Hi All

I have baked a Double Decker Braid today, using the formula frm Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Everyday, the Soft Sandwich Bread, in the Enriched Breads section.

It is to be used at church tomorrow….want to know how best can I keep it fresh till serving time tomorrow? Do I need to freeze it , thaw it at room temp and then warm it in the oven inside a brown paper bag? Have heard that refrigeration tends to stale bread…kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Definitely do not referigerate.  Freezing will be ok, use a well sealed bag and you can re-crisp in the oven prior if you want to restore the crust.  I have NOT tried that particular bread, so it may or may not stay fresh by then.  I’d personally go with the freezer route.  The brown paper bag warming should work fine.

Thanks so much Sherrie…will let you know how it goes.

There’s certainly no problem with freezing it, but if you’re using it tomorrow, I’m not sure I’d bother.  The sandwich bread is enriched, so it won’t stale as fast as, say, a baguette.  I’ve made bread the day before, wrapped it well, then left it on the counter overnight, with it being just fine the next day and a few days thereafter.  Given how long it will take to freeze, then thaw, you’re not talking about that much time spent being frozen.

Yes Charles, froze it ‘coz I din want to take any chances…the bread tasted good on Sunday….was pretty apprehensive serving it the next day…I had increased the sweetness to counteract the lack of freshness though it din’t seem to have much of a problem…the perfect scenario would be to serve it the same day but this passed off well too…