How Long Can Frozen Bread Last Before Going Bad?

The answer to how long bread will keep in your freezer without going bad depends very much on your definition of the phrase "going bad." If bad bread, to you, means mold-covered, funky-smelling, and posing a threat of foodborne illness, the good news is, frozen bread will never, ever get this way. The United States Department of Agriculture assures us that all food kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below will be safe to eat indefinitely. If, on the other hand, you define "bad" as a slight drop-off in quality, the answer may vary depending not only on the bread but also on your perception.

According to the USDA, frozen store-bought or bakery breads will retain a relatively fresh taste and texture for up to three months. Other estimates have it lasting up to six months, while some folks on the internet admit to freezing bread for a year or more and say it tastes fine. I'm firmly in the year-plus camp; I may well have loaves in my freezer that are older than that, but I don't have any intention of throwing them out. When and if I do get around to defrosting them, the bread can always be toasted or repurposed in a recipe even if it's not still bakery-fresh. There's a lot you can make with leftover loaves, after all –  anything from making homemade croutons (stale bread is the best type for this) to stuffing a turkey to turning it into French toast casserole.

When it comes to both freezing and thawing bread, the technique you use may vary depending on whether it's something artisanal you picked up at a chichi boulangerie or a loaf of supermarket sliced stuff. In the former case, you may wish to chop that big hunk of bread into more manageable pieces, or even into individual slices, so you only need to thaw as much as you're going to eat at one time. Wrap each hunk or slice in a double layer of plastic or a heavy-duty freezer bag.

When you're ready to eat it, you can actually skip the thawing process and reheat a frozen loaf in an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes (a partial loaf will take less time). Frozen bread slices are even easier to deal with since these can just be zapped in the microwave for about 15 seconds or popped straight in the toaster.

If you're talking about the sliced store-bought bread that costs just a few bucks a loaf, all you need to do here is keep it in the bag it came in and add a second plastic bag on top for extra protection. When you need the loaf, take it out of the freezer and stick it in the fridge. If you want to make a sandwich right away, you can use the microwave or toaster to take the chill off a few slices; otherwise, the bread slices will thaw on their own in the refrigerator.