Banana bread supplies its full nutritional value when eaten warm and fresh. For nutritional purposes, this is why it is best to eat the warm loaf right out of the oven. However, if you are making banana bread for guests, it might be better to serve the bread a day after you bake it. Additionally, some people enjoy baking banana bread or other quick breads for later consumption. In order to maximize your bread's freshness and retain its nutritional value, you must cool the banana bread before storing or freezing the loaf in its proper storage container.
Step 1
Remove the baking pan from the oven and transfer the loaf from the baking pan to a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool for up to 15 minutes if you want to eat it while it is still warm.
Step 2
Cool the bread to room temperature. Cooling times vary depending on the size of the loaf and the ingredients you used in the recipe, such as nuts. In general, nuts retain heat. The size of the nuts or the amount used might delay the loaf's cooling time. Allow up to an hour for the loaf to cool completely if you are using nuts or you made a large loaf.
Step 3
Wrap the completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place it into a freezer bag.
Step 4
Eliminate air pockets in the wrap or freezer bag to keep the bread fresh and avoid freezer burn, the primary culprit of the flavor loss that occurs when you freeze the bread.
Step 5
Store the bread at room temperature or freeze the bread. For room temperature storage, keep the bread wrapped in plastic wrap, foil or a zipper-lock bag in a storage container. If you are freezing the bread, store the bread at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for up to three months.
Tips and Warnings
- Fruit and nut breads, such as banana bread or banana nut bread, are best made the day before serving for maximum flavor development and bread consistency. Bananas especially flavor with age and fresh, oven-baked banana bread crumbles more than bread that was set aside for a day -- which can be messy and inconvenient for guests. To thaw frozen banana bread, let the loaf sit in the storage wrap at room temperature for about two hours. Warm the bread in the microwave for 30 seconds for "freshly baked" appeal.
Things You'll Need
- Cooling rack
- Plastic wrap
- Aluminium foil
- Freezer bag
References
- "Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads"; Bernard Clayton; 1987
- Quaker Oats; Storage & Freezing Breads; 2010
- Wheat Foods Council; Grains of Truth about Quick Breads; 2010
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