The best way to thaw frozen bread depends on what you froze. Slices go straight into the toaster, or sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. A whole loaf thaws in its bag on the counter in about 3 hours, or in a 325°F oven in 20 to 30 minutes, and a crusty loaf gets a few minutes at 350°F at the end to bring the crust back.
That is how to defrost bread you bought fresh and froze yourself. Par-baked frozen bread, like the loaves and croissants we ship, works the other way around: you do not thaw it at all, you bake it straight from the freezer. Below: each method with times and temperatures, a chart by type of bread, how to keep thawed bread from turning soggy or stale, and how our frozen breads and pastries are meant to go from freezer to oven.
Which method should you use?
Start with two questions: is the bread sliced or whole, and how soon do you want to eat it? This chart sums up the usual home methods for bread that was fully baked before it was frozen.
| What you froze | Fastest way | Hands-off way | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliced sandwich bread | Toaster, from frozen, with a minute or two more than usual | Counter, about 30 minutes | Take out only the slices you need |
| Rolls and buns | Oven at 325°F, about 5 minutes to start, then a few more minutes if the center is still cold | Counter, about 1 hour | Split them before toasting |
| Whole sandwich loaf | Oven at 325°F, 20 to 30 minutes | Counter in its bag, about 3 hours | Larger loaves and cool kitchens take longer |
| Crusty loaf, sourdough or baguette | Oven at 325°F until soft in the center | Counter, then a few minutes at 350°F | The oven is what brings the crust back |
| One slice, right now | Microwave, 15 to 25 seconds, wrapped in a damp paper towel | Not needed | Eat it right away: it hardens as it cools |
Times are a starting point. The size of the bread, how tightly it was wrapped and the temperature of your kitchen all change them.
How to thaw frozen bread on the counter
Room temperature is the simplest method. It needs no equipment, only a little planning.
- Leave the bread in its bag or wrap, so it does not dry out while it thaws.
- Set it on the counter, away from the stove or a sunny window. Slices need about 30 minutes, rolls about an hour, a whole loaf about 3 hours.
- Check the center. Press the middle: if it still feels cold or firm, give it more time.
- Refresh a crusty loaf. Once thawed, warm a sourdough, rustic loaf or baguette in a 350°F oven for a few minutes. Tent it with foil if the crust is already dark.
An overnight thaw works too: take the loaf out before bed, still wrapped, and it is ready for breakfast. Avoid thawing bread in the refrigerator: the fridge dries bread out faster.
How to thaw frozen bread in the oven
Heat thaws bread faster, and it does something room temperature cannot: it softens the crumb again. As bread stales, its starch firms up; warming it reverses much of that, which is why a loaf warmed in the oven comes out springy and close to fresh.
Whole loaf
- Heat the oven to 325°F.
- Unwrap the loaf and set it on a baking sheet or directly on the rack.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the center is soft and fully thawed.
- For a crisper crust, run a little water over the bottom of the loaf before it goes in. The water turns to steam and keeps the crust from drying out.
Slices, rolls and half loaves
Lay slices on a rimmed baking sheet and warm them at 325°F for about 5 minutes. Rolls and pieces of baguette are thicker, so they usually need longer: check the center and add a few minutes at a time. A toaster oven does the same job for a few pieces without heating the whole kitchen. A half-thawed baguette slices cleanly for easy baguette crostini.
Can you put frozen bread straight into the toaster?
Yes, and for sliced bread it is the quickest way there is. Separate the slices, put them in frozen, and add a minute or two to your usual time, or use the toaster's frozen setting if it has one. If the slices are stuck together, slide a butter knife warmed under hot water between them, or leave the stack out for 5 to 10 minutes first.
Butter Croissant Loaf, toasted from frozen
Croissant dough baked as a wide sliced loaf. Take out one slice, toast it straight from the freezer for 90 to 120 seconds, and keep the rest frozen. One of the 4 to 12 packs in your box.
See the Croissant LoafHow to defrost bread in the microwave (only when you are in a hurry)
The microwave works, but it is the least forgiving method. It warms bread unevenly, and the slice that comes out soft and steamy turns hard and chewy within minutes.
- Wrap 1 to 4 slices, or a single roll, loosely in a damp paper towel.
- Microwave on high for 15 to 25 seconds for a slice, then in 10-second steps if it is still cold in the center. A roll can take 30 to 45 seconds.
- Eat it right away, or use it for something that will be cooked again, like a grilled sandwich.
Keep the microwave for slices and single rolls: it heats unevenly, which makes it a poor fit for a whole loaf. A loaf baked from frozen is ready for sourdough garlic bread.
How to keep thawed bread from going soggy or stale
- Thaw only what you need. Thawing and refreezing the same loaf hurts its flavor and texture. If you know you will eat a loaf a few slices at a time, slice it before it goes in the freezer.
- Keep it wrapped while it thaws on the counter, then unwrap a crusty loaf before it goes in the oven so the crust can dry and crisp.
- Warm only what you will eat at that meal, and keep the rest of the loaf frozen until you need it.
- Revive a dry loaf with water and heat. If a thawed loaf has dried out, wet its underside under the tap, cover the cut end with foil and bake it at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Bread that is truly hard is better turned into croutons or breadcrumbs.
How you wrap and store a fresh loaf before it ever reaches the freezer is a topic of its own; here we start from bread that is already frozen. Once thawed, see how long sourdough keeps on the counter.
Par-baked frozen bread: why you should not thaw it
Some frozen bread was never fully baked. Par-baked bread is baked most of the way, then frozen, and the last part of the bake happens in your oven. That is how the bread we sell is made: our breads and pastries are par-baked and frozen, and you finish them at home. The rule for them is simple: no thawing required. They go from the freezer straight into a hot oven or toaster, as we explain on how it works.
Each product has its own instructions, so here is how the main ones bake, taken from each product page:
| Product | From the freezer to | Time | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sourdough Loaf and the other organic sourdough loaves, ciabatta | Oven at 430°F, directly on the middle rack, no baking sheet | 16 to 23 minutes | Rest at least 20 minutes before slicing |
| Parisian and Traditional Half Baguettes | Oven at 450°F, directly on the middle rack, no baking sheet | 6 to 10 minutes | Rest 5 to 10 minutes |
| The Pioneer Sourdough and Superseed Pioneer Sourdough | Oven at 450°F, directly on the middle rack, no baking sheet | 6 to 10 minutes | Rest 5 to 10 minutes |
| Butter, chocolate, almond and Nutella croissants, cinnamon rolls | Oven at 425°F, on a baking sheet, middle rack | 5 to 7 minutes | Cool at least 5 minutes |
| Butter Croissant Loaf (wide sliced) | Toaster | 90 to 120 seconds | Watch it: the crumb browns fast |
| Sandwich White (sliced) | Toaster | 1.5 to 2 minutes | Ready to use |
| Cro'Gel | Sliced in half, toaster | 1.5 to 3 minutes | Until crispy |
The rest is part of the bake. A sourdough loaf keeps baking during those 20 minutes on the cooling rack, so wait before you slice it. In our parbaked bread collection, the sourdough loaves and the ciabatta follow the 430°F instructions, but the half baguettes, like the Parisian Half Baguette, and the two Pioneer sourdoughs bake hotter and shorter, at 450°F for 6 to 10 minutes: always read the instructions of the product in your hands. Baker's tip from those pages: run a little water over the back of the loaf before it goes in, for a crust that is crisp without turning too hard.
For the sliced breads, there is nothing to plan at all. The Butter Croissant Loaf and the organic Sandwich White go into the toaster frozen, one slice at a time, and the rest of the pack stays in the freezer. Our burger buns, from the sandwich breads collection, are sliced and toasted in a pan with a little butter.
A sourdough loaf you bake from frozen
Organic sourdough, par-baked then frozen. No thawing: 430°F directly on the rack for 16 to 23 minutes, then rest at least 20 minutes. Add it to your box.
See the Sourdough LoafThe exceptions: muffins and brownies
Our muffins and brownies are the only products we suggest thawing. Their product pages recommend leaving them on the kitchen counter for 2 hours, out of their packaging. If you cannot wait, warm them on a baking sheet in a 370°F oven: 10 to 15 minutes for the muffins, 7 to 10 minutes for the brownies, then let them cool for 5 minutes. You will find them with the cookie dough in our baked goods.
How long does frozen bread last?
For bread you froze yourself, freezing slows staling a great deal, but quality slowly drops the longer it stays there: wrap it tightly, press out the air and use it sooner rather than later. Signs it has stayed too long are dry, pale patches and ice crystals inside the bag (freezer burn). It is still usable, but it is better toasted or used for French toast or croutons than served plain. Still deciding whether a loaf is worth freezing? Read can you freeze bread, and how to do it well.
For our products, our FAQ says the sealed packaging keeps them bakery-fresh for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Shop the bakery
Questions about thawing frozen bread
How long does it take frozen bread to thaw at room temperature?
About 30 minutes for slices, about 1 hour for rolls and buns, and about 3 hours for a whole loaf, depending on its size and the temperature of your kitchen.
What is the best way to defrost frozen bread quickly?
For slices, the toaster, straight from frozen. For a whole loaf, a 325°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. The microwave is faster still, 15 to 25 seconds for a slice, but the bread hardens quickly as it cools.
How do you defrost bread without it getting soggy?
Skip the microwave and let the bread thaw wrapped, at room temperature. Then crisp a crusty loaf in the oven, unwrapped, for a few minutes at 350°F.
Do you need to thaw par-baked bread before baking?
Not ours. Our par-baked breads go straight from the freezer into a hot oven: no thawing required. For another brand, follow the instructions on its package. For our loaves, croissants and baguettes, follow the temperature and time on each product page. Croissants that went a day too long make great croissant French toast.
Can you refreeze bread after it has thawed?
Each round of thawing and refreezing hurts the texture and flavor of the bread. It is better to freeze bread in portions and take out only what you will eat.
Want to see how our bread goes from our kitchen to your freezer and your oven? Read how My Fresh Baguette works.