Bread Storage

Trishinomaha on

Hi again...

 Home from work today with a bum leg so I'm spending some quality computer time on The Fresh Loaf :-). We have just two in our house and I've been on a bread baking frenzy lately - I do share with friends, co-workers and family but I'd like to know what will keep the loaves we keep here fresh for four or five days. Plastic baggies make the crust go soft - I've seen aluminum foil suggested. How do all of you keep your breads fresh for daily use?

 Thanks!

Trish

For crusty breads, I throw them into paper bags. When I'm smart I save the paper bags from local bakeries, but when I run out I just wrap my breads up in grocery bags. It isn't pretty, but it works. I should also add that it is hard to keep a basic french bread fresh that long. I figure 2 to maybe 3 days before the loaves are ready to become garlic bread or croutons. Sourdough loaves keep a couple of days longer, and larger loaves and rounds keep better than baguettes.
    I wrap all my breads in a linen or smooth cotton towel unless they're going into the freezer. The towel helps keep the crust crisp (try saying that more than once), the bread fresh and a towel is always available.                                                        weavershouse

I tried the brown bag and I was not pleased.  Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap (Saran) making sure it's sealed and it'll stay fresh for a good long time.  I had one loaf sitting around waiting for me to take to my sister's housef for almost a week.  By the time I got it there, it was still fresh.

 

Steph

I leave my loaves, cut side down, on the cutting board. They seem to stay quite fresh, at least for the three days or so that I have them. If I've baked into rolls, I tend to put into a plastic bag, expecting the soft crust. I have a wood bread box, but it does not seem to keep bread as fresh as my mother's did.

Hi there,

 we have only two in the household,and live in a high humidity area of the country,  so a six cup AP sized bread last too long, or abosorbs too much humidity.

So after the first day of gorging, I slice and freeze it in zip lock for future meals in the week that call for bread.

The day it is in use, I leave it cut side down on a cutting board.  

Regards from southern mexico 

I got this cool vacuum bread box that works really well.  If you go to www.qvc.com and key in K3466, you will see it and a good description.  I usually put a loaf of bread, 4-6  rolls and a few English Muffins in it, unwrapped, and they stay pretty fresh for up to a week or so.  There is a little drying toward the end of that time, but I have never found mold or an off-taste.

 

Nancy

I have been baking bread for over 10 years.  I use the plastic bags because my husband likes the crust soft.  However, I belong to a birthday club with a group of ladies and I take a loaf of bread to the birthday girl each time.  I found in doing so that when packaging their bread it last longer than that which I keep at home.  I believe the reason is that it is not sealed like it does in the plastic bag.  I use a loaf sized party cellophane bag that I get at Wal-Mart in the party goods.  Now this is not the secret.  I believe the secret to keeping it fresh is letting it breath.  I close the bag with 2 strips of tape and finish closing the end with a sticker that says "Homemade by SueLynn".  I also freeze bread when I see the first little spot of mold.  I pinch a chunk out where the mold is.  This makes great bread pudding.
SueLynn

My husband found the old time brown paper lunch sacks my mom used to put our lunches in (after we out grew lunch boxes ;-)). 50 of them at Kroger cost about $2.00. I think I'll try them and see how it works. Thanks for all the other suggestions!

 Trish