How to Store Fresh Bread So It Lasts Longer and Prevents Mold (2024)
It is frustrating to make a loaf of homemade bread, only to see it turn moldy within a few days. This happens because bread is moist, and mold spores love moisture. Particularly at this time of year, with lots of heat and humidity, mold is more prone to flourish.
People are often advised to store freshly baked bread in plastic to inhibit it from going stale. In the short term, this is effective at keeping bread soft, but eventually it can promote mold growth by preventing air circulation and creating a humid environment inside the bag. Usually within five to seven days, you'll see the dreaded fuzzy blue-green spots starting to appear.
This leads to the obvious question: Is plastic truly the best way in which to store fresh bread? The answer: It depends. Here are some factors to consider when deciding how to store bread.
If you have soft, enriched bread like challah, brioche, or pain de mie, and you know you're going to eat it within two to three days, then plastic is your best bet. If it's going to take longer than that, then you should freeze it (also in plastic). Wrapping bread in foil works, too, as it is airtight.
If you have round bread with a crispy crust like a sourdough boule, you don't have to wrap it at all. Put it cut-side down on a clean kitchen counter and let its thick crust protect the interior. It will dry out somewhat, but less than you may expect.
King Arthur Flour explains: "A round loaf has less surface area than a longer loaf, limiting moisture evaporation. And a large loaf simply takes longer to dry out, especially if you shield its cut side by placing it flush with a solid surface to block airflow."
Another hack is to put a loaf cut-side down in an empty Dutch oven with the lid on. This keeps it in a dark place, which is also a wise strategy to discourage mold. Other dark locations include cupboards, drawers, your oven, or the microwave (not in use, of course).
Do look for cooler storage spots in the kitchen, but avoid the refrigerator! Chilling bread is much worse than freezing it, as it still allows moisture to evaporate and dries the bread out. Only do this if you're planning to toast it.
Bread boxes have favorable reviews, as they provide just enough air circulation to minimize molding, so consider getting one if you are a regular bread-baker. Some people swear by keeping loaves in sealed Pyrex or Tupperware containers with a layer of uncooked rice in the bottom; the rice appears to absorb just enough moisture to discourage mold, while the bread stays soft. Cloth drawstring bags did not score favorably in King Arthur's books, resulting in a hard crust and dried-out interior.
Some people swear by beeswax wraps to store bread. Abeego, a Canadian manufacturer of beeswax wraps, did a side-by-side comparison of artisanal loaves wrapped in a paper bag and a beeswax wrap. At the end of a week, the bread in paper was rock hard and the bread in beeswax was still soft. The company's advice: "Crusty loaf? Wrap it loose. Soft loaf? Wrap it tight. All loaves—slice as consumed."
That leads us to one final important point—how and when you slice bread. A general rule of thumb is only to cut it as needed, unless you're freezing it, in which case pre-slicing makes it easier to thaw and toast smaller portions. King Arthur has a brilliant suggestion to cut sandwich loaves from the center out. Cut a loaf in half, cut a slice to eat, then rejoin the two halves, pop them in a bag, and it will stay fresh longer because the cut surface is not exposed. When you cut from an end, there is nothing to prevent moisture loss.
If you end up with a super stale baguette or other crusty loaf, try dousing it with water from the tap and putting in a 300˚F oven for 10 to 20 minutes. It is an effective way to revive a stale loaf temporarily, though you will need to eat it right away.
In conclusion, while plastic still seems to be the most straightforward storage method for bread (as long as you’re not storing it for more than a couple days), there are other factors to consider. You may have to play around with different methods to find what works best for your consumption speed, the types of bread you like to buy, and the temperature and humidity of your kitchen.
If you have soft, enriched bread like challah, brioche, or pain de mie, and you know you're going to eat it within two to three days, then plastic is your best bet. If it's going to take longer than that, then you should freeze it (also in plastic). Wrapping bread in foil works, too, as it is airtight.
The solution is to put your lovely bread into a zip lock storage bag, then place that bag into a second plastic bag.Place a moistened, damp paper towel in between the two bags and zip it shut. Using this little trick should help your bread stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
By placing loaves in a bread box, you can stop them from getting too dry too fast. Bread boxes are a halfway point between tightly wrapping bread and leaving them out in the open at room temperature. They're a semi-sealed-off, dry place to keep bread fresh, but they do allow in some air.
Use the right container: The key, Le says, is to use something that will exclude as much air as possible to reduce oxidation and keep the moisture from evaporating from the bread surface while it's being stored.
By keeping the bread in a cool and dark place, it will last longer and stay fresh. Heat, humidity and light are all bad for bread but great for fungi or mold, so consider your fridge your best bet to keep your bread fresh and yummy. Tightly sealing the bread also helps slow the molding process.
Yes. While most molds prefer warmer temperatures, they can grow at refrigerator temperatures, too. Molds also tolerate salt and sugar better than most other food invaders.
Hydrocolloids. Hydrocolloids are ingredients that work wonders to keep bread fresh and delicious for longer. The ones commonly used in bread are agar and carrageenan from seaweed, and cellulose and gum acacia from plants.
Plain paper bags and kitchen towels also work very well to keep the bread from drying excessively. And while many sources say never to use a plastic bag, sometimes it might be necessary, especially if your climate demands it.
Maintain optimal storage conditions: Store bread in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Excessive heat can promote bacterial growth, while exposure to light and humidity can accelerate staleness and mold development.
This happens because bread is moist, and mold spores love moisture. Particularly at this time of year, with lots of heat and humidity, mold is more prone to flourish. People are often advised to store freshly baked bread in plastic to inhibit it from going stale.
Wrap it in aluminum foil: Using foil is a common way to preserve bread. ...
Wrap it in plastic wrap: If you need to protect a few pieces of bread in the short term, simply wrap them in a couple of sheets of plastic wrap, overlapping them slightly to keep air out.
For best results, we recommend wrapping your bread in plastic wrap or foil, then placing it in a self-sealing freezer bag. Ensure the bread is completely cooled before wrapping it in plastic wrap. But be wary of long-term freezer storage.
Linen bags are an excellent choice for storing freshly baked breads. They hit the sweet spot of keeping enough moisture in so the bread doesn't dry out and allowing enough air flow to prevent premature mold.
A Ziploc bag certainly is handy and easy. It will keep your bread soft, but can also increase the likelihood for mold after 4-5 days. Plastic bags do not allow the bread to breathe at all, and can also mess with the texture.
Propionic acid, as well as its salt, are the most widely used chemical preservatives in bread [7]. It helps prevent mold deterioration and bread ropiness that occurs due to B. subtilis.
Freshly baked bread, the kind with crispt crust and a soft interior, generally has a shelf life of about 2 to 5 days when stored at room temperature. This timeline depends on various factors, including the type of bread, ingredients, and storage conditions.
The starch molecules in bread recrystallise very quickly at cool temperatures, and cause the bread to stale much faster when refrigerated. Shop-bought loaves should be kept in an air-tight plastic bag at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
In the baking industry, the most commonly used chemical preservatives to prevent mold spoilage are the following: propionates (calcium or sodium propionate), sorbates (sorbic acid and potassium sorbate), benzoates, parabens (methyl and propyl) and acetic acid (Pyler and Gorton, 2008).
The best way to keep freshly baked bread as fresh as possible is to store it at room temperature in a part of the kitchen that isn't too hot or dry, according to Davis. When leaving it on the counter, it's best to keep it out of places that attract sunlight, such as right next to a window.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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