What Kind of Bag Keeps Bread Freshest?
Whether you bake fresh bread for yourself and your family or buy your bread at the grocery store or bakery, the question of storage always becomes an issue. Unless you have a lot of people around to eat the bread or you're planning to serve a meal of just sandwiches, the bread will need to be stored for more than just a day. Depending on what kind of bread you have and what you're going to use it for, you can store your bread in a breadbox, a thin plastic bag, wrapped with paper or secured in other ways. If you bake your bread, always make sure it's completely cool before you wrap it or store it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Breadboxes
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Though not technically bags, secure and tight breadboxes can be great storage choices for breads because they won't let excess air reach the bread. Extended exposure to air is what molds bread and makes it go stale quickly, and a breadbox aims to prevent that. A breadbox will keep a new loaf of bread freshest. Oversized airtight containers can be used in the same way as a breadbox, and smaller plastic containers will hold small loaves well.
Plastic Bags
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Though zip-top plastic bags are airtight and will prevent bread from quickly going stale, they can also make loaves moist and soggy. Plastic won't let moisture escape from a bag, so it's best to store breads in plastic bags only if they are not freshly baked. Breads bought from the grocery store, for example, keep well in plastic bags because they often have soft crusts to begin with and they also have added preservatives. Baguettes and fresh artisan breads with crisp crusts should not be stored in plastic.
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Paper
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Storing a loaf of bread in a paper bag is a good compromise between using a breadbox and a plastic bag. The paper allows the bread some breathing room but still prevents it from being directly exposed to air. Still, bread stored in paper can go stale in only a couple of days, so if you store your bread in paper bags, try to eat it quickly or look to longer-term storage methods.
Refrigeration
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To keep a loaf of bread for a week or more, consider refrigerating or freezing it. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap, then place it in a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator. Bread stored in the refrigerator will go stale more quickly than bread stored at room temperature, but it will last longer without molding.
Freezing
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Freezing is an excellent method for long-term bread storage. Slice bread before freezing, and make sure it's completely cool if it is freshly baked. Double-wrap the bread so it is airtight, then place it in the freezer. Slices taken from the freezer can be toasted, reheated in the oven or used to make sandwiches.
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