What does everyone do in terms of keeping bread fresh?
If I haven't cut into a loaf, how long can it sit out - is overnight too long? Once cut I usually put it into ziplock bags and that works but since this was fresh (cool) but uncut can I just leave it?
thanks!
Craig
If the bread is going to be consumed the next day I put the cut side down on the counter to keep it from drying too much. I don't like putting crusty bread in a plastic bag as it turns the crusty crust into a tough crust.
Gerhard
Right and so if it isn't cut yet then I should be able to leave it overnight?
I would leave it on the counter without a bag or cover it with a tea towel as that doesn't seem to affect the crust either.
Gerhard
Most breads, if to be eaten within 4-5 days, can be kept on the counter unwrapped, with the cut side down. If you're planning to eat the bread more slowly than that, cut slices can be frozen for weeks in a freezer-grade sealed plastic bag. Such slices can then be thawed slowly at room temperature or placed, frozen, into a toaster. Some breads, at least in my experience, stale more quickly than others. Challah, for instance, stales 1-2 more quickly than many other breads.
NEVER EVER store bread in your fridge. The science of staling is quite clearly that fridge-temperature is the best way to make bread stale quickly.
It depends partly on the type of bread. If it is a lean baguette (just flour, water, salt and yeast) it will stale quite quickly; within hours, in fact. If it is a nice sourdough, it will keep for days on the counter, no problem. I usually put mine in an open ziplock bag after the first day and it's fine. If I'm going to freeze it I wrap it in plastic wrap then seal into a ziplock bag, and it is fine for weeks if not months.
I find paper bags work best.