I'm making some whole wheat bread, the recipe makes 2 loves. 1 will last me a week, last time I left it in the pan, covered it with foil and put the baked loaf in the fridge. I'm wondering at what point in the process can I freeze one of the loaves for later use. After it's punched down and risen a second time and divided into the pans? I'm guessing after I divide it and put it in the pan to rise again, I could just pop one into the freezer for next week and then thaw and let it rise as normal, correct?
Bread baking question --Freeze dough?
- Thread starter mattl
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After you punch it down and re shape it, wrap in saran and freeze it. It will rise again after it thaws. You might want to spray it with Pam before wrapping in case the saran wrap gets sticky
After the first proofing when you are dividing the dough to make two loaves, wrap one tightly in cling wrap and then in foil, or put the wrapped loaf in a plastic bag and remove as much air as possible before putting it in the freezer. I haven't worked with frozen bread dough in many years but I seem to recall that after you take the dough out of the freezer and put it in the pan it will take 6-8 hours or longer to thaw and rise before it's ready to bake.
It's a funny coincidence to come across this thread today since I'm making a weekly batch of bread myself. I eat closer to two loaves in a week and it costs less to bake it myself than buy comparable multigrain artisan style bread in the store.
It's a funny coincidence to come across this thread today since I'm making a weekly batch of bread myself. I eat closer to two loaves in a week and it costs less to bake it myself than buy comparable multigrain artisan style bread in the store.
What's wrong with baking both loaves and then putting one in the freezer? I'm not one to risk killing the yeast by freezing it and hoping it will rise after it thaws.
Henry- can you post your multi grain recipe? I've moved from white flour to whole wheat but would like to expand my bread repertoire..
lordkenmore
Well-known member
I'd probably just bake everything at once, and then freeze extra loaves after they've cooled. It seems more convenient than dealing with frozen bread dough.
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
The yeast won't be killed from freezing, just inactivated. Once it starts to warm it will come reactivate, but not as strongly as it was before. When you freeze dough, your bread will be slightly denser, and it doesn't have that yeasty smell and taste that fresh bread has as some of the alcohol is inhibited.
My Mom used to make refrigerator rolls where you put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. You then take them out in the morning punch it down and let it rise again. The dough will still proof, but the rolls are more dense and it takes about four hours at room temperature to proof.
Mom liked to do these before a dinner as she could mix it up the night before and have it ready for dinner the next day. She would freeze the dough balls if she had more than are needed at once. She would divide the dough and put them on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen she would put the balls in a zip lock bag. When needed she took them out to proof at room temperature and once fully risen baked as normal.
My Mom used to make refrigerator rolls where you put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. You then take them out in the morning punch it down and let it rise again. The dough will still proof, but the rolls are more dense and it takes about four hours at room temperature to proof.
Mom liked to do these before a dinner as she could mix it up the night before and have it ready for dinner the next day. She would freeze the dough balls if she had more than are needed at once. She would divide the dough and put them on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen she would put the balls in a zip lock bag. When needed she took them out to proof at room temperature and once fully risen baked as normal.
mrb627
Well-known member
Short Bake
Wonder if you could short bake the extra loaves by 15 minutes or so. Then cool and freeze.
When ready, pop back in the oven for 10 minutes or so and they would be just baked fresh.
Malcolm
Wonder if you could short bake the extra loaves by 15 minutes or so. Then cool and freeze.
When ready, pop back in the oven for 10 minutes or so and they would be just baked fresh.
Malcolm
This time I opted to take it to the point i put it in the pan, my recipe has the dough rolled out to a 7x14" rectangle then rolled up. At that point it wrapped it in plastic and put it in a freezer bag. i got most of the air out, but odds are it will only be in the freezer a week or so.
Learned something with this batch. Last time was the first time I made this bread. The result was a firm, dense loaf that was great with a soup or stew and just as good toasted. This time i let the final rise time get away from me and the result is a soft puffy bread, that if I made it the first time I never would have made again. Glad I froze one loaf. I'm still one the low end of the learning curse with bread baking, it's a slow climb up the slope when I only use a loaf a week...
Learned something with this batch. Last time was the first time I made this bread. The result was a firm, dense loaf that was great with a soup or stew and just as good toasted. This time i let the final rise time get away from me and the result is a soft puffy bread, that if I made it the first time I never would have made again. Glad I froze one loaf. I'm still one the low end of the learning curse with bread baking, it's a slow climb up the slope when I only use a loaf a week...
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
Wonder if you could short bake the extra loaves by 15 minute
Why, yes you can. These are how Brown & Serve rolls are preapared. You can do the same at home.
Why, yes you can. These are how Brown & Serve rolls are preapared. You can do the same at home.
mrb627
Well-known member
Sour Cream Biscuits
I do the same thing with my Sour Cream Biscuits. Under bake by 2 or 3 minutes. Then drop them in a freezer bag. They will keep in the fridge for a week to 10 days. 45 seconds in the microwave and you would never think they weren't freshly baked.
Malcolm
I do the same thing with my Sour Cream Biscuits. Under bake by 2 or 3 minutes. Then drop them in a freezer bag. They will keep in the fridge for a week to 10 days. 45 seconds in the microwave and you would never think they weren't freshly baked.
Malcolm
