I baked my first sourdough loaf ever last night and stored it in a gallon ziploc baggie that was open only about one inch. It was still a bit warm, and I didn't want it to mold.
Its seems too dry today. How should I best store it?
Plastic is not a good container for your bread. Moisture will be trapped. Better is a paper bag (think of the ones you can get at the grocery store). If you have a bread drawer, that is good too. (By that I mean a drawer that has a nice lid on it to keep out a lot of fresh air.)
Before you slice or store, let the loaf cool completely. If you do not have a cooling rack, get one.
It's honestly a matter of preference and your intentions for the bread. If you are going to be toasting the bread or adding heat via a grill pan or whatever source of dry heat the crust will become crispy again. Storing it in a plastic bag will give you a longer window for usage and the heat you add will bring back some of the characteristics you originally had. If you store it in a paper bag you will preserve the crispy crust better but the loaf is going to dry out faster. So if you're going to eat the entire loaf in a matter of two or three days a paper bag may be alright for you. If you are planning on eating it over longer period of time you probably want to put it in plastic. I store mine in plastic bags regularly because I simply don't go through bread fast enough. Some people may find this wrong on principle but as a matter of practicality and not wasting bread it is what works.
That being said you should certainly let the loaf cool entirely before bagging it...
A crispy crusted loaf might be cooled on the counter and covered with a tea towel for the first 24 hrs. After that it is usually put in plastic and the crust revived with toasting. Often, I slice,bag and freeze as I don't each much bread on a daily basis. That way I enjoy the taste of the crumb but the crust, of course, suffers.
A sandwich loaf I cool completely, slice and bag when cool or perhaps after sitting overnight on the counter to make the slicing easier.
A nice, moist whole grain or rye can sit lightly covered for a day or so. A heavy rye,in particular, I may cool and then wrap in a tea towel and then plastic bag for a day or so before slicing to allow the moisture to equalize throughout the loaf. Then I will slice and freeze.
Crispy crusted breads are meant to be consumed pretty quickly to enjoy their unique characteristics. So there is no great way to store and retain that.
Sandwich loaves and whole grain loaves fair better with long term storage. All can develop mold and that is why I freeze mine. I keep out a 2-3 day supply and freeze the rest. Then, right from the freezer to the toaster for a delicious slice.
A pure sourdough loaf (i.e., no instant dry yeast) will last generally up to four or five days for me (if not consumed in the meantime). The last couple of days I often toast the bread, but I do find that having some of the bread plain (no toasting, no added butter or anything else) is still possible and enjoyable even four days or so after baking.
It does depend on the bread, as pointed out above. Some breads age better than others.
I usually cool the loaf completely, slice and freeze in ziplok bags. Take out a slice or two at a time as required. Stored this way the bread will retain its goodness for at least a week or two and the last slice will be just as good as the first. Your mileage may vary. Best wishes. Dave
Plastic is not a good container for your bread. Moisture will be trapped. Better is a paper bag (think of the ones you can get at the grocery store). If you have a bread drawer, that is good too. (By that I mean a drawer that has a nice lid on it to keep out a lot of fresh air.)
Before you slice or store, let the loaf cool completely. If you do not have a cooling rack, get one.
Please post a photo of your new bread.
Happy baking.
Ted
Thanks for your help!
Is this a good one? Should I close the vent holes completely?
It's honestly a matter of preference and your intentions for the bread. If you are going to be toasting the bread or adding heat via a grill pan or whatever source of dry heat the crust will become crispy again. Storing it in a plastic bag will give you a longer window for usage and the heat you add will bring back some of the characteristics you originally had. If you store it in a paper bag you will preserve the crispy crust better but the loaf is going to dry out faster. So if you're going to eat the entire loaf in a matter of two or three days a paper bag may be alright for you. If you are planning on eating it over longer period of time you probably want to put it in plastic. I store mine in plastic bags regularly because I simply don't go through bread fast enough. Some people may find this wrong on principle but as a matter of practicality and not wasting bread it is what works.
That being said you should certainly let the loaf cool entirely before bagging it...
A crispy crusted loaf might be cooled on the counter and covered with a tea towel for the first 24 hrs. After that it is usually put in plastic and the crust revived with toasting. Often, I slice,bag and freeze as I don't each much bread on a daily basis. That way I enjoy the taste of the crumb but the crust, of course, suffers.
A sandwich loaf I cool completely, slice and bag when cool or perhaps after sitting overnight on the counter to make the slicing easier.
A nice, moist whole grain or rye can sit lightly covered for a day or so. A heavy rye,in particular, I may cool and then wrap in a tea towel and then plastic bag for a day or so before slicing to allow the moisture to equalize throughout the loaf. Then I will slice and freeze.
Crispy crusted breads are meant to be consumed pretty quickly to enjoy their unique characteristics. So there is no great way to store and retain that.
Sandwich loaves and whole grain loaves fair better with long term storage. All can develop mold and that is why I freeze mine. I keep out a 2-3 day supply and freeze the rest. Then, right from the freezer to the toaster for a delicious slice.
Enjoy.
A pure sourdough loaf (i.e., no instant dry yeast) will last generally up to four or five days for me (if not consumed in the meantime). The last couple of days I often toast the bread, but I do find that having some of the bread plain (no toasting, no added butter or anything else) is still possible and enjoyable even four days or so after baking.
It does depend on the bread, as pointed out above. Some breads age better than others.
Let the bread cool completely before storing. After cutting store the loaf cut side down. I tried many methods, paper bag being best until I bought this box. https://www.crateandbarrel.com/carter-wood-bread-box/s666667?localedetail=US&storeid=751&a=1552&campaignid=882540607&adgroupid=44027293813&targ…
I usually cool the loaf completely, slice and freeze in ziplok bags. Take out a slice or two at a time as required. Stored this way the bread will retain its goodness for at least a week or two and the last slice will be just as good as the first. Your mileage may vary. Best wishes. Dave
Are those raisins in your sourdough?