Naan bread has taken over many kitchens as a delicious and easy-to-make breakfast or brunch treat. A common question is whether there is a way of preserving your flatbread for weeks or months without compromising taste and texture. Freezing comes to mind, but can you freeze naan bread?
You can freeze naan bread, as it provides a convenient method to preserve your flatbread for up to three months. Cover your bread with aluminum foil or place it inside a zip-top freezer bag for best results. You should freeze naan when fresh as the bread will start to go bad in five to seven days.
In this article, I will explain:
The benefits of freezing naan bread.
Outline the steps to follow to keep your bread fresh for months.
Provide guidelines for consumption and handling once your bread is out of the freezer.
Let’s get started.
Why Freezing Naan Bread Is a Good Solution
According to foodpreserving.org, freezing is the best solution to preserve your naan bread for multiple weeks or even months. Defrosting and reheating frozen naan bread offers a fast and convenient alternative to the time-consuming process required to prepare freshly-made bread.
However, concerns about lesser quality output abound like in other preservation options.
You may also be concerned that the long preservation period may negatively affect the quality. So, is frozen naan bread poorer in quality than freshly made naan bread? To answer this question, let us first discuss the two main concerns, which are taste and texture.
Texture Of Frozen Naan Bread
Home-frozen naan bread is no different than frozen naan products that you can buy in some stores or supermarkets. After freezing your naan bread in the freezer for your preferred period, you will need to defrost and reheat it before it is ready to eat.
While it might not seem like it, freezing and defrosting actually improves the texture of your naan, because it helps to soften the bread.
Sprinkling some water on your naan bread after defrosting and reheating will keep the top soft. If dryness is a significant concern for you, I recommend trying it. The results will surprise you.
Frozen Naan Bread Might Taste Better After Thawed
Taste is essentially a matter of preference. While some users crave the smell and taste of freshly baked naan bread, this does not mean that defrosted bread is of poorer taste. In fact, in addition to being delicious in its own right, defrosted naan bread offers added convenience, especially for persons with busy schedules.
My Verdict
Based on this assessment, freezing naan bread does not undermine its taste or texture.
My experience suggests that freezing naan actually improves the texture upon reheating. This, coupled with the comparative speed of preparation and the long preservation period, indicates that freezing is ideal for storing naan bread.
How To Successfully Freeze Naan Bread
The process is quick and easy, whether you freeze a few pieces of leftover naan bread to eat later in the week or are baking it in bulk at home for long-term storage. Here is how you can freeze your naan bread:
Allow the naan bread to cool after baking.
Wrap the bread tightly.
Place the wrapped bread in the freezer.
So, let’s take a closer look at these steps so that your naan bread has the best chance of staying fresh and delicious.
1. Allow the Naan Bread To Cool After Baking
It is essential to let your bread cool off properly before placing it in the freezer. Allowing ample time for cooling ensures that the starch retro-degradation cycle is complete for better texture, firmness, and a perfectly formed crust.
Adequate cooling also keeps your bread from getting moldy or soggy.
To cool your naan bread properly, retrieve it from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Leave your bread in this rested state until it reaches room temperature. This process can take 30 minutes for smaller bread or up to three hours for larger servings.
I recommend freezing your bread when it is fresh because the longer it stays at room temperature, the more it loses moisture. You want to lock in this moisture so that your bread remains soft after defrosting.
2. Wrap the Naan Bread Tightly
After your bread has cooled off, wrap your naan in freezer-safe plastic wrap or aluminum/tin foil, and then place your bread inside an airtight zip-top freezer bag. Ensure that you push out as much air as possible from the plastic bag because it contains water molecules that will crystallize during the freeze, resulting in freezer burn.
If you want to freeze a large amount of naan, consider wrapping each piece individually and placing it in a resealable freezer bag. If you don’t have as many plastic bags, there is no need to worry. You can place several pieces in one airtight plastic bag without worrying that they will bunch together during freezing.
However, culinary experts recommend double-wrapping your naan bread for best results. Place the individually wrapped bread inside a larger resealable bag. Double-wrapping protects your bread from freezer air, which can penetrate the wrap, compromising aroma quality and contributing to freezer burn.
3. Place the Wrapped Naan Bread in the Freezer
Now that you have allowed your naan bread to cool off, wrapped it neatly, and placed it safely in a resealable/zip-loc bag, it is time to put your bread inside a freezer. You are all done. According to Healthline, frozen bread can stay up to 6 months without going bad, which provides an easily reheatable snack option for several months.
Verdict
The naan bread freezing process is quick and easy. You do not need to be a culinary expert to preserve your bread by freezing correctly. Keep these three easy steps in mind whenever in doubt.
How To Thaw Your Frozen Naan Bread
If you have considered freezing naan bread, you want to either keep your leftovers for later consumption, or you have a busy schedule and don’t want to go through the long process of preparing fresh naan when the craving strikes.
Whichever the case, now it’s time to get your bread out of the freezer and dig in. So what comes next?
When it is time to eat your bread, the first step is to thaw your wrapped bread while it’s still in the bag to seal in the moisture. After thawing is complete, reheat your naan bread in your microwave or reheat it on a hot skillet.
Let’s take a closer look at the processes of thawing and reheating your naan bread.
2 Simple Steps to Thaw Frozen Naan Bread
Knowing the best approach for thawing naan bread will save you a lot of time and even money. Below are two simple steps to thaw your naan bread:
Retrieve your naan bread from the freezer.
Place your bread on top of the counter: Place your frozen, wrapped bread on the kitchen counter, and leave it for one or two hours without removing it from the bag. Your naan bread will reabsorb moisture which has collected inside the bag, maintaining its texture and softness.
Reheating Frozen Naan Bread
Once you’ve thawed your frozen naan, the next step is to reheat it before you can eat or serve it to your guests. You can reheat your thawed naan either in the oven, in a microwave, or by using a hot pan/skillet. I will discuss each of these options below.
Reheat Naan in The Oven
Warm the naan bread by placing it in the oven. Unwrap your bread from the plastic wrap but do not remove the aluminum foil. Place the bread on the center rack of a preheated oven 350℉ (176.7℃) and bake it for 10 to 20 minutes.
Microwave Reheating
Place your naan bread in the microwave and heat for 30 to 90 seconds. The reheating period will depend on the quantity of bread that you have. The bread absorbs the heated moisture during this process, leaving your bread soft and steamy.
Make sure that you do not overheat your naan bread in the microwave because this will cause moisture evaporation, resulting in a rubbery texture.
Use a Hot Skillet to Reheat Naan
Heat your hot pan or skillet until it is searing hot, and then introduce your naan bread.
Flip it after a few seconds to ensure both sides of your bread are adequately reheated. You can add dressing to your bread during this step, using ginger, garlic, ghee, butter, sesame seeds, or mint to add taste and flavor.
Flip it again after a few seconds (10-20 seconds) and place the bread on your plate. You are all done.
This video shows some great ways to reheat frozen naan.
Conclusion
You can freeze your naan bread, as it is an easy and convenient approach to preserve your naan bread for weeks or months, ensuring you have a ready supply if you crave some.
Like most other bread, naan bread freezes just fine, but you need to take certain precautions to ensure that your bread is stored correctly, without losing taste or texture. This article has provided valuable tips to guide you when freezing your naan bread and to help you during the thawing and reheating process.
Keep this in mind when you want to store your naan bread perfectly for later consumption.
