You should take bread out of its plastic bag if it's crusty or homemade to let it breathe, preventing mold by transferring to a paper bag or bread box, but keep soft sandwich bread in the plastic (loosely sealed) for a few days to maintain softness. For longer storage, freezing is best for any bread type, while refrigeration is generally discouraged as it stales bread faster.
Breathable bags are good for storing any bread that's recently come out of the oven and has any chance of still releasing steam. In a plastic bag, this will cause the crust to become wet and soggy, completely ruining most breads, especially rustic breads for which the crispy crust is important.
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).
Use a bread box
With its dark and dry interior, a bread box helps maintain a decent balance of moisture to keep the inside of the bread soft and its exterior crusty. Make sure there is plenty of room inside for good air circulation.
Paper bags, kitchen towels, and plastic bags
Plain paper bags and kitchen towels also work very well to keep the bread from drying excessively. And while many sources say never to use a plastic bag, sometimes it might be necessary, especially if your climate demands it.
I store the bread in plastic bags in the cupboard. Around day 7-8, it'll start getting mold on it.
BREATHABLE ORGANIC LINEN: Thanks to the characteristics of cotton, your bread can keep its crust while lasting for days longer than it would if you used a paper or plastic bag.
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.
Bread boxes are the best containers to keep bread fresh. A bread box is typically recommended as the best method for bread storage because they are designed to balance moisture and airflow, helping to prevent both mold and staling.
While refrigeration might not be the best option overall for bread storage, there are certain instances where storing bread in the refrigerator makes sense, particularly if you don't plan to eat it within a few days, but don't want to freeze it either. The first is in hot, humid climates where mold can grow quickly.
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. Manufacturers of this style of bread recommend leaving it in this packaging to retain the bread's moisture.
Ideal Conditions: Bread lasts the longest if you place it in a dark, dry, and cool place away from sunlight. It also needs to breathe, especially if you live somewhere warm. If you seal it tight in a plastic bag and leave it on the counter, there's a risk of it growing mold from the lack of airflow.
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.
Store bread at room temperature
I usually store bread made with active dry yeast on the counter in a cloth produce bag. With sourdough, I almost always simply store it cut-side down on a cutting board set on the counter unless I need the space to work, in which case the bread goes into a cloth produce bag.
Characterized by a more transparent appearance and higher tensile strength, polypropylene bags offer a higher heat and chemical resistance than polyethylene bags.
How Should You Store Bread Loaves to Keep Them Fresh?
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.
It might seem logical to store bread in the fridge to extend its shelf life, but here's why that's not the best idea. Bread stales faster in the fridge due to a process called retrogradation. This occurs when starch molecules crystallise as the bread cools, drawing out moisture and leaving the texture dry and crumbly.
Just like with room temperature storage, wrapping is key. Use plastic wrap, foil, or an airtight container. I often wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then place it inside a resealable plastic bag to ensure maximum freshness.
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.
The plastic bag and plastic wrap methods were fairly on par with each other when it came to keeping the bread fresh.
👉 A peer-reviewed study found that polypropylene bags like Ziploc can release thousands of microplastics and millions of nanoplastics per square centimeter (Especially when frozen or reheated in the microwave)!
I use silicone reusable ziplocks or bee's wax wraps. You can find linen bags that are lined with beeswax. I use them and keeps loaves fresh for a week+. You can even put in fridge.