Take Away

Defrosting. Defrosting is very important with prebaked bread because it is necessary in order for the bread to retain all its organoleptic properties once it is baked, including crispiness, scent and texture. If a prebaked bread is not defrosted and instead is baked directly after being taken out of the freezer, its interior moisture (as a frozen product) will migrate towards the outer crust. Therefore, it is a product that starts with a crust but it quickly becomes moist, stripping the crust of its crispiness. This can be avoided by defrosting the product, and since it is usually handled in high-temperature areas like kitchens, the defrosting does not take too long.

Baking. First the oven should be pre-heated, and then the product should be baked at the temperature and for the amount of time indicated. If some percentage of moisture can be added to the oven, we recommend 10% to 15% so the bread dries out considerably less. The bread should be baked in a ventilated oven which has previously rested at its baking temperature, and the bread should not be placed inside it as soon as the recommended temperature has been reached, because if it is the temperature will drop quickly as soon as the oven door is opened and the bread placed inside, and it will be very difficult to raise it again, leading the product to dry out excessively. As a general rule, it is very important for the bread to be baked on a wire rack instead of on a baking sheet because the air circulation is not homogenous and it would yield bread that is soft inside. With the wire rack, we get a regular crust and colour all over the piece, both on top and beneath, rendering it much more palatable.

Cooling. Once baked, it is important to let the product cool down, that is, to let the heat from inside the product escape so the crust achieves the perfect texture. If the product rests on a surface that is flat or not porous, condensation creates moisture and this moisture is conveyed to the bread, softening it. Therefore, it is very important for the bread to cool on a wire rack. Once the breads have reached room temperature, they can be placed in an airtight place; they should not be anywhere with a draft because they could dry out excessively.