What To Do With Stale Bread
If your homemade bread does start to go dry and stale, it can still be saved. If it’s not too far gone, you can use it for toast, or freeze it for toasting later. If you slice it first, thawing it out won’t take too long. Most toasters have a defrost button so you can quickly thaw out a slice for toasting.
If it’s too dry even for toast, break it up into small pieces and use a food processor or grater to turn your loaf into breadcrumbs. These can be kept fresh for a few days or frozen for future use. Handy for topping pasta bakes, coating fish, meat or veg, and even making desserts such as treacle tart.
Cubes of slightly stale bread can be baked or fried and turned into croutons for use in soups or salads too.
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Use Reusable Wrap Like Bee’s Wrap
Another option is to use a reusable wrap like this bread-sized Bee’s Wrap. This is one of my favorite ways to wrap up longer loaves and the wrap works extremely well at keeping loaves soft but not too soft.
Simply place your bread in the wrap and cover tightly. The beeswax lined wrap will deform and wrap around all the nooks and crannies of your loaf as the warmth of your hands mold it to fit.
How To Freeze Sliced Bread:
If you only consume a small amount of bread at a time or have a small household, one fabulous way to store bread is to slice it before freezing.
To do this, slice your bread evenly with a serrated bread knife and transfer it to a large Ziploc bag. If your crumb is extremely moist, I advise placing a small piece of parchment paper between each slice to ensure that the slices dont stick together.
This method allows you to take one slice out at a time, toast it in your toaster or favorite method of choice, and have a delicious breakfast or snack whenever you want!
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Store In Paper Never Plastic
“A fresh loaf of bread is best eaten within two to three days. If you plan on devouring it right away, then keeping it in a paper bag on the counter is the move. While storing in plastic seems like the right idea, this actually encourages mold growth, resulting in the bread going bad much faster. I also save the heels of my bread and use them as covers for the cut side of my loaf. Keeping the cut side of your loaf as unexposed as possible will also help retain its freshness.”
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Store It In Paper Not Plastic
If you’re storing bread on the counter, the easiest way to keep bread fresh is to leave it in the paper wrapping it came in. Then if needed, cover with another paper bag to wrap the cut or exposed end.
Whatever you do, resist the urge to coffin it in plastic. It may seem like a smart move, but the truth is, it prevents the bread from breathing and traps in moisture, encouraging mold spores to propagate faster. Also, be sure not to set it near heat-releasing appliances, like ovens or dishwashers.
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Storing Banana Bread On The Counter
The ideal place to store most quick breads is right on your counter at room temperature. When kept on the counter, the bread will stay soft and moist, tasting as it did when it was first pulled out of the oven.
However, bread that is stored on the counter will only last for about 4 days. Since the bread is full of ripe bananas, it will be very moist. Moisture and the right air temperature around food can quickly lead to mold.
Keep an eye on your bread and be sure to check it or move it into the fridge after a few days. The best plan is probably just to eat it before this can happen- that shouldnt be hard to do!
When storing banana bread on the counter, you should place the banana bread in a plastic storage container with a locking lid. This will allow the banana bread a little space to breathe and prevent it from becoming soggy .
It is also a good idea to place a piece of paper towel or a napkin in the container with the bread. The napkin will absorb any excess moisture in the container and keep the bread fresh and mold free for longer!
John Lewis & Partners Enamel Tall Bread Bin
If you’re short on space, try this tall bread bin from John Lewis to store loaves of bread vertically. It’s made from powder-coated steel with an enamel finish, making it durable and easy to clean. The trumpet-shaped handle is user-friendly and makes it easy to access. You can’t go wrong with this classic style.
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How To Store Sourdough Bread To Stay Fresh For Longer
If you always finish your sourdough bread on the same day that its baked, youre one of the lucky few as most people have to store their bread! The environment in which you keep your sourdough dictates how long it stays fresh, whether its store-bought or homemade. There are lots of misconceptions and wrong practices people follow to store bread, so lets see how to store sourdough bread and keep it fresh for longer!
The best way to keep sourdough bread fresh is to wrap it in a cotton bag or large tea towel. This lets it breathe which keeps the crust nice and crusty, whilst reducing airflow so it doesnt dry out. Always store bread in a cool, dry place. To keep sourdough for long periodsuse the freezer!
Dont Slice It Straight Away
The cooling process is important for sourdough bread. You should not slice it right away after taking it from the oven. This will result in moisture escaping through the cut area which ruins the crust and makes the bread dense like a brick. Bread will stay much fresher if you keep it whole and slice when you use it.
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Inside The Superbrands: A Look At Warburtons Crumpets
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Bread is a household staple with 99.8 percent of households adding it to their shopping basket, totalling nearly 11 millions loaves sold each day. Express.co.uk spoke to Jill Charlton, Head of Nutrition at Warburtons about the best ways to store bread to ensure it stays fresh for as long as possible, and how to reduce the chance of it going mouldy.
Bodum Bistro Bread Box
This sleek offering from Bodum is a great all-rounder. The eco-friendly bamboo lid also acts as a cutting board, and it’s made from lightweight BPA-free plastic. It’s generously sized it holds a standard loaf plus extras like rolls, pittas, crumpets or bagels. It comes in a variety of colours, including black , white, blue, green or pink. It’s good value-for-money, considering the size and multi-purpose lid.
Available from:
- Available from M& S
This retro-style bread bin from M& S will look smart on any kitchen counter. The neutral colour means it’ll blend in seamlessly, and the subtle embossing adds a special touch. The base of the bread bin is a wooden chopping board, with rich grain detailing. This is a stand-out option for those looking for a fashionable kitchen addition.
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How To Store Bread So It Stays Fresh Longer
For many people, the phrase “bread is life” rings very true. However, to love fresh bread, one must also accept its very short shelf life. It’s a bummer to pull out a recently-purchased loaf, only to find that it’s already tooth shatteringly stale or riddled throughout with mold.
The shelf life of truly fresh bread tends to be a fleeting two to three days. But that doesn’t mean you need to carb-load in order to appreciate that crusty sourdough boule or spindly French baguette.
Once you’ve got a handle on proper storage, you can get a lot more bang for your buck and your bread. To help, we’re sharing the best way to store bread and a few tips on how to keep bread fresh longer.
Use A Bread Box Or Cupboard
Keep your bread at room temperature in a bread box or cupboard. Bread boxes are designed to keep bread fresh and crisp for longer periods of time. It allows the bread to have air circulation. But, like wrapping it in a tea towel, they prevent external factors from affecting the breads moisture level too much.
Putting your bread in a cupboard is another way to store it without letting it go stale fast. This reduces the moisture from escaping and the bread will concentrate on the staling process.
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How To Store Bread In The Fridge
Dont worry storing in the fridge is easy as pie. You dont need any fancy tools or equipment, either. As long as you have plastic wrap, a freezer bag, or an airtight container, you can store your bread in the fridge with ease.
If youre storing store-bought bread in the fridge, you can keep it in its original packaging, too. The key is to use the bread clip. I know, I know. If youre anything like me, thats the first thing you throw away. But hold onto it, as this will ensure the moisture is locked into the loaf.
If youre storing homemade bread in the fridge, you want to make sure that the bread is cooled off entirely before sealing and storing. Otherwise, you will end up with a soggy mess that just simply does not taste good.
Proper storage is 100% key to bread success, so dont try any shortcuts. The more sealing you provide from the elements of the refrigerator, the less chance you have of your bread becoming dry, crumbly, and lacking flavor.
Freeze Your Bread To Ensure It Lasts
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Ingredients For Banana Bread
Before thinking about how to store banana bread, it is important to assess the ingredients in the bread. Looking at the ingredients that go into the bread will actually help you determine how long the bread will last.
See my post about storing common baking ingredients for more info about maximizing the freshness of the ingredients themselves.
Most of the ingredients in banana bread are standard to most quick breads . There is flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices as the dry ingredients and eggs, oil or butter, milk, ripe bananas and maybe an extract making up the list for the wet ingredients.
The wet ingredients are what you want to think about when considering shelf life as they contain the most moisture and therefore are more likely to spoil first.
One thing you want to be sure of when picking out ingredients is to find the most ripe bananas possible. You actually want to use bananas that are turning brown or already fairly brown.
As bananas ripen, the starches in the fruit will turn to sugar, making the bananas naturally sweeter and more ideal to go in your bread. The riper your bananas, the more flavorful your bread will be!
How To Store Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is a seemingly simple food. After all, its made from only three ingredients flour, water, and salt. But once baked, it becomes a magical and complex food.
We fuss and finesse our recipes, keep baking journals and obsess over water temperatures and moisture. But, all that hard work and those delicious flavors and textures can go out the window if you dont know how to store your bread.
Luckily, by following a few simple rules and doing a tiny bit of planning, your sourdough will last longer and youll end up with less stale, wasted bread.
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The Best Way To Keep Banana Bread
There are many ways to keep banana bread fresh. Its best to store it in a dry place that is well-ventilated. This will keep it fresh. To extend the shelf life of your banana bread, you should try to keep the cake as dry as possible. This can be done by cutting the loaves into smaller pieces. Then, store them in a single layer. These pieces should not be allowed to touch each other. Also, storing it in a freezer will work. This will slow down the process of the bread going bad. You can also freeze it if you want to keep it fresh for a longer period of time. For best results, freeze it in individual tupperware containers.
Storing Bread For Maximum Freshness
Do you enjoy fresh bakery bread or making it yourself?
A loaf of bread purchased at a supermarket is made with preservatives, which serve to prolong the product shelf life. Homemade bread made without added preservatives will grow mold quicker than a store-bought one. Today, I will share tips on how to store bread, how to freeze bread, and how to refresh bread so that it tastes fresh baked. Bread usually tastes best the day it is made.
How To Store Bread
Allow freshly baked bread to cool completely to room temperature before slicing or storing. Place it on a cooling rack and make sure air can circulate and to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Slicing fresh warm bread out of the oven, while extremely tempting, affects its texture and flavor. It will be gummier and less airy, which will result in a loaf that dries out much faster. To slice bread, use a serrated knife with deep serrations, to cut with a sawing motion. Some bread, such as baguettes, have a more attractive texture when torn rather than cut. To retain the freshness of a crusty loaf of bread, store it unwrapped at room temperature. This method will ensure that you keep that crisp, crusty exterior for as long as possible. The crust on freshly baked bread will remain at its best texture for at least one day, if not two full days. I am referring to artisanal baguettes, boules, etc., not your typical grocery store sandwich bread.
How To Freeze Bread
How To Refresh Bread
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The Ideal Temperature And Humidity
The ideal temperature for preserving your bread fresh is room temperature.
Room temperature is considered between 20 to 22 ° C .That means that if you live in a particularly cold or warm area, consider that the weather may play a role in keeping your bread fresh.
In humid environment bread usually will grow mold quicker, So if you live in a particularly humid area you will need to make sure that wherever you store your bread it will have enough airflow. I would recommend that if you live in very warm and humid conditions to store your bread in the Freezer.
On the other hand. If you live in a cold dry area you will find that your bread will dry out quickly so consider storing your bread in a more airtight location where the humidity from your loaf will not dissipate too quickly.
If You Plan To Keep It Longer
Freeze it.
When stored properly, frozen banana bread will keep for about three months.
Tip: Instead of freezing an entire loaf, you could freeze individual slices for a ready-to-eat snack or breakfast. If you choose to go this route, its extra important to doubleeven triplewrap the slices since the interior is exposed.
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There Is No Food I Love More Than Bread From The Local Farmers Market But Storage And Longevity Are Two Issues I Was Having Problems With
I have one loaf of bread, for one person and I need it to last 7 days. I’m not picky, I’ll eat stale bread.. but by the 5th day my bread would often reach what I call – ‘the teeth breaking stage’.Unpackaged bread without preservatives will generally last 2-3 days before starting to show signs of going stale. The darker breads and sourdoughs tend to last a little longer. I have not had to throw away any bread since I began using the tips below.It is worth noting that pre-slicing and freezing bread is a great way to make it last longer, using only the amount that you require at any given time. The freezer temperatures stop starch retrogradation, holding the bread in a stable state. This is great for people who don’t eat bread often and want to make one loaf last a very long time.The tips below are for people who eat bread often, who want bread storage to maintain the proper crumb and crust texture of their loaf and to avoid the bread going so hard it can cause broken teeth.