Freezing bread is the easy part. Thawing it well is where most people lose the loaf.
Thaw it wrong and you get a soggy crust, a dry crumb, or a slice that's frozen in the middle and burnt on the edges. Thaw it right and frozen bread comes out tasting close to the day it was baked.
There are three good ways to do it. Which one you choose depends on two things: how much time you have, and what kind of bread it is.
The quick guide
| Method | Best for | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | Whole or half loaves, soft breads | 3 to 4 hours | Soft, evenly thawed |
| Oven | Crusty loaves, rolls, and any bread you want warm | 10 to 40 minutes | Crisp crust, warm inside |
| Toaster | Slices and bagels | A few minutes | Toasted, ready to eat |
Method 1: The counter
Best for: Whole or half loaves when you have a few hours. Especially good for soft sandwich loaves and enriched breads that you don't want crusty.
How to do it:
- Take the bread out of the freezer and leave it sealed in its bag.
- Set it on the counter for about 3 to 4 hours for a full loaf, less for a half loaf or rolls.
- Once it's fully thawed, unwrap it.
Why keep it sealed? As frozen bread warms, moisture condenses on it. If the loaf stays in its bag, that moisture goes back into the bread. If you unwrap it first, the moisture collects on the crust and turns it soggy.
Make it better: For a crusty or sandwich loaf, thaw it out completely, then run the crust under water, next give it 20 minutes in a 350°F oven. The crust crisps right back up and the whole loaf tastes like fresh baked bread.
Plan ahead: Pull it out in the morning for dinner, or before bed for breakfast.
Method 2: The oven
Best for: Crusty loaves, rolls, and baguettes, or any time you want warm bread and don't have hours to wait. This method gets you closest to fresh-baked.
Straight from frozen (whole loaf):
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Unwrap the loaf and place it directly on the oven rack.
- Bake for roughly 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, until it's warm all the way through.
- Check the center before slicing. If it's still cold, give it a few more minutes.
Already thawed but a little firm:
- Run the outside of the loaf under the tap for a few seconds, just enough to wet the crust. Don't soak it.
- Bake at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes.
The water turns to steam in the oven and softens the inside, while the heat re-crisps the crust.
For soft breads and rolls: Wrap them loosely in foil before they go in. The foil keeps the outside from getting too crisp while the inside warms. Dinner rolls usually need 10 to 15 minutes.
Method 3: The toaster
Best for: Sliced bread and bagels, when you only need a little at a time.
How to do it:
- Take out just the slices you need. No need to thaw.
- Toast them straight from frozen. You may need a slightly longer setting or a second round.
Bagels: Slice them in half before freezing. Then they go straight into the toaster, cut side in, with no thawing and no wrestling a frozen bagel with a knife.
For a soft sandwich slice instead of toast: Let frozen slices sit on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes. They thaw fast because they're thin.
What about the microwave?
It works in a pinch for a single slice or roll. Wrap it in a damp paper towel and heat it for 10 to 15 seconds at a time. But eat it right away. Microwaved bread turns tough and chewy as it cools. If you have a few extra minutes, the oven or toaster is better every time.
The one place not to thaw bread: the fridge
It seems like the careful choice. It isn't.
Bread goes stale fastest at refrigerator temperatures. Thawing a loaf overnight in the fridge means it spends hours at exactly the temperature that dries it out. Thaw on the counter or in the oven instead.
Thawing starts with freezing
How you freeze bread decides how easy it is to thaw.
- Freeze it fresh, the day it's baked or the next day. Freezing pauses staling, but it doesn't undo it.
- Cool it completely first so steam doesn't turn to ice on the crust.
- Decide now how you'll eat it. Whole for a family dinner. Sliced for toast and sandwiches. Halved if you want something in between.
- Seal it airtight to keep out freezer burn.
(For the full how-to, read our guide to freezing sourdough bread.)
After it's thawed
Treat thawed bread like a fresh loaf. Keep it on the counter in a breathable bread bag and plan to eat it within a few days. Avoid refreezing it. Every freeze and thaw costs a little more moisture and texture.
What we use
The loaves we're saving go in the freezer in a Crust Keeper, our reusable freezer bag sized for a whole homemade loaf. Its heavy-duty seal keeps out freezer burn, and because it's sized for real bread, the loaf goes in whole with no crushed crust. It also does double duty during counter thawing: leave the loaf sealed inside while it comes to room temperature.
Once it's thawed, it moves to the counter in a Beeswaxed Bread Bag for the rest of the week.
Freeze it fresh. Thaw it sealed. Crisp it in the oven.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to thaw frozen bread? For a whole loaf, leave it sealed on the counter for 3 to 4 hours, then run under water and crisp it in a 350°F oven for 10 to 20 minutes. For slices and bagels, toast them straight from frozen.
Can you put frozen bread directly in the oven? Yes. Unwrap it and bake at 350°F for about 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, until it's warm in the center.
How long does it take to thaw bread on the counter? About 3 to 4 hours for a whole loaf, and less for half loaves, rolls, or slices.
Should you thaw bread in the fridge? No. Bread goes stale fastest at refrigerator temperatures. Thaw it on the counter or in the oven.
Can you refreeze thawed bread? It's best not to. Each freeze and thaw costs moisture and texture.
