While not required, it helps to freeze bread in slices so you don't have to defrost a whole loaf. Depending on the fat content and the amount of protein in that type of bread — be it store-bought or homemade — frozen loaves can last from three to six months. The longevity of bread depends on the type of loaf, its ingredients, and preservatives.
While a more starchy bread full of protein will last longer, a lighter bread can also last a while if you freeze it. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Antonia DeBianchi. To save bread so it stays fresh longer, you can store it in plastic wrap , a reusable zip-top plastic bag , or a bread box.
Avoid storing bread in damp, airy locations, which can speed up molding. If you're not going to eat the loaf in two or three days, the best option is to freeze it for later.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. I know, fresh-from-the-oven is hard to resist, but your bread will not only taste better it will keep longer if you wait to cut it for at least an hour—I actually prefer two or more.
The reason goes back to the science behind all of this : starch retrogradation is happening right as the loaf is pulled from the oven, but it hasn't progressed far enough to firm up and set the interior appropriately. Because of this, slicing a warm loaf of bread too early will result in a gummy and sticky interior. In fact, with these types of breads I find their flavor improves days after baking. With rye bread , especially when rye is in a high percentage, it's common to let the bread rest, wrapped in baker's linen or a towel, for one or two days before cutting.
Once cool, I first cut the loaf directly down the middle creating two halves as seen above, right. This way after slicing from the middle I can turn the halves so the crumb is facing the cutting board.
This completely surrounds the interior by the relatively thick crust, keeping it from drying out excessively. The crust is a natural bag of sorts, keeping moisture in and dryness out.
I can typically keep my bread like this for a day or two remember, it's very dry here on my cutting board, at which point I move it to a breadbox. This is as simple as it gets: just keep your cooled loaves, cut or uncut, in a bread box, and let the box do its job. I've had a few different boxes over the years, and when my favorite Wesco German-made box broke thank my kids for that one I replaced it with the svelte stainless steel breadbox seen below and it works just as well if not better.
I like that it's rather large H: 7. And because I bake so often here at home, I almost always have at least one loaf of bread in the box, ready to be sliced and used straightaway. Another option is to use a reusable wrap like this bread-sized Bee's Wrap. This is one of my favorite ways to wrap up longer loaves like demi-baguettes and the wrap works extremely well at keeping loaves soft but not too soft. Simply place your bread in the wrap and cover tightly. The beeswax lined wrap will deform and wrap around all the nooks and crannies of your loaf as the warmth of your hands mold it to fit.
Plain paper bags and kitchen towels also work very well to keep bread from excessively drying. And while many sources say never use a plastic bag, sometimes it might be necessary, especially if your climate demands it so. In the dead of winter here in New Mexico, humidity levels drop so low my lower hydration sourdough bread almost has to be placed in a sealed plastic bag to retain some semblance of a soft texture. In this rare case, a sealed plastic bag is necessary and works well.
Finally, and this is a very important one, don't store bread in the refrigerator. It might seem counterintuitive since the refrigerator is seen as a food-preserver, but placing your homebaked loaf of bread in the refrigerator will actually cause it to stale faster than if it's kept at room temperature.
For long term storage, a freezer is a handy option. By subjecting bread to very low temperatures the retrogradation process can be mostly halted, preventing the migration of moisture out of starches and their subsequent recrystallization. This means a cooled loaf can be frozen whole or sliced completely and then the slices are frozen independently my preference.
In practice, freezing individual slices of bread is a great way to get the best of both worlds: conveniently sliced bread that can be reheated at a moment's notice that also keeps for a very long time in the freezer I've done a month or so, but this could probably go longer.
When reheated, the bread comes out like freshly baked bread that's perfectly toasted. Years ago when I first started baking bread I was on the search for the perfect toaster. After going through a few, I found the Breville Smart Toaster which is the best toaster I've found: not only does it take extra long slices like the ones from sourdough boules or batards but it has a frozen function that works perfectly to reheat a frozen slice of bread to just the right amount.
It's expensive for a toaster, but the amount of bread I go through here in my kitchen easily justifies the expense. The process is simple: once your loaf of bread is cooled thoroughly, slice it completely from end-to-end.
Then, place the bag in the freezer until the slices are fully frozen. Homemade bread crumbs can also be used for a number of different recipes. This way, your bread can still be a component in some good eating. Click here to cancel reply. Remember me. Lost your password? Privacy Policy. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. LOG IN. Search for:. So how do you keep fresh breads from going stale?
Option 1: Leaving your bread out out Usually, when left out uncovered, bread will form a crust and become quite stiff and stale. Option 3: Store the bread in plastic Plastic can be the best or the worst way to store bread. Option 4: Freezing bread for longer storage Freezing bread is the best way to keep homemade bread fresh for longer periods of time. The worst way to store bread? In the fridge When it comes to using the refrigerator for storing fresh bread, just say no.
Fixing stale bread There are a few methods of softening hardened, stale bread. Add a slice of apple to the packaged bread: The apply may soften bread enough to give it a second chance.
Microwave magic: Place slices of bread on a moistened but not wet paper towel, and microwave for 10 seconds.
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