Flatbreads are cooked worldwide, with each culture having its staple flatbread recipe. From Mexican tortillas to Indian chapatis, flatbreads are often served soft, stuffed with fillings or used to mop up delicious sauces. But what would it take to always have a supply at home?
Can You Freeze Flatbreads?
Yes, you can freeze flatbreads for up to 4 months. Once cooled, you must wrap them in wax paper and clingfilm to keep them airtight. They can then be placed into a freezer bag and frozen.
Do Flatbreads Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Flatbreads? No
How to Freeze Flatbreads
Making your flatbreads at home is such an easy way to elevate any dish from practically anywhere in the world.
As mentioned above, it can be used for things like curries, sandwiches and even pizzas. Pieces can be used with dips such as hummus or baba ganoush, or they can be used as a side ready for use to mop up sauces.
If you have made a large batch of flatbreads, keeping them stored in the freezer is a sure way to increase their shelf life but there are a few key steps to follow to do this properly:
- Prepare Flatbreads: Follow your favourite flatbread recipe, bake as normal. You can follow any recipe from making the dough to the finished product.
- Allow to Cool: Lay out the freshly cooked flatbreads and allow them to cool. It could be best to do this on a wire rack to allow ventilation to all sides of the bread.
- Wrap: Use wax paper or greaseproof paper to wrap each flatbread in its own sheet. You want to ensure they are wrapped airtight which is where a layer of clingfilm can help out.
- Place Into a Bag or Container: To prevent freezer burn, add the wrapped flatbreads into a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container.
- Label and freeze: As always, label with the freezing date and then slot into the freezer for up to 4 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Flatbreads
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing flatbreads to have the best results:
Use Wax Paper
When freezing your flatbreads, try placing a sheet of wax paper or greaseproof paper between each slice of bread to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Carefully Place in the Freezer
The main thing is to ensure that the flatbread has enough space to be stored without getting broken. It can stand upright or sit flat, depending on the space available.
Label Type of Flatbread
Flatbreads come in a range of shapes, sizes and varieties. You can have parathas, naans and chapatis – and that’s just Indian-style flatbreads! So make sure you write clear labels.
How Long Can You Freeze Flatbreads?
You can safely store flatbreads in the freezer for a few months. Depending on the type of flatbread you make, this may vary depending on the ingredients used in the recipe.
For instance, bread containing yeast may differ in freezer shelf life compared to those that do not. This is why it is so important to label and date your food products when freezing.
When kept in a bag with a tight seal, flatbreads will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature or 5 to 6 days in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Flatbreads?
When you are ready to use your frozen flatbreads, the thawing process is incredibly simple, and there are two ways you can do this.
The first involves the oven. Take out your desired amount of flatbreads from the freezer and wrap each one in aluminium foil. Place these parcels on a baking tray and rebake in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and carefully open the foil to allow the steam to escape – best to wear oven mitts here to avoid burning yourself! You can then serve these hot with your favourite dish.
The other method involves wrapping the frozen flatbreads in a damp, not wet, kitchen towel and microwaving them until warm. The moist kitchen towel will keep the flatbreads soft, compared to the oven method which will crisp them up slightly more.
Can You Refreeze Flatbreads?
It is never recommended to refreeze most food products but in particular bread type products.
The repeated changes in temperature could result in chewy, tough flatbreads which would impact how useful or enjoyable they would be as part of a dish.
Do Flatbreads Freeze Well?
Flatbreads do freeze well and are an easy food item to store, as long as you store it safely in the freezer.
The freezing process will not impact the quality or flavour of the flatbreads, meaning you can make them in bulk ahead of a large meal or party, and be confident that people will not be able to tell the difference.
The thawing process is also quick and results in delicious hot flatbreads that you can enjoy within minutes.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing flatbreads or flatbreads in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can freeze flatbread (and any bread) dough. Portion it out, wrap it in cling film and then freeze it on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, pop it into a freezer bag to store for the long term.
Yes, flatbread pizza can be frozen. Once cooled, wrap it in a sheet of greaseproof paper then place it into either a Tupperware container or a good-quality freezer bag.
