How to store bread to keep it fresh for longer

All you knead is a slice of bread!*

With pasta or lasagna, a panini or mushroom and avocado toast, or just the regular toast with chai, our love for bread are infinite! But even if you consume bread every day, chances are that it will go stale before you can finish the entire loaf.

Freshly baked bread lasts only three to four days and store-bought bread lasts about a week. But, did you know that how you store bread either extends its life or drastically cuts it down?! Keeping the bread fresh comes down to avoiding three things: heat, moisture, and air.

Here are some easy tips to help you maintain that “just baked” freshness in your loaves and slices for a longer period!

Tip 1 - Freezing is a friend!

For the longest possible storage, freezing bread is the way to go. You can store entire loaves or individual slices in freezer bags for up to two months. The freezer will keep all the moisture locked into the bread itself. When you defrost and reheat, it will retain the same crunchy crust and soft interior as when it first went into the freezer in the first place.

Tip 2 - Fridge is a sad no!

While the freezer can be fresh bread's best friend, its biggest enemy is sadly the fridge. This is because your refrigerator will cause the moisture in your bread to evaporate, resulting in the inner parts of the bread becoming dry, stale, and harder to chew. Keeping a loaf in your refrigerator can certainly help curtail mould growth, but it also dries out your bread, meaning you can say “bye-bye” to that soft texture of the slice.

Tip 3 - Only slice before you eat!

Once you cut the bread open, the exposed interior starts letting out moisture. If you keep the entire loaf of bread intact until you’re ready to serve individual slices, you can store it for longer. 

Also Read: How to thoroughly clean your Oven Toaster Griller

Tip 4 - Cut from the middle, not the ends!

When you are ready to slice the loaf, cut a piece from the middle and press both sides from the middle together after that to keep the moisture intact inside the bread. 

Tip 5 - Say hello to the bread box!
A good breadbox will create an environment that balances humidity, which you want for a soft interior. Although it’s a fairly airtight container, there is air circulation that maintains a crusty crust. A large box is advisable as it allows maximum air circulation.
#BorosilTip: The more bread you put in a bread box, the higher the humidity level, so don't overfill it.

Tip 6 - Paper over plastic!

If you plan on relishing your freshly baked bread within 48 hours, then keeping it in a paper bag on the counter is the best way to store it. While storing in plastic seems like the right idea, this encourages mould growth, resulting in the bread going bad much faster.

#BorosilTip: Never store bread on top of the fridge as its heat rapidly increases and encourages moulding. 

Tip 7 - Bread bags are fun and sustainable!

Try a reusable bread bag that is machine washable and works great in the freezer. These can be a nice alternative to paper bags that can get torn and let crumbs escape. These bags are made of breathable materials, so they essentially work like paper bags without the waste.

Tip 8 - Don't leave the leftovers!

Of course, if your bread does go stale, that certainly doesn't mean you can't eat it. Stale bread can make delicious croutons or breadcrumbs. Enjoy them with a hearty soup!

*& all your bread kneads is some care!