In French culture, it’s customary to bake or buy freshly made loaves of bread each day. In the Western side of the world however, it’s quite the opposite. Western breads are made to last anywhere from one to two weeks and often feature several preservatives.
In some parts of the west fortunately there are French bakeries that sell freshly baked bread and other baked goods, one of the most popular being baguettes. Now, a traditional baguette will only remain fresh for up to eight hours, and they can be quite pricey. But, what if you have left over baguette? What then?
Well, continue reading as we take a look into how to get the best bag for your buck by preserving your left over French bread/baguette as long as possible.
Can You Freeze French Bread (Baguette)?
The answer is yes. Freezing a baguette or French bread will extend its shelf life anywhere from 6 weeks up to 3 months. When packaged properly, it will freeze with no significant change in the taste or texture. Baguettes that are not packaged properly can dry out and become crumbly once thawed.
You Might Like: Guide to Freezing Bread Properly
How to Freeze Baguettes – A Step-by-Step Guide
To maximize the freshness of frozen baguettes/French bread, it is best to get one that was freshly baked. This will ensure that once it is thawed, it will retain the same taste and texture.
Because the quality of baguettes degrades so quickly, there isn’t any use in freezing a day old one as the quality would have already diminished considerably.
Steps for Freezing a Baguette
- Allow the freshly baked baguette to cool before preparing it to freeze.
- So, once you have your cooled fresh loaf, the next step will be to secure it in an airtight container. A large Ziploc bag works perfectly, however, if you do not have a Ziploc, then wrapping the loaf in foil at least twice should do the trick.
- When using plastic wrap or aluminum foil to wrap the bread, ensure that there are no air pockets surrounding the loaf.
- Place it in the freezer, preferably towards the back where the temperature remains most constant.
How to Thaw Frozen French Bread/Baguette
When you are ready to use your frozen French bread, it will have to be thawed.
For simplicity, you can remove the baguette from the freezer and let it sit and defrost at room temperature. It should take around 30+ minutes for it to thaw and be ready for use.
Another quick thawing method is to reheat frozen French bread in the oven. This will take around 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
You Might Like: Guide to Freezing Croissants
Wrapping it up
It is a quick and easy process to freeze French bread. The key is ensuring that you use a fresh baguette and that it is packaged properly for the freezer.
Now that we have reached the end of this article, I wanted to hear from you.
Did this article fully answer all the questions you had as it relates to freezing a baguette/French bread? Was there anything we missed?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
