You generally should not keep bread in the fridge because the cold temperatures accelerate staling, making it dry and hard quickly; instead, store it at room temperature in a bread box or airtight bag for a few days, or freeze it for long-term storage to prevent mold without ruining the texture. The fridge is only recommended in very hot, humid conditions to slow mold, despite the faster staling.
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.
Occasional bread eaters: "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.
The best way to keep bread fresh is to store it in a cool, dry place at room temperature, ideally using a paper bag or other breathable material. For long-term storage, freezing bread in an airtight container is most effective.
Keep bread fresh by stopping moisture loss. Sliced bread should last for 2 to 5 days in its wrapper or in an air-tight container. Storing bread in the fridge is not recommended as it can become stale quickly at low temperatures. Store bread in the freezer if you want to keep it for longer than 5 days.
Crusty types of breads almost always benefit texturally from being stored at room temperature. You can really notice the deleterious effects when you refrigerate crusty breads like baguettes, ciabatta and focaccia.
Excess heat and moisture creates mold, and too much air creates stale bread. So yes: a cool dry spot such as a pantry shelf works. I just leave my bread on the counter.
To keep your bread fresh for longer, buy it uncut, in a solid loaf. It should preferably be stored at room temperature in a well aired bread bin. The maximum time for which wholemeal bread and rye bread can be kept is nine days; white bread will last for three days.
It has to do with moisture content. If you allow the bread to dry out, it doesn't mold. Mold needs moisture to grow. If it is moist, then you get mold.
Unwrapped crusty bread should be kept in a clean, well ventilated bread crock or bin. Free circulation of air is essential to keep the crust crisp, so the container should not be airtight.
You can keep bread in the refrigerator for two to three weeks, but the refrigerator may cause bread to lose moisture quickly and become stale.
“You may only see visible mold growing on the surface, like leaves on a tree or the petals of a flower,” explained Leanne Blommaert, the manager of food research and development at NSF, a public health organization.
The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down.
Without being entirely sealed, a paper bag allows more airflow than a plastic one, meaning it won't trap as much moisture. So, while bread stored in a paper bag may go hard faster than bread in a plastic bag, it won't mold nearly as quickly. (And it's much easier to revive a hard piece of bread than a moldy one).
In the US, people tend to keep their bread in the fridge to keep it from growing mold - which seems strange to those living in Britain. 'Bread in the fridge is weird,' one user declared in a Reddit thread discussing where to store loaves.
Improper sealing, overly thin packaging or anything else that results in the loss of moisture to the environment can speed the rate of staling. On the other hand, a complete lack of ventilation can quickly turn a crisp crust soft and encourage mold growth.
Shelly Balls, a registered dietitian nutritionist who is also ServSafe Manager Certified, agreed adding, "No matter how little the mold spot is on the bread, it is not safe to just cut around it and eat the rest because the root of the mold has already deeply penetrated into it.
Turns out, cold temperatures (like in the refrigerator) cause the starch molecules in bread to crystallize and become hard, leaving you with a dry, crunchy loaf. The result is a loaf with stale texture and flavor, more stale than if it had been left on the counter.
Once the baked bread is fully cool, wrap it in plastic. Then, take the wrapped loaf and put it into a freezer Ziplock bag. Press out as much air as possible, then stick the bag in the freezer. When you want to eat the bread, take it out to defrost in the fridge for a few days or on the counter overnight.
It's best kept covered on your bench rather than in the fridge, as it tends to go stale much faster in a cold environment. If it's a soft bread, pop it into a bread bag, plastic bag, or straight into your bread bin. Use a paper bag if it's a crusty loaf or roll.
Yes, you can! Bread can often be enjoyed well past its Best Before date if stored properly in a cool, dry place. Extend the life of your bread by freezing it so it stays fresh for weeks, simply toast when ready to enjoy. Tip: Freeze your bread before its Best Before date to ensure the freshness stays intact.
Wrapping in plastic (or foil) rather than cloth keeps bread soft longer. Large crusty loaves can be stored unwrapped (to preserve their crispy crust) at room temperature for a day or so, cut side down on the counter.
Wrap bread in cling film or tin foil
It will trap the bread's natural moisture to keep it from drying out. If your bread came in a paper wrapping, toss it out and wrap it in cling film or tin foil for longer lasting storage. If you have sliced, processed bread, you can seal it up in its original plastic packaging.