The tips you need to make bread last longer (2024)

FAQs

The tips you need to make bread last longer? ›

Mold loves heat, moisture and food sources. For best results, keep your bread away from excess heat and humidity. Keep it away from the stove, off the top of the fridge, away from the fruit bowl etc. Years ago, we used to keep our bread in a plastic bag, in a drawer nestled in-between the dishwasher and fridge.

Freeze your bread

"Freezing bread is the best way to preserve that crusty loaf for the longest time possible. Wrap tightly in a freezer bag, either whole or sliced. I like to put wax paper between slices when I freeze, as this makes it easier to take out just what I need.

Use either freezer bags or sheets of plastic wrap to keep away ice crystals, prevent freezer burn, and get a tight seal. Remove the plastic when defrosting, so the moisture doesn't leach onto your bread, or stick it directly in an oven or toaster, for warm, fragrant bread that looks and tastes as good as new.

Spore-forming bacteria typically crops up post-baking, so to increase shelf life and strengthen resistance to microbiological contamination, it isn't uncommon for commercial bread to be loaded with synthetic antimicrobials (stabilizers and preservatives) including but not limited to butylated hydroxy anisole, tertiary ...

Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.

Freezing bread is one of the best ways to keep bread fresh. It allows you to keep bread for a longer time while preserving its quality and texture. In fact, you may find that frozen bread that's been thawed tastes similar to fresh bread. You may want to freeze bread if you know you won't eat it all before it goes bad.

USE A BREAD BOX

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.

Baker says the best place to store bread is at room temperature. "Homemade bread stored at room temperature will have the best quality if used within three to five days," she says. "Commercially-prepared bread can be used within five to seven days.

Storing bread is a matter of managing temperature and humidity. It's best to keep bread at room temperature in a dark and airtight box. Traditional bread boxes were created for this specific purpose. If you don't have a bread box, you can store your loaf in a microwave, plastic food storage container or pantry.

Does bread last longer uncut? ›

Don't slice it: Bread keeps best if it's unsliced—only slice the amount you'll need for a single meal. Don't put homemade bread in the fridge: Homemade bread typically does not store well in the refrigerator.

The main cause for homemade bread drying out so quickly is the fact that no preservatives are used in the baking process. Store-bought bread uses preservatives that not only keep it moist but also help keep mold away. Homemade bread lacks preservatives, and so it does not last nearly as long as a store-bought loaf.

Rye bread: Rye bread tends to be more dense and have a longer shelf life than other bread types. It can last for up to a week at room temperature, and up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Yeast is another critical factor in ensuring your loaf doesn't come out dry. As the dough rises and ferments overnight, it will produce carbon dioxide, which helps to expand the dough and give it a more airy texture.

Common preservatives include salts, sugars, gelatin and vinegars; which are used to prevent bacteria growth. Additives, such as nisin and trisodium phosphate, may also be used to help preserve foods. Another type of food additive that helps with shelf stability, antioxidants, help to decrease oxidation in foods.

On conclusion of her experiment, she decided that although white bread lasts longer, as brown bread has more nutrients it is the better choice for those wanting a nutritious bread.

In general, store-bought white bread contains additives that keep it fresher longer than a homemade or artisanal loaf, but the ingredients can vary by brand.