The Fresh Loaf

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Bread as a gift: freeze the loaves or the dough?

Beans's picture
Beans

Bread as a gift: freeze the loaves or the dough?

Good afternoon. So far everyone has been fantastic at answering questions, so here I am again. Now, I know that loaves can be kept pretty well when frozen and that dough is often refrigerated to slow the rise. What I do not know is the best way to tackle my new project. I used to bake fresh loaves off and on during my last two years of college, but since graduating I have access to a better kitchen and have started making a lot more. As a gift to my girlfriend I am hoping to make her a number of sandwich loaves and freeze them. She is not much of a bread baker herself, but like anyone else she loves fresh bread. So, what is the best way to manage this? If I can freeze dough that gives her the freedom to make other sorts of bread and the smell of fresh bread. If I were to freeze dough, how should I do it? Let it rise and then freeze it, make the dough and freeze it straight away? Or would it really be better to make the loaves? Keep in mind that the dough might be frozen for a period of several weeks. Anyway, thanks for the help. Sorry if the post is full of typos, repeats or weird formatting, I am typing on a phone trying to make sure said girlfriend does not read what I am writing. --- Jeremy

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Hi Jeremy - 

You mentioned your girlfriend isn't much of a bread baker, so why not just bake, deli wrap the loaves once they've cooled completely, then decorate each one with a post-it note containing your private message for the day.

If you freeze the dough, she will have to thaw it, shape it, pan it, proof it, preheat her oven, and bake it.  And be tied to her kitchen while all that's going on.

Bread that's baked and fresh frozen just needs to be removed from the freezer and thawed.  It still tastes quite wonderful and your GF can always pop the loaf into her oven to awaken that freshly baked bread fragrance, should she wish.

She's a lucky gal!

Ford's picture
Ford

I agree with LindyD in every respect

Don't burden the her with the decisions and and the work.  For us it is a labor of love, for her it will be just a labor.  Besides she just might give in to the temptation of cutting into the hot loaf fresh out of the oven.

Ford

Ford's picture
Ford

I have tried to delete this duplicate three times.  I give up.

Beans's picture
Beans

Well, thank you very much. On reflection and after reading the replies, I agree that it would be best to just bake loaves and freeze them. Once again, sorry for the formatting on the first post. It turns out phones do a rather poor job of posting.

Depending on my work schedule I should be visiting at least once a month, so I'll bake her a couple and see how long it takes for her to use them up. I can certainly bake a variety of things as well.

 

Thanks again.