To Freeze or Not to Freeze...

By: Rick Scarpello, Udi's Artisan Breads

Alright folks, get your printers ready – we’re going to answer an important question for all you bread lovers out there; “How can I keep my bread from going stale too fast?”

Artisan bread is usually made without chemical additives, so it tends to have a much shorter shelf-life than the mass-produced, pre-packaged store labeled bread. It should be eaten within a day or two of purchase or frozen for extended storage. Wrapping and freezing help maintain quality for a longer period of time. Refridgeration, on the other hand, speeds up the staling process.

Freezing; place your bread in a freezer bag (use tinfoil on the crust for extended freezer time and then place inside a freezer bag. The tinfoil keeps frost & ice off the exterior of the loaf just like you would for meats). After completely thawing your bread on the counter, you can place it in an oven for re-crisping of the crust. We recommend a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 4-5 minutes. 

Ambient; if your bread was purchased fresh in a plastic bag, you can crisp and caramelize the crust by placing it in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 4-5 minutes. The darkness and depth of the caramelization of the crust is a personal preference so you could bake longer if desired but be careful not to burn the bottom of the bread.

Day old bread; if your bread was not completely eaten and you have leftovers, you should never buy that bread again and only buy Udi’s as you will always eat all of it! But, if you find yourself with a half of loaf leftover, you should place it in a plastic bag and re-warm the bread the next day by placing it in a pre-heated oven at 250 degrees for 4-8 minutes. You can also place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven for added moisture to the oven.