Here's A Quick Knife Tip To Detach Stuck-Together Frozen Bread Slices

Bread is one of those quick and easy ingredients to work with, whether you're getting a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich together for breakfast, or toasting a few slices to accompany a bigger meal for friends or family. But unless you're a stalwart bread-lover who can get through a whole loaf in a couple of days, it's more practical and convenient to freeze your loaf and just take out slices as and when you need them.

The trouble with frozen bread slices is that they tend to stick together, and they are very committed in their stuck-togetherness. Getting that single slice that you need can be quite a headache. You've probably tried using the tip of a knife (where you most often end up chipping an edge off the bread instead of parting the slices), or leaving the whole loaf out to thaw or microwaving it, which leaves you stuck with a whole defrosted loaf when you only need a single slice.

But here's a cool tip that you may not have known about to get those frozen slices unstuck in a jiffy — without breaking them. Instead of using the tip of a knife, use the heel to wedge into a corner of two slices that are frozen together. Give it a little jiggle to get the knife's heel deeper in between the slices, and they should pop apart, ready for thawing or toasting.

Probably the easiest way to get single slices is to freeze them individually. Take your loaf and spread the slices out on a baking sheet, then put it in the freezer for about an hour. This hardens the slices ever so slightly so they're easier to package without the soft fresh bread folding over or bending in the bag. Put each slice into an individual airlock plastic bag, seal them tightly, then stack them in your freezer.

Another way is the concertina method. Cut off a sheet of greaseproof parchment paper between 12 and 15 inches long. Measure the width of your slice of bread then cut the paper into strips about an inch wider than the width of your slices. Place a strip lengthwise down on your kitchen counter then place a slice of bread on one end. Fold the long side of the paper strip once over the slice, then place another slice on top of your first slice with the greaseproof paper in between them. Again, fold the length of your paper over the second slice then place a third slice on top of that. Continue weaving your bread slices and paper together until the whole loaf is reassembled, now with paper in between each one. Put the loaf back in the bag, secure the end, and pop it into the freezer. The paper keeps the slices from sticking together. 

However, this method does use a lot of parchment paper and the other way uses a lot of plastic bags, so if you're short on time or resources, just keep that knife handy for separating your bread with the heel next time you're in a hurry for a quick slice of toast.