Bread lovers, rejoice.
Who doesn’t cherish a chewy slice of bread? From light, fluffy challah to hearty quarantine sourdough, we always have a loaf or two in our pantries. How else would we construct a decent club sandwich?
It’s a sad yet unavoidable truth, however, that a good loaf is a double-edged sword. Unless you’re feeding a crowd, you’ve got to eat fast lest your bread goes stale or, even worse, grow mold. Naturally, you can freeze bread; however, that isn’t always easy. Sliced bread often freezes poorly and becomes icy. Whole loaves, on the other hand, are a pain to thaw and are usually too big of a portion.
We should have known that Food Network star and coastal style icon Ina Garten would have a quick and elegant solution. In 2019 she talked to Food and Wine about her own personal approach to this deceptively difficult — and deeply important — issue.
According to Garten, the trick to good frozen bread is to cut a loaf into several fat wedges. Wrap those chunks in plastic wrap, then freeze. Next time you’re having charcuterie or need to sop up excess sauce from a dish of spaghetti, you can pull out a wedge and leave it on the counter to thaw — or, if you’re really thinking ahead, thaw it in the fridge overnight. If you’re pressed for time, though, there’s no need to stress: The Food and Wine piece mentions that sticking the wedge in a 325 degrees oven for 15 minutes should do.
This solution is so on-brand for Ina Garten: Near effortless and oh-so subtly chic. The Barefoot Contessa’s charm is so contagious that all we want to do now is pour a glass of white wine and luxuriate in some delicious, summery cuisine.
