How To Store Bread The Right Way (Keep It Fresh For Days)

by John Griffith
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While bread is delightful and delicious, it has quite the considerable weakness: it’s terribly short shelf life. If you’re not worrying about your new loaf getting stale, then you are concerned about molding. It’s never easy! No matter if your bread is homemade, from the bakery or if it’s store bought they all have the possibility of mold and staleness. So, what can you do about it? You’d be surprised how often we store our bread improperly which makes it go rotten much faster than it should. That’s why we’re here to show you how to store bread the right way, so you can enjoy your tasty loaf for longer.

Bread is delightful and delicious, but it has a terribly short shelf life

three loafs of bread being held

How To Store Bread

It’s important to note that not all breads stale the same way. Bread that have more added fats, such as brioche, zucchini bread and challah, usually take longer to stale. On the other hand, breads with a lack of fats, such as the baguette, tend to stale a lot faster. Even the type of flour can make a difference when it comes to degree of moisture and fat content in bread. For example, bread baked with all-purpose flour is much more likely to stale faster than one bakes with almond flour. Sometimes it takes some trial and error when figuring out what the best way to store your favorite bread is. Today we will show you some of the best methods, and you can decide which one fits your bread the best.

Not all breads stale the same way

how to store bread cut whole wheat brown bread

#Bread Box

You may have thought that bread boxes are a waste of money, however, they are actually quite the opposite. This is a classic and foolproof way to store your bread. Breadboxes are a great way to create the perfect balance between humidity and airflow. And they work much better than airtight containers. Breadboxes help to make sure your bread doesn’t get soggy, but that it also won’t get stale. And it also keeps out any light that might dry it out.

This is a classic and foolproof way to store your bread

bread box made from wood

#Paper Bag

If you’ve just bought a fresh loaf of bread and plan to eat it withing a few days, then it’s best to keep it in inside of a paper bag on top of your counter. While you may be tempted to reach for plastic, this actually encourages mold growth and only results in the bread going bad much faster.

It’s best to keep the bread inside of a paper bag on top of your counter

bread in paper bags

#Freeze

Freezing your bread is probably the most efficient ways of storing and keeping bread fresh. This is a sure way to stop it getting mold or stale too early. It’s a good idea to freeze bread in slices, that way you won’t have to defrost a whole loaf every time. Depending on a loaf’s fat and protein content, some bread can last from three to six months. Just place your bread in some plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer! Unlike your refrigerator, which decreases bread shelf life, the freezer keeps the moisture inside.

Freezing your bread is one of the most efficient ways of storing bread fresh

how to store bread hand putting bread in freezer

#Reusable Bread Bag

Want an eco-friendly and versatile way to keep your bread fresh, then why not try a reusable bread bag. There is plenty of choice when it comes to bread bags and most are machine washable and also do fine in the freezer. Just take the bag with you when shopping and pop the loaf right in. Reusable bags are made from breathable materials which means that they behave much like a paper bag, but without the paper waste.

An eco-friendly way to keep your bread fresh

reusable bread bag green and dark blue

@Banish

#Slice Down The Middle

While in theory it’s better to store an entire loaf intact, in just isn’t practical. So, what can you do? When it’s time to cut your bread, slice it down the middle, instead at the ends. You then slice what you need and press the remaining sides of the sliced bread together. By doing this you can keep more moisture inside of the bread.

When it’s time to cut your bread, slice it down the middle

cut in half loaf of sourdough bread

These were the best methods when it comes to how to store bread properly. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can enjoy your delicious bread for days to come without worrying about it becoming too stale or moldy.

Now you can enjoy your delicious bread for days

four different types of bread in a basket

Sources:

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.