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Storing homemade bread


tikidoc

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 Like many others during the pandemic, I have been making a lot of bread at home. I have a sourdough starter going, and so there has been a lot of lean sourdough bread in the house, along with other breads more palatable to the teens in the house, such as enriched breads like Japanese milk bread and challah. My problem is storage. Homemade breads go stale so fast, even the enriched ones. I’m experimenting with baking techniques/ingredients to make for longer lasting breads. I’d like to hear what others do as far as storage to make breads stale slower. I keep having an ad pop up on facebook that is cloth bag with a beeswax lining. It’s a bit speedy but if it lasts and does the job, I’d be willing to make the investment. If it matters, I live in an area that is pretty humid this time of year.

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I use one of these...

 

https://breadtopia.com/store/bamboo-bag-baguette-quiver/

 

But basically, on the counter, 2 days is it.  Sometimes I'll slice and freeze, sometimes I'll keep a bread in the fridge in plastic.

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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For bread storage, I wrap well and freeze. Defrost in fridge, keep in a freezer ziploc in the fridge, and toast before eating. Definitely not the same as fresh baked bread but this way it doesn’t stale or get moldy. Of course, I enjoy a few slices of bread the day it is baked while the crust in nice and crunchy.

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My bread these days is basic no-knead so not enriched. When the MW bit the dust I repurposed it as the "bread box".  Tucked into plastic bag. Lasts well for 4 or 5 days. I also freeze if baking several loaves. I toast as needed in toaster oven. 

 

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I freeze our bread...usually sliced and take out what I am going to eat the same day.  I used to keep it in the fridge in a plastic bag but I read the colder temp changes the starch structure and make it go stale faster...not sure where I read that but the frozen slices taste great even if they are thawed a bit in the microwave.

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10 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

I freeze our bread...usually sliced and take out what I am going to eat the same day.  I used to keep it in the fridge in a plastic bag but I read the colder temp changes the starch structure and make it go stale faster...not sure where I read that but the frozen slices taste great even if they are thawed a bit in the microwave.

 

I have also had the no fridge embedded in me. My dad and his wife do the freeze of sliced and take out as needed. Since I have to be contrary I like to slice or tear off as needed so my MW brad box works for me.  Reading @weinoo post earlier I was reminded of what I recalled from bread in Europe. The baguettes rarely were more than a day but the leftover if any was in a cloth bag tucked in a corner. 

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I put "loaf bread" in zip-loc bag, evening of bake day.    Good/fresh on second day, used for morning toast or grilled sandwiches after that.    A batch of fried croutons before tossing.   Usually it molds around 5th day -> compost.  

Added thought, to resurrect over-the-hill bread, we wrap the slice in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1/3- minute.  

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eGullet member #80.

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1 hour ago, heidih said:

I am more a crouton girl - but yes :)

I have NEVER made enough croutons at a time.   I guess how many I want for a dish or serving, make twice that many, but little fingers keep coming into the kitchen and sneaking onesies and twosies and then there were none, or at least not enough.

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eGullet member #80.

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If I want the crust to stay crunchy then a trick I read somewhere was to store the bread on a flat plate, cut side against the plate.  For soft crust just in a ziplock bag on the counter. Lasts about 5 days either way. 

Mark

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently read an article on King Arthur’s site about using the tangzhong method. It touts one of the benefits as:

 

Having retained more water during baking, bread and rolls will be moister, and will stay soft and fresh longer. 

 

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/03/26/introduction-to-tangzhong

 

I’ve used this method a couple times and can attest to it tasting delicious but I can’t speak to it lasting longer as the loaves disappear pretty fast around here. 
 

However, it might be worth a try to see if it helps.  

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Different strokes for different folks.  I had some bread mold tonight.  Fortunately another piece was fine.  I am still considering modified atmosphere packaging for my loaves.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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