If you’re a fellow carb lover, then you likely shed a tear every time you find yourself having to throw away a half loaf of stale bread. It’s a sad situation, but it’s also one that you don’t ever have to put up with ever again. All you need to do is enlist the help of your freezer and soon you’ll be able to keep bread fresh for at least 6 months at a time!

Now, we know what you may be thinking—you’ve probably been freezing your bread for years, right? We know we have; but we have to say that the results have always been pretty underwhelming, to say the least. Oftentimes, shoving bread in that ice box in its existing package or a flimsy plastic bag quickly leads to tough, freezer-burned bread. Not exactly appetizing…

If your artisan ciabatta has THAT covering it, you probably would have been better off just letting it go stale!

How to successfully freeze your favorite breads

Now that we know how to NOT freeze a loaf of bread, it’s time to learn how to preserve it so that it best keeps its consistency and flavor…

The numero uno rule when it comes to freezing loaves of bread is to ensure that it is sliced within the first 24 hours from when the package is initially opened. For the tastiest results, get morning fresh bread from your local bakery and cut into the loaf right when you get home. Hey—if you want to reap the benefits, you’ll need to prioritize!

Next, grab your favorite cookie sheet and place a layer of parchment or wax paper directly on top of the metal surface. Line your sliced pieces of bread right onto the parchment paper in a tidy row and stick in your freezer—no need to worry about covering. Keep inside until the bread is completely frozen solid.

Once your slices are rock-hard, throw them into the sturdiest freezer bag you can find. (Not sure which ones work best? Take a look here!)

After your prized slices are securely in their bags, lay them flat on your counter and do your best to remove as much air as possible before freezing. Once your loaves are zipped up, throw the bags in your freezer and forget about them.

The next time you have a hankering for some chewy, satisfying bread, simply remove however much you plan to eat and let the slices thaw. Personally speaking, we find that a room-temperature thaw will yield the best results, but if you’re in a rush, you can also get some speedier help from your toaster oven. Easy as pie!

Don’t even try to tell us you aren’t sitting here shedding tears for all of those loaves you’ve had to prematurely trash. Never again! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this bread-saving hack. Have you ever tried it before? Do you know of any others? What do you like to do with your stale bread?