There’s nothing quite like the smell of activated yeast and freshly baked bread filling the house.
But, with the joy of making homemade bread comes the struggle of keeping it fresh. Thankfully there are options to help preserve your delicious creation!
Some people choose to freeze their bread and others have bread boxes. Regardless of where you choose to store your homemade bread, you’ll still need a bread bag to ensure it stays fresh.
In this article, we’ll talk about some of the best ways to store bread and different kinds of bread bags to help.
How Long Does Bread Last?
Not every bread is made the same and how long they last will vary depending on what kind of bread it is.
That being said, there are still general rules for normal wheat bread and its shelf life. In general, most homemade bread can last anywhere from 3-5 days, and store-bought bread can last up to 7 days with some extra time depending on preservatives.
Freezing bread can extend the life span of bread significantly if you don’t plan on eating it anytime soon.
How To Store Bread
There are quite a few factors that go into keeping your homemade bread fresh and free of mold. Like most people, I would keep my bread on top of the fridge in a plastic bag. It turns out that this wasn’t the best decision and there are much better ways to store bread.
Let’s look at some important things to remember when considering how to store homemade bread.
- Temperature
- Location
- Storage Container Type
Those are the 3 things to keep in mind when trying to store bread; temperature, location, and container type. Let’s take a look at the best option for each.
Temperature
Temperature is obviously important and humidity is sort of included in this as well. Many people choose to freeze bread and it’s understandable since the lower the temperature, the less active any bacteria will be. Be careful when thawing though, if you let your bread thaw out on the counter while still in a container, it can get soggy! The best option is to dethaw it in the refrigerator with no cover on it to allow any water to evaporate.
Keep in mind that freezing is mostly for long-term storage and if you plan on eating through your bread in under 4 days, then leaving it stored on your counter will be fine.
Location
It’s important to know that some places are better suited for storing bread than others and you can’t just place a loaf anywhere expecting it to stay fresh. As an example, if you choose to keep bread out of the freezer because you plan on using it throughout the week, then keeping it somewhere dark and dry will work best (usually a bread box or bread bag).
But, some people may opt to put bread on top of the fridge not realizing this is a mistake! Keeping bread enclosed and on top of something that gets warm (the top of a fridge), then it will condensate on the inside of the container and be a petri dish for bacteria to grow.
Storage Container
For most people, the type of container won’t make a huge difference. But, for some households, it might mean the difference between fast molding or staying fresh.
To start, most homemade bread won’t do too well in plastic bags if the air isn’t sucked out of them. Plastic is a perfectly sealed container and if there is moisture inside it won’t be able to get out. Over time that moisture is what allows mold to grow on your bread. I know what you’re thinking, “grocery stores use plastic bags”. The bread you buy from the grocery store has other preservatives added usually and avoid moisture storing in other ways.
All things considered, plastic isn’t you’re worst enemy but for homemade bread, a bread box or cloth bread bag might be best as it allows the moisture from crusty homemade bread to breathe.
What Makes A Good Bread Bag
There aren’t a load of different options on the market for bread bags. The reason you won’t find much variation is that there’s no superior bread bag by design and the main differences are usually the material they’re made from.
In my opinion, finding a linen or cloth bread bag will be a great option over plastics. Read on to learn about the difference between cloth and linen bread bags to see which might be the best for your home.
Best Bread Bags For Homemade Bread
Considering everything we’ve talked about previously with choosing a linen bag over plastic, where to store it, and how to treat homemade bread vs store-bought, then there are only a few options that will work. Granted, you can still use plastic or other paper bag bread bags if that’s your preference.
However, if you’re looking for reusability and portability, then I’d recommend the following bread bag for your delicious homemade loaf!
Bread Story Bag For Homemade Bread
These are simple and a perfect option to store homemade bread. They’re 8 x 12 x 0.5 inches in dimensions, which works well as most homemade loaves are usually around 8 inches in length. If you’re making other artisan bread such as baguettes then you may have to get some different bags specifically for longer loaves.
Another great aspect of these cloth bread bags versus plastic is that they’re reusable! Simply follow any washing instructions listed on the product and they’ll be ready for use again on the next loaf of homemade bread!
How To Keep Bread Fresh In Hot Weather
While it may seem like a good idea to keep bread in the fridge, you should avoid doing so regardless of the temperature you’re in! Keeping bread in the fridge can speed up how fast mold grows on bread and cause it to go stale faster. Alternatively, you can freeze bread as long as it’s thoroughly sealed.
But, that’s not what we’re looking for here. We want to know how to keep bread fresh even in hot weather.
First, avoid using plastic as a container as the surrounding hot temperatures can cause the moisture in the bag to condensate and spoil your bread. You’ll want a storage container that allows some breathability for moisture to be released but allows not exposed to open air. Using a cloth bread bag or a bread box will work well to help keep your bread fresh even in hot weather. I would try to keep the surrounding area of the bread at room temperature though if you can.
