Ultimate Guide to Freezing Bread

Learn how you can freeze bread with this Ultimate Guide to Freezing Bread. Learn the steps to freezing unbaked and freshly baked goods for meal planning ahead!

I love fresh bread… but I don’t always love the time it takes to prepare it!

Which is quite the conundrum since cooking for the freezer is one way we can be more efficient in the kitchen!

But did you know you can freeze bread?! The catch is…

• How do you freeze sliced bread? Biscuits? Cookies?
• Do you bake it first? Or just freeze the dough?
• What about the rises? What about dealing with yeast? Will my bread still turn out the same?
• Is freezing bread going to be a big waste of time, money, and energy?!?!

I’ve wondered all those questions myself, so I did some research, a little bit of experimenting (hello delicious cookies!), and created the Ultimate Guide to Freezing Bread, Dough, and Other Baked Goods. You’ll want to save this post for reference later for sure because we’re leaving no stone unturned to stock our freezers full of delicious home-baked goodies!!

Ultimate Guide to Freezing Bread, Dough and Other Baked Goods

Freezing Traditional Bread (unbaked)

1. Prepare the recipe as directed through the first rise and shape into loaves.
2. Line the baking pan with plastic wrap, place shaped loaves into the pan, and freeze overnight.
3. Remove from the baking pan, wrap with the plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze.

To bake, place the frozen loaf of bread into the same baking pan, greasing the pan first. Cover with the same plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm place to thaw and rise until doubled in size, approximately 4-6 hours. Watch the dough, as the time for this will vary depending on the environment. As soon as the dough has completed its second rise, bake.

Note: If your bread falls during the baking process, it rose too much during the second rise. Because of this, don’t thaw the dough in the fridge.

Recipes to Try:

• Soaked Whole Wheat Bread
• Little Bother Oat Bread
• No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread
• Whole Wheat Einkorn Sourdough Bread
• No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Bread

If preparing rolls or buns, follow the same instructions as above except shape into rolls and freeze on a baking sheet. Remove frozen rolls to a freezer-safe bag for storage. This is my favorite hamburger recipe!

Freezing Traditional Bread (fresh baked)

1. Allow bread to cool completely; slice as desired.
2. Wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe plastic bag for storage.
3. To eat untoasted, remove the desired number of frozen slices and allow them to thaw up to 5 minutes. There is no need to thaw if you want to eat the bread toasted.

Alternatively, you can freeze whole loaves of bread without slicing first, although I find the bread to be more crumbly if I slice after freezing.

• Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
• Beer Bread
• Parmesan Twists
• 90 Minute Man Bread
• The Best White Sandwich Bread

Freezing Quick Breads & Muffins (unbaked)

1. Prepare the recipe as directed and line a loaf pan with plastic wrap (or line a muffin pan with silicone muffin liners).
2. Pour batter into the pan and freeze overnight.
3. Remove batter from the pan, wrap with plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze.

To bake, remove frozen batter from the plastic wrap and place it in the same loaf pan originally used, greased first. Place in the oven and bake as directed, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time as needed.

Whether it’s a loaf or muffins, you CAN thaw the batter overnight in the fridge.

Favorite Muffin Recipes

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Carrot Bread
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Freezing Quick Breads & Muffins (baked)

1. Allow bread to cool completely; slice the bread into pieces as desired.
2. Wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag for storage.
3. To serve, remove the desired number of pieces (or muffins) and allow them to thaw up to 5 minutes.

More Awesome Muffin Recipes

• Zucchini Bread with Carrots and Apples
• Banana Nut Muffins with Crumb Topping
• Banana Bread Muffins
• Corn Dog Muffins

Freezing Biscuits & Scones

1. Prepare the recipe as directed through the shaping step.
2. Place on a non-stick baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
3. Remove to a bag/container for long-term storage.

To bake, remove the desired number of biscuits and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Note that every biscuit recipe is different, so if your biscuit does not rise well when you go from freezer to oven, try letting the biscuit thaw for 30-60 minutes before baking.

• My Favorite Biscuit Recipe
• Cranberry Orange Scones
• Mini Chocolate Chip Scones (Gluten-Free!)
• Homemade Bisquick

Freezing Pie Crusts

1. Prepare the recipe as directed, but do not roll out.
2. Gather the crust into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.
3. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze.

To bake, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out as usual.

You can also prepare the recipe as directed AND roll out into a pie plate. Freeze both plate and dough in a freezer bag, remove excess air, and freeze. To bake, place frozen pie crust into the oven and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time. No need to thaw first.

• My Pie Crust Recipe

Freezing Tortillas

1. Prepare the recipe as directed.
2. Allow tortillas to cool completely.
3. Freeze for 1-2 hours in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Place items in a freezer-safe container and return them to the freezer.

Homemade Tortilla Recipes

• Corn Tortillas
• Flour Tortillas
• Cassava Flour Tortillas (gluten-free and Paleo)

Freezing Pita Bread

1. Prepare the recipe as directed through the first rise.
2. Divide the dough into desired portions and wrap loosely in plastic wrap.
3. Place into a freezer-safe container and freeze.

To bake, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. When the dough is thawed, roll out into rounds and proceed with the remainder of the recipe.

• Homemade Pita Bread

Freezing Pizza Dough

Here is a link to our post on freezing pizza dough with step by step instructions on freezing and thawing your dough!

• My Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe
• Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread

Freezing Pancakes & Waffles (unbaked)

1. Prepare the recipe as directed and pour it into a freezer-safe bag.
2. Remove excess air and freeze.
3. To use, thaw batter overnight in the fridge.
4. Snip off the end of the bag and pipe pancakes on a preheated griddle, skillet or waffle iron.

Homemade Pancake Recipes

• Soaked Pancakes
• High Protein Pancakes

Freezing Pancakes & Waffles (baked)

1. Prepare the recipe as directed and allow food to cool completely.
2. Place items on a baking sheet, in a single layer.
3. Freeze for 1-2 hours.

Place items in a freezer-safe container and return them to the freezer.

More Pancake & Waffle Recipes

• Classic Strawberry Pancakes
• Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles
• Easy Paleo Almond Flour Pancakes

Freezing Cookies (unbaked)

1. Prepare the recipe as directed.
2. Scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours.
3. Place items in a freezer-safe container and return them to the freezer.

To bake, remove the desired number of cookies and bake according to the recipe directions, adding 2-5 minutes as needed.

For slice-and-bake cookies, prepare the recipe and shape the dough into a log as directed. Freeze the log in a freezer-safe bag. To bake, allow the dough to warm to room temperature so you can slice without cracking the dough. Slice and bake as directed.

For cut-out cookies, prepare the recipe and shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. To bake, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge in the bag. Then allow it to come to room temperature until warm enough to roll out and cut.

Amazing Cookie Recipes

• Vanishing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Molasses Breakfast Cookies

Freezing Cookies, Brownies & Cakes (baked)

Cookies: Prepare recipe as directed and freeze in freezer-safe bags. To serve, thaw at room temperature, still in the wrapping.

Brownies: Prepare recipe as directed but do not cut into servings. Double wrap and freeze. To serve, thaw at room temperature, still in the wrapping. Once thawed, cut into serving sizes and serve.

Cakes: Prepare the recipe as directed and place in an air-tight container. To serve, thaw the cake overnight in the fridge. Then allow the cake to come to room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Note: If possible, freeze cupcakes or cakes unfrosted. You can frost them once they have thawed in the fridge, and then again thawed at room temperature.

More Amazing Cookie Recipes

• Healthier Candy Cane Cookies
• Healthier Sugar Cookies
• Homemade Yellow Cake
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Homemade Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Brownie Cake

Additional General Freezing Guidelines

• Whenever possible, freeze foods unbaked so that they can be baked fresh for optimal flavor.
• Wrap foods twice if they will be frozen for longer than two weeks, in order to prevent freezer burn. Use a combination of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer-safe bags, and containers. Remember that your second layer can be reused over and over again.
• Remove as much excess air as possible whenever freezing. This maintains freshness in the taste of your foods.
• Always label your food with the label visual on the outside. A piece of paper between aluminum foil and plastic wrap, sharpie on a freezer-safe bag, or masking tape on a container all work well.
• Freeze on a non-stick surface when possible. Lining your pan with parchment paper will help to prevent the food from sticking to the pan as well.
• In general, dough with yeast turns out better after it has gone through one rise before freezing. Adding an extra teaspoon of yeast will help make the yeasted dough rise better on the second rise.

Do you need more meal plans and ideas for making freezer meals for your family?

Here is my One Hour Freezer Cooking Session: Dump Dinner Recipes, and my One Hour Freezer Cooking Meal Prep: Breakfasts.

How familiar are you with freezing baked goods? Did I miss any important tips? Please share them in the comments below!

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