*Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at cool temperatures, and causes the bread to
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.
The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down. So that's the science in a nutshell.
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.
In general, most loaves will last up to a week at room temperature, and three to five days longer in the fridge—though keep in mind that refrigeration can make bread go stale. Bread that goes stale is still useful for breadcrumbs, croutons, and bread pudding.
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."
In fact, putting bread in the fridge is a good guarantee that you're going to have stale bread in as little as one day. While you may be preventing the growth of mold, you're just reducing the shelf life of the bread.
Bread might go stale ASAP when it's refrigerated, but freezing it is actually one of the best ways to extend its shelf life. Freezing your bread will prevent mold growth and stop staleness in its tracks.
Use a bread box.
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.
As mentioned earlier, bread should be kept in a cool place. However, keeping bread in the fridge can cause it to stale up to six times faster than it normally would when placed on a shelf or counter. This is because refrigeration can hasten the degradation of the starch and moisture loss that could lead to stale bread.
Time and Temperature is Everything: Room temperature, which rests around 20 degrees Celsius, is definitely the preferred heat to keep bread at its freshest. As long as it out of direct sunlight and in a relatively dry place, then this should keep it fresh for approximately two days.
Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator.
Sourdough bread has a longer shelf life than brewer's yeast bread. It delays starch retrogradation and the staling of bread. This is because sourdough is more acidic and less prone to develop degenerative bacteria and moulds.
Resealable plastic bag: A resealable plastic bag seals in moisture and locks out air, keeping your bread soft. If you're using this method, store the bread at room temperature, but monitor the bag for excess moisture that can lead to mold.
Best practice is to store eggs in the fridge; that way the temperature is always at a constant and your eggs will be fresher!
What is the Best Way to Store Bread? The best way to store bread is at room temperature in a dark, dry, cool location such as a pantry, drawer, or bread box. We also recommend keeping our bread sealed in its original packaging, as this will help retain its moisture.
In the United States, fresh, commercially produced eggs need to be refrigerated to minimize your risk of food poisoning. However, in many countries in Europe and around the world, it's fine to keep eggs at room temperature for a few weeks.
Room temperature is best for storing most bread, at around 68 degrees. Studies show white, semi-white and black bread varieties all keep best at room temperature for the first 24 to 48 hours. In-store bakeries do well to control this temperature as much as possible.
So, how do you keep bread from molding? The best way to prevent mold is by storing your loaves in a bread bin, cloth bread bag, or even a paper bag. Keep the bread away from heat, sunlight, and preferably oxygen by keeping it in an airtight or near airtight container.
Consider sourdough bread, which has a very high acidity level that allows it to last longer than other types of bread with no preservatives. According to Migoya, sourdough bread remains perfectly fine even six days after coming out of the oven.
According to "sell by" dates, bread is good for three to five days after opening, but it can actually be consumed much longer after that as long as there is no mold growth. You can usually see fuzzy, green spots on the surface of bread, so it's easy to tell when it's time to toss.
Which is better? Answer: The counter is definitely the better place for your bread. Bread stored in the refrigerator will dry out and become stale much faster than bread stored at room temperature.
White bread should ideally not be refrigerated, as the bread will dry out and become stale faster than at room temperature. If you must refrigerate white bread (eg, due to a lack of pantry storage space or very hot, humid room conditions), the bread will typically last for only about 2-3 days before getting stale.