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.
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."
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.
Bread should be stored in an air-tight container, but still have some room to breath. Any kind of tin or bread box will work, as long as the lid fits tightly enough to keep air out.
Wrap bread in cling film or tin foil
This method works for fresh, store-bought bread and homemade bread. It will trap the bread's natural moisture to keep it from drying out. If your bread came in a paper wrapping, toss it out and wrap it in cling film or tin foil for longer lasting storage.
You can keep your fresh loaf in a bread box for a few days. With its dark and dry interior, a bread box helps maintain a decent balance of moisture to keep the inside of the bread soft and its exterior crusty. Make sure there is plenty of room inside for good air circulation.
Storing bread in either plastic, cloth, or foil helps retain the loaf's moisture. This moisture retention is a plus when it comes to the bread's crumb (interior) — but a minus if you're talking crunchy-crispy crust, since wrapping bread will inevitably soften its crust as well as its crumb.
Wrap it in aluminum foil: Using foil is a common way to preserve bread. When using aluminum foil, carefully wrap every part of the loaf to protect it from direct air, which causes staleness. Place the loaf in a paper bag or bread box for short-term storage.
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.
To anyone who bakes their own sourdough, congrats — and make sure you get yourself a bread bin because you absolutely need one for your loaves. The dark and dry interior of the bin will protect your baked efforts from a quick death allowing you to savor them for a little longer. All baked goods are fair game.
One of the best ways to store bread is to keep it in a bread bin. Those with a tight seal will help to keep your loaves fresher for longer. It should be kept in a cool place, but avoid keeping it in the fridge. Bread freezes well whole or in slices.
Storing your bread on the countertop in a plastic bag (or well-sealed plastic wrap) will help keep it from going stale, but be warned: the crust will suffer and grow mold due to trapped moisture. Toasting the bread (if it's too soft but not yet moldy, of course) will bring some of the crust's crunchy texture back.
A breadbox (chiefly American) or a bread bin (chiefly British) is a container for storing bread and other baked goods to keep them fresh. They were a more common household kitchen item until bread started being made commercially with food preservatives and wrapped in plastic.
So why sell in paper at all? Because paper lets air into the bag, keeping the bread dry and the crust crisp and delicious. If you store bread in a plastic bag, the moisture from the bread gets trapped in the bag making the crust soft. Storing in plastic will keep the bread fresh longer, but you'll lose the crust.
We recommend wrapping the bread in a linen or cotton tea towel first, then placing it in a bag, to keep it out of the dry air and allow for air circulation.
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.
One of the best ways to keep your bread fresh longer is by wrapping it with a cotton bag or tea towel. Unlike a wrap, these two will still let the bread breathe while keeping the crust crispy. These also reduce the airflow so they can prevent the bread from drying out quickly.
Experts say that the best method is to store fresh-baked bread in something breathable—a paper sack, a ceramic bread box, or cotton or linen bags—so that the crust remains hard and the inside soft.
If the loaf is browning too fast but doesn't sound hollow, cover the bread while baking by creating a tent out of foil to help prevent burning. Yeast breads containing butter and/or sugar often need this step.
It allows you to wrap your quick bread so it looks elegant and also keeps it fresh. Wrapping a full-sized loaf of quick bread works best with parchment paper, which tends to come in a wider dimension than waxed paper, although it gets a bit more crinkly, and less smooth.
"But if you take a long time to consume your bread, [if your kitchen] is warm and humid, and especially if the bread is homemade, it is worth refrigerating to prevent mold growth," she adds.
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.