What Is the Best Way To Store Bread To Ensure Freshness?

A loaf of soft spongy bread is what everyone craves in the morning. The signature carb taste is enough to excite anyone for breakfast. But while this flavor is amazing on the first day, bread tends to go stale quickly. Don’t worry, as the following tips will help you store your bread properly to help preserve its freshness. Let’s discuss! 

Why Bread Stales?

You might think that bread stales as it dries down, but there is a complex process that goes behind it. When your bread is in flour form, it contains big starch molecules. Once you start the doughing process, the water breaks these molecules and arranges them in a gel form hence producing the signature softness of bread. Later, when this loaf cools down, these molecules recrystallize, causing dryness. So in order to keep your bread fresh, we have to find ways to stop this recrystallization. Let’s see what we can do about it.

Tips To Preserve Freshness of Bread

The following tips will help you keep your bread fresh for a long time:

1. Get rid of plastic bags

Plastic bags might be the right choice for stock packaging, but they don’t do any good for maintaining the bread’s quality. These bags trap moisture and as a result, make your loaf more prone to molding. That is why paper bags are considered to be a much better alternative. Unlike their plastic counterparts, paper bags promote ventilation hence preventing molding. 

2. Use bread storage containers

If you aren’t satisfied with the paper bag solution, you might want to invest in a good-quality bread storage container. These not only improve the look of your table but also maintain the freshness of your bread and keep it from going stale.

They do so because these boxes have built-in holes for the sole purpose of ventilation. As discussed above, this small step prevents moisture from building up hence avoiding any mold formation. Also, they regulate the temperature of the bread and prevent it from drying out. 

3. Protect the loaf from air exposure

Another thing you can do to stop your bread from getting stale is to make sure you don’t expose it to air. You can do so by saving the corner pieces when cutting into a fresh loaf. Once you have cut the desired number of slices, use the corner one to repack it and place it in the bread storage container. This way you stop the exposure of all the soft inner core hence avoiding any damage to it.

4. Freeze your bread

The last but the best way to ensure your bread’s freshness is to freeze it. You might find it questionable at first but once you understand the science behind it you’ll see why it’s the best choice. 

You see, when you freeze your bread you lower its temperature to the point where recrystallization of starch isn’t possible. As a result, there is no chance of your loaf getting stale. You can keep it there for months and when you want to consume it, simply heat it in the oven or toast it to maintain its original flavor. 

But remember, while freezing keeps your bread in its original state, you have to be careful while reheating it. If you leave it to defrost, the loaf will turn out all mushy and the signature texture will be gone. Also, if you aren’t planning to eat the entire loaf at once, you can freeze separate slices to avoid the hassle of repeated reheating. 

Final Thoughts 

Nothing beats the satisfaction you get after eating a fresh slice of bread. But if you struggle with maintaining its freshness, use the above-mentioned tips to ensure you never have to deal with stale bread again.