Can I freeze my selfmade focaccia?
In my family I am well known for baking a great focaccia bread, but soon I won't be able to bake for some time, so my idea was to bake a big batch and put it into the freezer. Will that work or will the texture and taste of the focaccia change big time?
I know some people freeze their bread, but the one time I tasted such bread (wholemeal) it wasn't that nice, but I am not sure if it was because of the freezing or because the bread was just rubbish. Also, a focaccia is not a wholemeal bread, so I guess any conclusions based on that experience would be wrong.
Best Answer
You can freeze (as < 0 °C / 32 °F) bread and it will last longer. As @FuzzyChef answered, there's even a whole "just baked bread" industry using that method.
The main problem with taking a piece of bread at room temperature and freeze it, is that it must go through the 0~5 °C / 32~41 °F zone. That is the temperature at which bread stales faster (as starches degelation). So, one should try the bread to be at that temperature the least possible time (maybe having small pieces of bread, or having a freezer at the lowest temperature as possible).
The same applies when you defrost the bread. Luckly, that degelation is, up to a point, reversible: If heated above 60 °C / 140 °F it will gelate again. So, better than letting warm up at room temperature, you can put it in an oven or a toaster.
Side note 1: remember to cut the focaccia before freezing it.
Side note 2: frozen bread industry helps itself with this.
Pictures about "Can I freeze my selfmade focaccia?"
Quick Answer about "Can I freeze my selfmade focaccia?"
Almost any kind of bread freezes well. Foccacia is no exception, and if your recipe has a high olive oil content, that will even help it resist staleness from freezing and thawing. I suggest that you underbake the loaves you plan to freeze slightly (such as by 5 minutes).Does focaccia bread freeze well?
You can freeze focaccia bread, and it freezes well. Like regular bread, all you need to do is wrap it well using plastic wrap, a freezer bag, or both (if you're freezing your focaccia for the long term). Like many other baked goods, including bagels or bread, focaccia freezes perfectly without extra prep.Can homemade focaccia be frozen?
Homemade focaccia bread will keep for two or three days if you use this method. Freezer: Cut your focaccia into squares and flash-freeze it. Place your bread pieces on a parchment paper\u2013lined baking sheet so that they have space in between them. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for up to two hours.How do you reheat a frozen focaccia?
To reheat focaccia, simply place on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 375 degrees until it is crispy and hot (if frozen, thaw the focaccia on the counter first).How do you store leftover focaccia?
The best way to store focaccia is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the pantry, where it'll last up to 2 days. To freeze focaccia, wrap it in plastic wrap or place into a freezer bag.HOW TO PROPERLY FREEZE THE PIZZA DOUGH
More answers regarding can I freeze my selfmade focaccia?
Answer 2
Almost any kind of bread freezes well. Foccacia is no exception, and if your recipe has a high olive oil content, that will even help it resist staleness from freezing and thawing. I suggest that you underbake the loaves you plan to freeze slightly (such as by 5 minutes). This allows you to reheat them by baking them at full temperature. This is called par-baking, and bakeries which ship frozen bread (such as La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles) use this technique to ship fresh-tasting frozen bread. Also, make sure to wrap the bread tightly to minimize ice crystals.
Answer 3
The best way is to par bake the bread (until it's solid but not browned - about 50% of the cooking time) then freeze. If you let the par baked bread cool to room temperature and then freeze it unwrapped until it is hard. Once it's frozen wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap) and aluminium foil
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Hanbo Wang, Aleksandar Pasaric, Francesco Ungaro, Ruvim Miksanskiy