Bread storage

[Darienne]

Have just started back making bread after a hiatus of about 15 years. In a bread machine so far. However, we have eaten so little bread in the intervening years that the loaf has always been plastic wrapped and put into the fridge or freezer until the next use.

What is the best way to keep bread? Fridge? In plastic? In paper? In an airtight container?

And why is artisan bread sold in a paper bag for that matter?

Thanks.

[dougal]

There are various different things happening when bread goes stale. Its not (only) drying out.

Bread that is not loaded with preservatives will go stale faster.

Especially in the refrigerator.

Wrapping loosely in paper and storing, away from draughts, at cool room temperature and non-extreme (either way) humidity is about as harmless as treatment gets. A wooden box can be a good substitute.

Plastic is bad for home-made (or other 'real') bread. Without chemicals to hold the moisture, it sweats more. This gives high humidity inside a plastic bag. And lacking another set of chemicals to control/kill fungus, it'll go mouldy quickly in those humid conditions inside a plastic bag.

There is however another aspect.

Bread made with 'lots' of yeast goes stale quicker.

Bread machine recipes tend to use quite a lot of yeast (compared to most manual bread making).

So bread-machine bread (despite additions of sugars and milk powder, etc) will tend to go stale VERY much faster than preservative-loaded plastic-wrapped commercial pap.

Doing the bread making by hand, and flexibly controlling the timings yourself, allows you to use less yeast and to allow the dough to rise more slowly (like overnight in the fridge).

That will give you a tastier bread that goes stale more slowly.

"Sourdough" bread, made with a 'starter' rather than commercial yeast, goes stale really quite slowly - and its flavour actually strengthens over a few days.

[DeEttas]

I would keep away from storing in the fridge, the moisture will be pulled from the bread. Either keep it on the counter, or in the freezer.

[Darienne]

Thanks for the replies.