You worked hard on that loaf, don’t let it go to waste. Freezing bread is one of the best things you can do to preserve your bake, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Here’s exactly how I do it. Freezing Your Bread Wait until your loaf has cooled completely before freezing. Never freeze warm bread. Once it’s fully cool, slip it into a good bread bag (I use the ones from ModKitchn, more on that below) and get it into the freezer as soon as possible. The faster you freeze it, the better it holds its texture and crumb structure. Thawing Your Bread When you’re ready to eat it, take the loaf out of the freezer and leave it in your regular plastic bag or leave it in your bread bag but here’s the key move most people miss: crack the bag open. Don’t seal it up tight. As the bread warms up, condensation forms, and if that moisture has nowhere to go it gets absorbed right back into your crust and crumb, leaving you with soggy bread. Cracking the bag lets it breathe. Set it on the counter and give it an hour or two. That’s it. No microwave, no oven needed. Just patience. About My Bread Bags I store all my loaves in bags from ModKitchn — they’re well-made, the right size, and they work beautifully for both storing and freezing. If you want to grab some for your kitchen, use my link for a discount: 👉 modkitchn.com/discount/BAKINGGREATBREAD10 Watch the video below to see exactly how I pulled this Japanese milk bread straight from the freezer and walked through the whole process. Happy baking! 🙌 — Henry

I subbed the sour cream for just a little under 1/4 cup of 2% milk and added Hershey chocolate chips. It looks and smells delicious!

We just hit a milestone, and Kalamau from Honolulu gets the honors. She joined today with a simple goal: learn how to bake her own bread. That's exactly what this place is built for. Kalamau, you picked the right community. Whether you've never touched a bag of flour or you're just looking for a better path to a great loaf, we've got you covered. Start with the courses, jump into the Saturday bake-alongs, ask every question that comes to mind. Nobody here bites (we just bake). 400 members. Every single one of you makes this community what it is. Let's show Kalamau what Crust & Crumb is all about. Welcome home. 🍞 Drop a 🤙 below to welcome our newest baker from Hawaii!

How long should the bake go for 4 mini loaves of this?

Last week you made Japanese Milk Bread. The week before that, cinnamon rolls. Both of those bakes taught you something specific: how to handle enriched dough. How butter, eggs, and milk change everything about how dough feels, how it ferments, and how it bakes. This week, we’re putting all of that to work. We’re making Star Bread. If you’ve never seen one, picture this: a soft, buttery, filled bread shaped into a beautiful twisted star pattern that looks like it came out of a professional bakery. It’s the kind of bread people set in the center of a table and just stare at before they tear into it. Here’s the thing. It looks complicated. It’s not. If you made milk bread last week, you already have the hands for this. The dough is familiar. The technique is new, but I’ll walk you through every fold, every cut, every twist. Here’s how the week breaks down: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/henrys-savory-star-bread?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share Tuesday - We talk about laminating fillings into enriched dough. What works, what doesn’t, and why your filling choice matters more than you think. Wednesday - The geometry of star bread. I’ll break down the shaping method so it makes sense before you ever touch dough. Circles, stacking, cutting, twisting. We’ll cover it all. Thursday - Filling options and flavor combinations. Sweet, savory, and a few you haven’t thought of yet. Friday - Prep day. Get your dough made, your filling ready, and your workspace set. We go live Saturday morning. Saturday - Bake-along. You know the drill. I’m here all day. Yeasted and sourdough versions will both be available on the Recipe Pantry. A few weeks ago, some of you had never made enriched dough. Now you’ve done cinnamon rolls and milk bread. Star bread is the next step, and it’s the one that’s going to make people ask “you made that?” when they see it on your counter.