How To Freeze Sourdough Bread {includes instructions for refreshing frozen sourdough}

Want to know the best way to freeze sourdough bread? This guide will show you exactly how to store it, plus how to refresh frozen loaves so they taste just like freshly baked bread.

Freezing sourdough is a simple way to always have delicious, fresh bread on hand, almost like keeping a little sourdough bakery in your freezer. With the right method, you won’t lose quality or texture, and in some cases, the flavor can even improve.

And it’s not just bread you can freeze, did you know you can also freeze sourdough starter for up to 12 months? If you’re curious about other ways to make the most of your sourdough, you might also enjoy my guides on how to mail sourdough bread and how to dehydrate your starter.

Why Freeze Sourdough Bread?

A stash of frozen sourdough bread can be a convenient way to ensure you always have sourdough available when you want or need it, even when you have a busy schedule!

Due to it's long fermentation time, sourdough bread is not a quick process to navigate. Working full time, raising kids or just having a lot of social commitments can sometimes mean that baking sourdough bread daily can get a little tricky.

The good news is that sourdough bread freezes exceptionally well! Freezing freshly baked sourdough bread means that you can enjoy delicious sourdough anytime - and it will be just like fresh baked (unless it's been in the freezer for a very long time). Plus, remember that baking multiple loaves of sourdough at once isn't much more work than just one loaf, so you can eat one now and freeze the rest! Bulk fermentation, bulk baking, it's all good!

Having some frozen sliced sourdough bread in the freezer will also ensure you can have a bit of variety in your week. A few slices of sourdough fruit bread on a Monday, sourdough Jalapeño Cheese on Tuesday ... you get the idea, right?

How To Freeze Sourdough Bread

The process of freezing sourdough bread is a fairly simple. You want to freeze the sourdough, keeping it fresh while avoiding freezer burn. You also want to ensure that you reduce any deterioration to crust and crumb as much as possible.

In creating this post, I have tested many methods of freezing sourdough bread, from wrapping in aluminum foil, beeswax wraps, freezer bags, plastic wrap, ziplock bags, as well as combinations of these. And you know what I find to be the easiest and most effective way of freezing sourdough bread? A ziplock bag!

Here's how I freeze a whole, uncut loaf of sourdough bread:

• Make sure the sourdough bread has cooled fully before you wrap it for freezing. You want to leave the entire loaf to cool for at least 6 hours after removing from the oven.
• Place the cooled sourdough bread into a large zip loc bag. Seal it tightly, removing as much air as possible.
• If you have a vacuum sealer, use the "seal only" function. Sucking all the air out of the bag will squash your sourdough bread. It might not recover when you open the bag.
• Place the bagged sourdough bread into the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

How Long Can You Freeze Sourdough Bread For?

Sourdough bread can be frozen for up to 2 months without losing superior texture and taste. It will last in the freezer for longer than this. But it will deteriorate in texture and taste after this 2 month period (although this can be prevented with the right packaging).

If you are going to toast it, you will not notice the change in taste or texture. In this case, leaving it for up to 6 months will be fine.

If you are planning on eating your bread untoasted, I would recommend using it within the 2 month time period.

How To Thaw & Refresh Sourdough Bread

Sourdough that has been frozen can be refreshed. If done correctly, the revitalised sourdough will taste fresh baked!

How to refresh frozen sourdough bread (these instructions are for a whole, unsliced sourdough loaf):

1. Once you've removed your loaf of sourdough from the freezer, allow your bread to thaw at room temperature.
2. When it's thawed, unwrap the sourdough and spritz it all over with water mist. Don't worry about using too much water, it will not go soggy.
3. Place your damp sourdough bread into a hot oven for 5 minutes.
4. Remove sourdough from oven and use as normal.

Refreshing frozen sourdough means you do not have to wait for it to cool down before you slice it. You can slice into it warm because the bread has only been reheated and the cooking process has already finished. These small batch sourdough loaves are the perfect size for the freezer!

How To Freeze Sliced Sourdough Bread

If you only use a slice or two when making breakfast or you just need some sandwiches during the week, slicing your sourdough bread prior to freezing is a good idea. That way you can take what you need from the freezer, without wasting the whole loaf.

To freeze sliced sourdough bread, follow these instructions:

1. Lay your slices onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Place into the freezer for around 15 to 30 minutes (you just want the outside to freeze at this point).
2. Place the cut slices into a plastic bread bag or ziplock bag.

Snap freezing the slices means that they will not stick together. You can take out one piece at a time.

If this is not an option, place a piece of parchment paper between each slice. Or freeze one or two slices in smaller zip loc bags for convenience.

Frozen slices of sourdough are best toasted. You can toast the sourdough directly from the freezer.

I love having a few different types of sourdough sliced in the freezer. It means I never get bored and I've always got something delicious to pop in the toaster. Sourdough cinnamon swirl bread and sourdough cheese bread both freeze really well.

Tips for Freezing Sourdough Bread

Always cool completely before freezing - Freezing warm bread traps steam, which causes freezer burn and soggy crusts once thawed. Patience pays off (just like baking sourdough bread really)!

Don’t overbake loaves you plan to freeze - Leave the crust slightly lighter (a little under-baked). When you refresh it in the oven, it will crisp up perfectly without being too hard.

Freeze in portions you’ll actually use - If your family eats a whole loaf quickly, freeze whole. If not, freeze half-loaves or slices so you’re not defrosting more than you need.

Rotate your freezer stash - Label loaves with dates and try to use them within 2 months for the best flavor and texture. Older bread is fine for the toaster or making sourdough croutons. You could even turn it into sourdough bread crumbs.

Common Problems & Solutions

While freezing sourdough bread is a fairly simple process, here are some tips to help ensure you end up with the loveliest sourdough bread, straight from the freezer and you can overcome any problems that arise with the process.

• Sourdough bread tastes stale after thawing: Likely wasn’t wrapped tightly. Double-wrap and squeeze out air before freezing.
• Loaf feels soggy when defrosted: Bread wasn’t fully cooled before freezing. Always cool completely.
• Crust too tough after reheating: It may have been baked too dark before freezing. Try pulling loaves earlier if freezing is the plan, then you can finish them off in the oven when reheating.
• Slices stuck together in the bag: Skip this by snap-freezing slices or using parchment between them.
• Bread freezer-burned: Wrap more securely (aluminum foil + bag), or use a reusable airtight container. Although in my experience, bread won't get freezer burned if you're only leaving it in the freezer for a few months.

Freezing Other Sourdough Baked Goods

You can freeze most types of sourdough based baked goods in the same manner as you would freeze an entire sourdough loaf. Some sourdough goods will be better frozen before baking, but most sourdough items can be baked first. They can then be frozen to be thawed and used at a later date.

Some examples of sourdough baked goods that can be frozen after baking are:

• Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
• Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies (or sourdough cookie dough)
• Sourdough Garlic Bread Bites
• Sourdough Dinner Rolls and Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls
• Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

I created this guide to the best sourdough discard recipes for freezing, as well as the ultimate guide to freezing sourdough pizza dough.

Frequently Asked Questions

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