Thawing out bread is easy to do and fast, if you use the right technique.
Putting bread in the freezer is an excellent way to keep it fresh. Bread takes less time to thaw out than meats or other heavier foods as it is lighter and less dense. Bread can be kept in the freezer between two and three months safely, but once you have thawed bread out, it needs to used quickly as it will soon start to degrade once exposed to room temperatures. A regular loaf of bread should last between two and three days after being thawed out. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Microwave Method
The fastest way to thaw out bread is to use the microwave. If it is sliced bread, place as many slices of bread as you can fit on a plate without overlapping them. Place them in the microwave and put the microwave on the defrost setting. Don't be tempted to put it on a heat setting as the temperature will be too hot and the bread will cook. Set the time to four minutes but check every minute or so to ensure the bread had not become too warm. If it is a loaf of bread, place it in a paper bag, put on a plate in the microwave and defrost for four to eight minutes checking after four minutes to see how much more time it needs. Loaves of bread come in different shapes and sizes so you have to make judgments regarding the defrosting time.
Cold Water Method
Place your loaf or slices in a watertight plastic bag; make sure it is firmly sealed and no water can enter. Run the cold tap in your sink and place the bag under the tap turning it often to ensure all sides get covered. Using cold water ensures you do not make the bread mushy when it starts to thaw. If you wish you can just fill your sink with cold water and place you bagged bread in the sink and let it sit for 30 minutes. The turning process is simply to circulate the water; the more water that circulates, the faster the bread thaws.
Room Temperature Method
Place your loaf or slices of bread on a plate, cover with a cloth or a fly net to ensure they are safe from pests. Leave them to thaw naturally at room temperature, how long this takes will depend on the size of the loaf; if they are individual slices they should thaw fairly quickly, usually 30 minutes or less. This method is fine for baked items but do not use this method for thawing fish or meats as bacteria will thrive at room temperature. This method is even quicker with the aid of a fan; air that is circulating thaws the bread more quickly.
Metal Pan Method
Place your bread in a metal pan or on a metal plate and leave it at room temperature. The metal is a good conductor of heat and so the bread will thaw out more quickly if it is placed on a metal surface. Heavy copper or aluminum pans work best and provide quicker results.
Tags: Method Place, Method Place your, Place your, between three, bread place, bread plate