On the counter is the best place to store your bread if you intend to eat it within the week. If you keep the bag well sealed you can get up to four days of life, but the fridge will halve that. If you want to want to enjoy it gradually over time, it should be stored in the freezer.
Wrapping bread and storing it at room temperature will help it retain moisture for a few days. But what if you can't finish the whole loaf in that amount of time? Freezing is the answer. The takeaway: If you're storing bread longer than a few days, it's best to keep it in the freezer.
*Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize 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.
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.
If you tightly wrap your bread in plastic and put it in the refrigerator, you can help slow the staling process. Freezing bread is an option to help prevent it from going stale and developing spoilage microbes.
You should keep your bread far away from the stove, the top of the fridge, or any area that's near sources of heat. Instead, your best bet it to keep it in a dark, cool section of your kitchen counter or your pantry.
Yes, you can refrigerate bread to stop mold from forming. However, we don't recommend this option because it almost always guarantees stale bread, and reviving stale bread is never a good thing. On the other hand, putting bread inside the freezer is a better choice than refrigerated bread.
Although plastic bags and airtight containers may seem like a good way to keep your bread from going stale, the lack of airflow will foster an environment for mold growth, because the moisture is contained and mold loves moisture. If you want to put your bread in a container, a bread box is the way to go.
The additives keep those pre-packaged loaves of bread tasting good as new for up to a week or so, whereas freshly baked bread can harden within a day. The answer is yes, breadboxes have been proven to keep bread fresh. With the help of a closed box, tasty baked goods can stay pristine well past their prime.
But too much moisture will create mold, so I've found it's best not to keep the bag airtight. Loosely twist the end to close. Paper bags are more breathable than plastic, which is great for brioche rolls, soft buns, and other breads with added fat. But too much air will make the bread go stale quickly.
Same for storing near a dishwasher; the excess heat and moisture these appliances give off is not bread-friendly. Try to store bread in a cool and dry area of your kitchen. If not out on the counter, then in a cabinet or a deep drawer."
Keep bread away from major appliances in your kitchen that may be putting out a bit of warmth while running. This includes your refrigerator and dishwasher along with your oven. If not freezing your bread, keep it on the counter or in a large cupboard or drawer with good airflow.
The best way to store bread is at room temperature in a dark, dry, cool location such as a pantry, drawer, or bread box.
PLASTIC: NOT THE BEST WAY TO STORE HOMEMADE BREAD
Plastic, either as a wrap or a bag, does not allow for the passage of air and maintains the bread at a soft texture, so the loaf inside does not dry out. Plastic may work for softer breads but does not work well for sourdough or other crusty breads.
Each has its own benefits in terms of aesthetics and functionality. Wood: Wood bread boxes have a traditional, rustic feel to them. They typically have a spacious interior, making them ideal for large households. Stainless steel: Often modern in design, stainless steel bread boxes are durable and easy to keep clean.
Don't be tempted to put bread in the fridge, however, as the staling process speeds up at low temperatures. You can blame the decline of the breadbox on the advent of preservatives in bread, and the packaging of commercial bread in plastic bags.
With anti-germ qualities and non-scratchy surfaces, the wooden bread boxes happen to have longer durability. In addition to this, the robust structure of these boxes makes them hard to break and fresh hot bread wouldn't affect the inside of the box in any way.
Plastic bags have been hailed as the saviour of fresh bread for many years, keeping it fresher for longer. But in reality, they don't breathe, meaning you lose your crusty crust in the best case scenario, and grow a large crop of mould in the worst case (and most frequent) scenario.
Store in Kitchen Cabinet
A kitchen cabinet will also work well to store bread and keep mold from growing. Place the loaf of bread into a paper bag or an open plastic bag. There will be just enough air circulation in the cabinet to prevent mold from developing yet not enough air that bread will dry out too quickly.
It is also advisable to keep the end crust to keep the top slice fresh. Bread will keep fresh for several days at room temperature. However, in very hot weather the loaf should be wrapped in polythene or foil and stored in the refrigerator to delay the onset of mould, although this will speed up the staling process.
Most breads freeze very well with little to no loss in quality or texture. The enemy is freezer air, which can cause freezer burn and impart freezer-aroma flavors. To prevent this, wrap each loaf tightly in two layers of plastic wrap before placing it in a large resealable freezer bag.
If you don't have a bread box, you can use saran wrap or a Ziploc bag. Plastic bags trap the air and moisture from the bread inside which keeps your loaf of homemade bread super soft and you don't have to worry about it going stale right away. Make sure you keep it at room temperature while storing it in plastic.
The smell of bread still brings me back to that moment (I'll spare you the Proust reference). But the real power of the memory isn't the food; it's the design of the bread drawer. Like a bread box, a bread drawer helps maintain a dark, dry environment for preserving baked goods.