Baking Calculations?

**Grainlady** · 07-30-2009, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by schellie69

Thanks for the advice I found the betty crocker recipe already I was not going to make that to freeze I have a different recipe that I got from another post on frugal village, she has made it and froze the dough before so it tested, so that was the bread I was going to make, I have tried to freeze already made bread and it comes out either to dry or to mushy. the family wont eat it. So going to try freezing the dough, I also use 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour I found that doing it that way seems to work the best, I would love to buy organic flour but can not find it at a decent price around here so I buy the next best thing and work with what I have. I do appricate all the information You gave me I checked out the web site for the sour dough starter and I am thinking about sending off for it. So once again thanks for the info.....

If you are getting frozen bread that "comes out either to[o] dry or to[o] mushy", then you may well be storing it incorrectly in the freezer. I freeze ALL breads and never have this as a problem. I just put 2 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread in the freezer and it will be just as good as 1-day old bread when it's thawed. We only use 1-loaf per week and I make 3 at a time.

This is what I teach in my bread classes: Frozen breads require 2 coverings. First wrap the bread in plastic wrap and make sure it's tightly fitting over the bread. The less air the loaves are exposed to, the better. Use two layers of plastic wrap, if necessary, to get a good coverage. The tight fit will help prevent moisture migrating from the crumb of the bread to the crust, and eventually into the air, which will cause ice crystals forming. The second layer you need to wrap the bread in is foil. With those two coverings you will not have ice crystals that thaw and make the bread "mushy", and more moisture will remain in the crumb of the bread - especially if you use honey in the bread.

If you still experience ice crystals forming, then be sure to dump them out of the packaging BEFORE letting the bread thaw.

Hope this helps with your frozen bread problem.

**schellie69** · 08-02-2009, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Grainlady

If you are getting frozen bread that "comes out either to[o] dry or to[o] mushy", then you may well be storing it incorrectly in the freezer. I freeze ALL breads and never have this as a problem. I just put 2 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread in the freezer and it will be just as good as 1-day old bread when it's thawed. We only use 1-loaf per week and I make 3 at a time.

This is what I teach in my bread classes: Frozen breads require 2 coverings. First wrap the bread in plastic wrap and make sure it's tightly fitting over the bread. The less air the loaves are exposed to, the better. Use two layers of plastic wrap, if necessary, to get a good coverage. The tight fit will help prevent moisture migrating from the crumb of the bread to the crust, and eventually into the air, which will cause ice crystals forming. The second layer you need to wrap the bread in is foil. With those two coverings you will not have ice crystals that thaw and make the bread "mushy", and more moisture will remain in the crumb of the bread - especially if you use honey in the bread.

If you still experience ice crystals forming, then be sure to dump them out of the packaging BEFORE letting the bread thaw.

Hope this helps with your frozen bread problem.

once again thanks for the information but I am going to stick to freezing the dough have tried everyway to feeze already made bread, I have double wrapped it and tried every other way I have heard of the bread still comes out either to dry or to mushy, so now will just try freezing the dough. I am sick of wasting money and time on bread that the family wont eat and I have to either throw to the birds or throw out, so frozen dough is the way I am going to go now or just make the potatoe bread and put it in fridge and use as I need it, thanks agin for info.

**Shelli_wnj** · 08-03-2009, 10:31 AM

Pam,
I have not yet tried freezing dough, how do you bake it after frozen? Do you bake from frozen, or let it defrost and proof first. Also, do you let it rise before freezing? Thanks!

**schellie69** · 08-03-2009, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Shelli_wnj

Pam,
I have not yet tried freezing dough, how do you bake it after frozen? Do you bake from frozen, or let it defrost and proof first. Also, do you let it rise before freezing? Thanks!

Its like the frozen bread in the store that u can buy, You let it thaw and rise then bake, I have not tried the recipe that I got from frugal village but the person who posted it said that it worked great and she had been making and freezing dough with this recipe for years, I also have a recipe for spam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typed house wife web site that is supposed to be fail proof, I am going to try that one also to see which I like best just need to get house caught up and get it done will probably try to do that one a weekend when DH is home to watch grand baby, I will post and let ever one know how it went.

**chevy_chick95** · 08-03-2009, 11:09 AM

Grainlady your knowledge is outstanding! What great resources you provided.

Schellie- I have tried freezing bread dough and it works just fine. Just can't leave it in there too long. But if your family is using a lot of bread like you said that shouldn't be an issue.

Also you really should try to betty crocker potato fridge dough it is awesome!! I love having the dough made and all ready to go at the drop of a dime! Highly recommend it

**schellie69** · 08-03-2009, 11:29 AM

That is my plan for the this week if everything goes as planned (praying it will lol)

**littleplum** · 09-16-2009, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by chevy_chick95

Grainlady your knowledge is outstanding! What great resources you provided.

Schellie- I have tried freezing bread dough and it works just fine. Just can't leave it in there too long. But if your family is using a lot of bread like you said that shouldn't be an issue.

Also you really should try to betty crocker potato fridge dough it is awesome!! I love having the dough made and all ready to go at the drop of a dime! Highly recommend it

A big ol' SECOND on the BC potato dough. It's so great to have fresh dough available for a whole week, without having to mix it up each day! I start making that dough around the holidays, when we tend to have people over more often.