freezing bread / cake / cookies

[workatemylife]

Do you have any good recipes for bread or cake or cookies that I can make ahead and freeze? I want to put some yummy things aside for Christmas but none of my usual recipes say whether they are suitable for freezing - or whether to freeze the end product or the dough. if you have any tried and tested favourites I would be very grateful and so would our guests!!

Shamelessly following for inspiration

I've yet to try it with homemade bread but I freeze shop-bought fresh bread just as it comes in its plastic. Works absolutely fine & means we can have 'fresh' bread all week with no effort! We defrost it overnight inside the microwave so it doesn't dry out.

I freeze basic sponge cake as a matter of course - it's easier to cut/ice it while it's frozen.

My favourite cookie recipe is this one which involves freezing the dough. I like to shape them into balls ready, freeze the balls on a tray & then just take out as many balls as I want to cook. 10 minutes defrosting time, 10 minutes in the oven & you've got delicious, warm cookies! This isn't helping my diet...!

You can freeze nearly all cake before it's iced. I particularly recommend freezing scones and ginger cake.

DH found some interesting research recently suggesting that the GI load of carbs is reduced if they are frozen then reheated. I'll see if I can dig it out. Short version: potentially better for diabetics if previously frozen.

Whatever you freeze, wrap thoroughly in plastic (cling film or freezer bag, depending on size) and defrost before unwrapping. I find it helpful to slice a cake for sandwiching before freezing, and putting on a board prevents it from deforming.

I freeze all my (cooked) bread and cakes - no problem. Because we like cake a lot in this house, its just a matter of not eating it all before I manage to get it frozen! I've start to make 2 x 1lb loaf cakes instead of 1 big round one - and that works well
Favourites are
Banana loaf -great for using up ripe bananas- you can also add chic chips/ fresh raspberries.
Lemon drizzle
Chocolate courgette brownies - (they work!)
I can put recipes up if wanted

You can freeze bread dough before the final prove, then take it out the night before and leave to defrost and prove in a cold oven and bake in the morning - same for croissants. I freeze a lot of different cakes, haven't had any problems so far (inc gluten free made with ground almonds) brownies/lemon drizzle/sponge/choc cake/banana loaf/ginger cake. For biscuits, freeze the dough and bake as required

thank you! the advice on bread is really helpful and those cookies look fantastic! Gingerbread and brownies are a favourite too - I might have to make and freeze some just to make sure they work

Yes please to recipes Goodbook

hi chasingtail here goes! They are my family recipes, so no links I'm afraid

Banana Loaf

4oz butter or margarine
6oz sugar
8oz self raising flour
2 large eggs
2 large or 3 medium very ripe bananas

Heat oven to 180/ fan 160/gas mark 4

Grease either 1 x 2lb loaf tin or 2 x1 lb loaf tins

Mash bananas well with a fork- it will be a bit sludgy
Cream butter and sugar together, and then mix in eggs
Add the mashed banana mixture
Mix in flour
(You can then add in what you fancy - both chic chips and raspberries are favourites )

Put into loaf tin/s
Bake for about 40-50 minutes until cooked.

Cool on a wire rack

Lemon Drizzle Cake

4 oz margarine
6 oz self raising flour
6 ox caster sugar
1 level teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
Grated rind of 1 lemon

topping ( mixed together)
4 oz caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 180/160 fan

Put all ingredients for cake into a large bowl and beat well
Spoon into a lined and greased tin - a deep one about 20 cm diameter
Bake for 50-60 minutes at 180/160 fan

When cooked, take out of oven and pour the topping over immediately.
Leave to go cold before removing from tin

If you use 2 x 1lb loaf tins , they take a bit less time to cook - about 40-45 minutes

Chocolate Courgette Cake

120 gm softened butter
125 ml sunflower oil
100 gm caster sugar
200 gm soft brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
130 ml milk
350 gm plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
4 tbsps cocoa
450 gm courgettes, peeled and grated finely
1 tsp vanilla essence

Line a 20 x 35 cm baking tray. Heat oven to 190/ fan 170

Beat/mix the butter, oil and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time and then the milk until mixed thoroughly.

Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the mixture. Stir in the grated courgettes and vanilla essence.

Spoon into tin. bake for 35-45 minutes

Cut into squares while still warm . - makes a lot, so I usually manage to get some into the freezer!

Hope you enjoy making and eating them

looks as if the lemon drizzle has ox in them !!- that should read oz :)

Ooh thank you - hungry now!

I freeze mince pies before they're cooked, and cook them from frozen. They take a few minutes longer but means you can have a batch of freshly made pies at very short notice.

I also make a couple of these www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1799648/apricot-and-marzipan-twist in the run up to Chrsitmas. Also homemade Stollen freezes well too.

I often freeze loaves of bread that I've made. Defrost at room temperature for an hour or two then in a hot oven for 10 minutes or so to crisp up the crust - it's like they've been freshly baked.

As everyone has said bread and cakes freeze brilliantly.

I always have scones in the freezer, 30 seconds in the microwave to defrost.

I was unsure about lemon drizzle, but tried it and even with the syrup on it froze and defrosted really well.

Home made bread rolls are great frozen as you can take them out when you need them.

If you slice the bread before freezing, then you can just take out the slices you need, rather than thawing out the whole loaf.

If you freeze bread dough, I seem to remember reading that you need to use more yeast as it loses some of its activity on freezing.

I haven't found that a problem tb too much heat kills yeast but cold just slows it down