How To Freeze Bread Rolls [And How To Defrost Them!]

Bread rolls are irresistibly delicious. They are soft, fluffy, and you just want to savor their buttery goodness up to the very last crumb. We understand why you'd want to bake or buy a lot of these delectable goodies so you can have them on hand all the time. We've compiled everything you need to know on how to freeze and defrost your bread rolls so you can eat them fresh as if they've recently been baked.

To freeze your bread rolls, place them in a baking pan and put them inside the freezer for about 4 hours. Then transfer them to a freezer bag. Make sure there's no air inside before you seal it tightly. This will ensure the freshness of your buns as you keep them in cold storage. Once you're ready to serve them, put them on the counter to thaw under room temperature. This will take around 15 to 60 minutes depending on how many rolls you're defrosting.

Continue reading to find out more tips about freezing, thawing, and reheating your bread rolls. This is your ultimate guide to making sure that you always have fresh buns on the dining table.

How to Freeze and Defrost Bread Rolls

If time permits, it is a good idea to prepare a large batch of bread rolls then just keep them in the freezer and bake them when you're ready to serve them. Or you can go ahead and bake these delicious buns, then freeze them so that you always have these soft rolls on hand. Either way, these homemade bread rolls will still taste heavenly if you know how to store them in the freezer properly.

Here's how to freeze these soft and fluffy buns in order for you to enjoy their fresh and buttery taste when it's time for you to serve them.

Freezing Unbaked Bread Rolls

Follow your trusted recipe in making fluffy dinner rolls until you get to the point where you shape them into rolls. Then follow these steps:

1. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Arrange the bread rolls on the baking sheet. Put a little space in between the buns.
3. Wait for them to rise partly until that moment when they start to puff.
4. Pre-freeze these buns for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.
6. Label the bags with the content and date you stored them in the freezer.
7. For best quality homemade bread rolls, bake within a month.

When you want to serve these buns, take them out of the freezer and put them on a baking sheet. Allow the rolls to finish proofing at room temperature. This will take about an hour. Once the dough has risen, you can proceed to bake your bread rolls as usual.

Freezing Baked Bread Rolls

1. Let your bread rolls cool down completely.
2. Put a plastic wrap tightly on the buns.
3. Wrap them with aluminum foil to seal in the freshness.
4. Put a label on the foil and take note of the date.
5. Store in the freezer.

If you’re concerned about the safety of using plastic freezer bags or simply ran out of stash, there are a lot of alternatives in your kitchen. You can freeze your bread rolls without using plastic. You can use silicone food storage bags, beeswax food wrap, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or store them in airtight freezer-safe containers.

Is it better to freeze dough or baked bread?

You can freeze both dough and baked bread and they will both do well in the cold. However, experts say that it is still better to freeze the dough and then proceed to bake it at the time when you already want to serve it. This way, you will have fresh and tasty bread to eat. But if you're going to use the bread for french toast or pudding, then it's better to freeze a baked bread. It will save you precious time and you don't need your bread to be as fresh for these recipes anyway.

How do you defrost bread rolls?

There are 3 ways to defrost your bread rolls depending on how much time you've got until serving. You can thaw them in the fridge overnight, defrost them at room temperature, or use the microwave to speed up the process.

To thaw your frozen bread rolls, you just need to transfer them to the fridge and let them stay there overnight. You can also put the frozen buns on the counter and let them defrost at room temperature. But don't remove their wrapping so that they won't dry out. Depending on the number of rolls that you have, this will take between 15 minutes and 1 hour. The more bread that you have, the longer time you need to thaw them completely.

If you want a quicker way to thaw your dinner rolls, there's always the microwave to save the day. Set your microwave on high for 15 to 25 seconds to defrost your rolls. Repeat if necessary until the bread is soft.

How do you freeze store-bought rolls?

You can also preserve the bread rolls that you bought from your favorite bakery. Proper wrapping method would depend on how long you intend to keep them in cold storage before you eat them.

If you plan to consume these delicious buns within 3 weeks, you can put them directly in the freezer. You can keep the rolls in their original packaging if it is airtight. It'll be sufficient to keep your buns fresh for 3 weeks.

But if you plan to keep them longer, you have to remove them from their packaging. Put a plastic wrap around them then cover again with aluminum foil or freezer paper. The double layers will ensure that they stay fresh inside the freezer for 3 months. Make sure you put a label on their packaging so you'll be guided accordingly.

How long do bread rolls last in the freezer?

Bread rolls can last for 3 months in the freezer if stored properly. Wrap the buns tightly with plastic and then cover them with aluminum foil to seal their moisture and flavor. This will ensure that they stay fresh and maintain their best quality. But the FDA says that frozen bread rolls are still safe to eat after 3 months as long as they have been constantly kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you reheat frozen dinner rolls?

You can put your frozen baked dinner rolls straight into the oven if you want to eat them already. No need to thaw them in the fridge. Just pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is already hot, put the bread on the rack with the foil still on. The foil is essential in ensuring that your rolls stay moist. Bake them for 15 minutes or until they are completely warm. Serve immediately to savor their luscious flavor.

Alternatively, you can use your microwave to reheat your frozen dinner rolls. There's also no need to defrost them anymore. Just wrap them with moist paper towels. Arrange them on a plate before putting them inside the microwave. Adjust the settings to low and heat your bread rolls in 30 to 60-second intervals until each one is warm thoroughly.

Final Thoughts

Freezing your bread rolls will preserve their freshness. Just store them properly so that they won't dry out in the freezer. You can then defrost them in the fridge, at the counter, or using the microwave before you serve them. Or you can reheat them so that you can enjoy their warm, buttery, and fluffy goodness as if they've just been baked from the oven. These buns are great with coffee! Check out our post on how to keep your coffee beans fresh so that you'll have the perfect combination of bread and coffee.