Frozen bread straight into the oven: how to do it

You forgot to take the bread out of the freezer last night, and breakfast is approaching. Good news: frozen bread can go straight into the oven without thawing first. Done well, it comes out almost freshly baked, with a crisp crust and a soft crumb.

A whole loaf: 20 to 30 minutes on the rack

Preheat the oven to 175 to 200 °C and put the loaf directly on the rack, with no bag or foil. The heat thaws it from the outside in, allowing the crust to crisp while the crumb warms. A typical 750-gram homemade loaf takes around 20 to 30 minutes. Timings vary with its size and shape, so check the centre as well as the crust. Let it rest for five minutes on a rack before cutting so the moisture can settle through the crumb.

Half a loaf or partly thawed bread takes less time: check after fifteen minutes. If you are unsure whether the centre has thawed, use a food thermometer. A centre around 60 °C indicates that plain, previously baked bread is thawed and warm; this is not a reheating rule for perishable fillings.

Rolls and sweet buns: 8 to 12 minutes

Frozen bread rolls are easy: 8 to 12 minutes at 200 °C, directly on the rack, brings back their freshly baked character. For softer sweet buns, try 6 to 8 minutes at 175 °C, checking that the middle has warmed. The full routine for sweet baking is in freezing buns, pastries and bread rolls.

Slices: let the toaster do the work

For frozen slices, use the toaster rather than heating the whole oven. They may need two rounds at a medium setting, depending on your toaster. Freeze the loaf already sliced and breakfast can be ready in about three minutes. That is why slicing before freezing is useful: read more in how to freeze bread properly.

Mistakes that make bread dry or chewy

Planning ahead this time?

You can also thaw plain bread slowly on the counter overnight, in the bag you will store it in afterwards. Breakfast is then ready without using the oven. Plain bread thawed at room temperature can be frozen again if handled properly, although repeated freezing reduces quality. See how to freeze bread properly.

Frequently asked questions