The Ina Garten Prep Step You Shouldn't Skip When Freezing Bread

Freezing bread is one of the easiest ways to keep it fresh (and you're not making the common food storage mistake of keeping it in the fridge, right?). But unless you do it right, pulling it out of the freezer later can turn into a hassle. Want just one slice? Too bad. You're chiseling away at a frozen brick. That's why Ina Garten's hack for freezing bread is actually worth stealing.

Instead of slicing the whole loaf or freezing it solid, Garten recommends cutting the bread into a few large chunks. Each piece gets tightly wrapped in foil and placed in a freezer bag. That way, you can pull out only what you need — no slices fused together, no half-stale loaf crumbling apart.

It's a smarter move than slicing: Thinner pieces expose more surface area to cold air, speeding up freezer burn. And if you're not feeding a crowd, you don't need an entire loaf at once. Big chunks strike the right balance — more flexible than a whole loaf, less fragile than individual slices.

Garten's domestic advice is often deceptively simple, but also backed by real logic. Which, frankly, is how you go from nuclear energy analyst in the White House Office of Management and Budget to full-time culinary icon.

Bread starts to degrade the moment it is exposed to air. That's why it's important to wrap each chunk tightly in foil to keep it from drying out. Then, stash the pieces in a freezer bag to guard against frost.

If stored well, frozen bread should last for up to three months before going bad. Any longer, and you may risk dry spots, ice crystals, or that telltale freezer funk. If you've baked the bread yourself, you must be patient and let the bread cool completely before wrapping it up. Otherwise, trapped steam turns into ice and will wreck the crumb.

You can still freeze slices if you want, but they're more vulnerable to freezer burn and often end up sticking together. Garten's chunk method is more forgiving. You're not locked into thawing a whole loaf, but you still get hearty, usable pieces. Perfect for toast, sandwiches, or whenever your carb cravings strike.