In general, most loaves will last up to a week at room temperature, and three to five days longer in the fridge—though keep in mind that refrigeration can make bread go
Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.
According to Baker, it isn't advisable to store bread in the refrigerator. Although it would still be perfectly healthy to eat, she cautions that it will become a lot less palatable because the cold temperatures of the fridge will cause the starch in your bread to recrystallize and lose moisture.
Store your bread in paper, not plastic — and never on top of the fridge.
Wrapping bread and storing it at room temperature will help it retain moisture for a few days. But what if you can't finish the whole loaf in that amount of time? Freezing is the answer. The takeaway: If you're storing bread longer than a few days, it's best to keep it in the freezer.
If you have soft, enriched bread like challah, brioche, or pain de mie, and you know you're going to eat it within two to three days, then plastic is your best bet. If it's going to take longer than that, then you should freeze it (also in plastic). Wrapping bread in foil works, too, as it is airtight.
"But if you take a long time to consume your bread, [if your kitchen] is warm and humid, and especially if the bread is homemade, it is worth refrigerating to prevent mold growth," she adds.
Bread. Bread will generally become stale past its expiration date, but it's still safe to eat. If it's moldy, toss it out. To extend its shelf life, toss it in the freezer.
Sourdough bread has a longer shelf life than brewer's yeast bread. It delays starch retrogradation and the staling of bread. This is because sourdough is more acidic and less prone to develop degenerative bacteria and moulds.
In general, most loaves will last up to a week at room temperature, and three to five days longer in the fridge—though keep in mind that refrigeration can make bread go stale. Bread that goes stale is still useful for breadcrumbs, croutons, and bread pudding.
According to famous food scientist Nathan Myhrvold, bread placed in the refrigerator starts to undergo a chemical process known as starch retrogradation, which occurs due to the re-crystallization of the starch and water molecules in the crumb of the bread.
Bread might go stale ASAP when it's refrigerated, but freezing it is actually one of the best ways to extend its shelf life. Freezing your bread will prevent mold growth and stop staleness in its tracks.
It usually takes five or so days for mold to grow, but you'll want to take extra precautions for bread that's fresh from the farmers market or baked at home. That type of loaf is made with fewer preservatives than the store-bought variety.
According to “sell by” dates, bread is good for three to five days after opening, but it can actually be consumed much longer after that as long as there is no mold growth. You can usually see fuzzy, green spots on the surface of bread, so it's easy to tell when it's time to toss.
Lightly moistened bread stored in a warm, dark place should grow mold in about 7-10 days.
As per the USDA, the general shelf life of commercially manufactured bread is 2 to 4 days at room temperature, 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months when frozen.
Penicillium molds usually appear on bread in fuzzy white, gray or light blue patches.
Best practice is to store eggs in the fridge; that way the temperature is always at a constant and your eggs will be fresher!
*Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at cool temperatures, and cause the bread to stale much faster when refrigerated. *Shop-bought loaves should be kept in an air-tight plastic bag at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
A good rule of thumb is: If an entire loaf is more than you can eat, immediately freeze half to enjoy later. For the best results, it is crucial to freeze bread while it's still fresh. Most breads freeze very well with little to no loss in quality or texture.
You should keep your bread far away from the stove, the top of the fridge, or any area that's near sources of heat. Instead, your best bet it to keep it in a dark, cool section of your kitchen counter or your pantry.
A bread box is an ideal solution for storing bread. It allows the optimal conditions for keeping your loaf fresh: a dark and dry environment, with little air penetration that keeps just the right amount of humidity inside it and prevents your bread from growing mold.
Storing your bread on the countertop in a plastic bag (or well-sealed plastic wrap) will help keep it from going stale, but be warned: the crust will suffer and grow mold due to trapped moisture. Toasting the bread (if it's too soft but not yet moldy, of course) will bring some of the crust's crunchy texture back.