How to Store Bread

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

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Keep bread at room temperature, around 20ºC / 68ºF. Keep it away from direct sunlight in a cool and dry place

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   Don't put bread in the refrigerator. Scientific studies have shown that this draws out the moisture and the bread becomes stale faster. This happens from a process known as "retrogradation", which simply means that the starch molecules crystallize.^[2]
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   Put different breads in different containers. There are many schools of thought when it comes to the packaging to store the bread in. Though you should try it with your own bread to see what works, here are a few good rules of thumb:
   • Keep sandwich bread in a plastic bag. Sliced, processed bread usually comes pre-packaged in plastic. Manufacturers of this style of bread recommend leaving it in this packaging to retain the moisture. Though a moist plastic bag is the perfect place to encourage mold, most of these styles of bread have preservatives that inhibit early mold growth.
   • Keep artisanal bread in a paper bag. Whether working at home or in a bakery, bakers of crusty, artisanal bread prefer paper bags to retain the bread's crispness. Crusty bread can turn spongy in a damp plastic bag.
   • Protect the sliced end of freshly baked bread with foil. Even if you store it in a paper bag, the foil will help keep the bread from getting hard.
   • Alternatively, leave artisanal bread out in the open. Some swear by leaving unsliced bread out on the bread board or counter with cut side face-down. Obviously, this works best for freshly baked bakery or homemade bread, especially since this stuff tends get eaten quickly! Test this method on your crusty-style bread but note that staleness can set in quickly depending on room temperature; if you aren’t willing to risk total exposure, cover the bread with a clean kitchen cloth.
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   Freeze excess bread. If you have more bread than you can consume before it goes stale, it can be frozen.
   • Slice bread before freezing; it’s often difficult to slice post thawing.^[3]
   • Place the bread in a freezer bag, eliminate air, and seal.
   • Alternatively, wrap it in foil. Label and date it to prevent it from becoming a mystery cube. Be sure to use heavy-duty foil, as lightweight household foil isn’t suitable for freezing.^[4]
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   Thaw frozen bread. If you have frozen your bread, allow it to thaw at room temperature. Remove the freezer wrapping and let it stand. Crisp in the oven or toaster for a few minutes (no more than 5 minutes) to restore crustiness. Be aware that bread is only good for reheating once to return crustiness, after which you are simply reheating stale bread.