Sourdough
Defrosting your homemade bread is easier than actually freezing it!
Sliced:
To use your frozen sliced sourdough, simply remove as many slices as you need from the freezer and let them thaw in a sealed bag at room temperature until warmed through.
Whole:
To enjoy your sourdough loaf, simply pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap before slicing and serving.
I like to take it out in the morning to have around dinner, or even take it out and leave it on the counter overnight.
If you’re super ambitious, you can “refresh” your frozen sourdough too! See the section below for more information.
Refreshing Frozen Sourdough
This method only works with an intact loaf of bread, it may work on half loaves, but I’ve not attempted!
After the sourdough has thawed, it can be refreshed. Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat the oven to 375f
- Spritz the entire loaf with water, don’t be too cheap but don’t be overly generous and soak the loaf to sogginess either.
- Place the loaf into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove loaf from the oven and allow to cool on a wire mesh cooling rack before slicing.
Thoughts From The Crave Kitchen
Freezing sourdough bread is a great way to extend the shelf life of your loaves and avoid food waste. Whether you’re baking too much or love to batch bake, freezing sourdough is a great storage method for any baker!
In my opinion, freezing a whole or half loaf of sourdough is superior to slicing before freezing. This method gives predictable results and thaws to a near-fresh loaf. Sliced sourdough can also be frozen, and while it is quicker to thaw a slice than a whole loaf, the thawed quality is less and it is best used for toast, french toast, or grilled cheese.
No matter which method you choose, be sure to let your bread cool completely before freezing and label your freezer bags with the date so you can keep track of how long it’s been in the freezer.
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