How to Reheat Sourdough Bread 3 Ways

In this guide, we will discuss how to reheat sourdough bread in 3 different ways and the best methods for storing sourdough. If you’re not yet a sourdough baker, you can grab my free guide to establishing a sourdough starter and follow the step-by-step instructions.

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There’s nothing quite like a slice of fresh sourdough. The chewiness of the crust paired with the soft center is hard to match. However, in my sourdough journey, I’ve learned that getting that same fresh taste days later can be challenging. That’s why I wanted to share 3 methods I’ve found to be successful in reheating sourdough bread.

But first, let’s discuss how to store sourdough making it easier to get the best results when reheating homemade bread.

Table of Contents

Storage Tips for Better Reheating

The ideal way to store crusty bread is out on the counter. As you slice pieces off your loaf, place the loaf cut side down on a cutting board. You can also store it in a brown paper bag or cloth bread bag. I find that it’s just easiest to leave it cut side down on the counter.

If you’re looking for a way to store loaves long-term, I recommend utilizing your freezer. Sourdough bread freezes well and if reheated properly, your loaves will taste just as fresh as the day you baked them.

After baking homemade sourdough loaf you’ll want to wait until your bread cools completely at room temperature before storing. Warm bread will not store well and will produce frost in your freezer bag. After allowing ample time to cool, there are 2 ways I recommend as best practices for storing loaves of bread:

How to Freeze Sourdough Bread

Freezing your sourdough bread will allow you to bake loaves as often as you wish and has several benefits. First and foremost, it preserves the freshness and flavor of sourdough, allowing you to extend the shelf life without compromising quality.

This is especially handy when baking large batches for gifts. Freezing loaves also ensures you always have a slice of homemade goodness on hand.

Freezing a Whole Loaf

When freezing a whole loaf of sourdough, the best way is to first, tightly wrap your loaf in plastic wrap. I like to wrap my loaf twice to protect it from freezer burn. Then place the wrapped loaf inside a plastic freezer bag.

You can use a marker to date your loaf. Know that using this method of freezing bread will keep a loaf fresh for several months.

Pre-Slice and Freeze

My favorite way of storing sourdough is by the slice. My family eats sliced sourdough regularly and pre-slicing and freezing makes it easy for even my youngest child to grab a fresh slice of sourdough from the freezer.

To slice and freeze, simply slice your loaves then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and flash freeze. To flash freeze means to freeze without wrapping for 1-2 hours until hardened.

Once the slices are hardened, place them in a ziplock bag. Sliced bread will keep in the freezer for several months.

Here’s a short video showing how I slice and freeze my sourdough loaves.

3 Ways to Reheat Sourdough Bread:

How to Reheat Sourdough Bread in the Oven

To reheat fresh bread, mist or sprinkle a little water on the surface of the bread and place it in a preheated oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. The exact time will vary but you want to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Spritzing it with water will keep your bread from getting too dry.

For a frozen whole loaf of bread, leave your loaf out at room temperature until the center is no longer frozen. Times will vary but this is likely to take a few hours. You can use a knife or skewer to check.

Then, reheat it in a preheated oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes until you have a nice crisp crust. You can also wrap your loaf in aluminum foil so that your loaf doesn’t dry out. I haven’t found that wrapping it in foil makes a huge difference but try it for yourself and decide.

How to Reheat Sourdough Bread in the Toaster

Reheating individual slices is easy using your toaster. This method is especially useful if you have frozen bread slices, but it can also be used for next day bread as well.

Simply take a slice of fresh or frozen sourdough bread and pop it in your toaster on the lowest setting. Be sure to adjust the setting so your bread doesn’t burn. This is a quick and effective way to reheat slices of bread for breakfast toast.

How to Reheat Sourdough Bread in an Air Fryer

This method works well but be sure to stay close and check it often so that your bread doesn’t dry out. Set the air fryer to 350 degrees and place the loaf in the air fryer basket. Air fry for just 2-3 minutes until it’s heated through.

Common Mistakes

Do not reheat bread in the microwave, doing so will ruin your bread by making it hard to chew. I’ve heard breadmakers suggest wrapping it in a damp paper towel and then heating it in the microwave, but I would suggest using one of the methods above.

Do not thaw sourdough loaves in the oven. It’s important to allow your frozen loaves to thaw at room temperature.

An airtight container is not needed to store sourdough. Your loaves need to breathe so it’s best to use one of the methods above.

Whether you opt for the oven reheat, toaster method, or air fryer approach just be sure to keep an eye on your slices or loaves as they are heating and avoid the microwave for best results.

If you have leftovers, I encourage you to get creative and make croutons or breadcrumbs with stale bread so that none is wasted. Experiment with different methods to find the best method for you and keep baking!