Whether you make your own bread from scratch or you buy your bread from a store here are some helpful tips for storing your bread!
Of course if you’re just buying your bread from the store it’s going to have preservatives in it, this is by design, they have to buy themselves some time to make it, package it, ship it, put it out on the shelves, and then wait for people to buy it. SOOO it’s going to last longer (at least it should) than homemade bread.
With that being said you also want your homemade bread to last at least a week, right? Obviously every family is different, some families go through 3 loaves of bread a week and others only a half loaf so just take that thought into consideration. We, personally, go through about 1 loaf a week (depending on the week and time of year).
Storage Options
First let’s talk about the area you store your bread in… I mean out on the counter, in a cabinet, in the fridge, etc.
If you’re anything like us and you live in a old farmhouse you have the issue of critters! It doesn’t matter what kind of critter we’re talking about, I don’t want them in my food. So I opted to store my bread in the fridge. This is fine for store bought bread and homemade bread in the aspect of making it last a little longer, but it may dry it out faster (there are ways to moisten it back up).
If you do store it on the counter or in the cabinet, pantry, etc. then I highly suggest getting an airtight bag. I know, I know most of you are thinking “yeah I just spin the bread bag 5 million times and fold the excess under and it’s fine.” Yes, I was that way too for years! until I learned that plastic helps to retain moisture and allows it to mold a lot faster. So I opted out of plastic and even if I do buy bread at the store (which is very rare now) I will put it in a bread bag instead. I LOVE bread bags because they are fabric bags , easy to clean, reasusable, coated in beeswax, and easy to open & close. I personally use these!
So depending on where you live, what you have to deal with in humidity, critters, etc. and how you like to store your bread (or whatever you have room for) will determine which method you choose!
Fridge = Dries out faster, but keeps bread longer.
Room Temp. = Stays more moist, but likely to mold faster.
Using Plastic Bags = Retains moisture which means mold faster, not as air tight (if using store bought bag), & exposed to microplastics. You could also use these as a less plastic option but completely airtight and they’re compostable!
Using Bread Bags = Retains moisture in the bread not the bag, can hold multiple loaves, can be airtight, & no microplastics -uses beeswax.
Freezer = Obviously this option is for long term storage and not for the immediate use, but when I make bread I will make a big batch and then freeze individual loaves so that I have bread for the next month or two! Just set it out on the counter for an afternoon to thaw out.
You can obviously decide for yourself, but these are just somethings to consider next time you are putting your bread away!
