"I can never decide how to store my bread. I've been told that refrigeration is not a good idea. Is that true? What's the best way to make bread last?"
Ah bread, ye short-lived staff of life. If it weren't for how quickly bread goes stale, I, for one, would eat a lot more of it. But purchasing a big, beautiful loaf, then watching it turn to stone before I'm even halfway through it, is more than my carbohydrate-loving eyes can bear. Not to get all biblical here, but if Moses was able to get water from a stone, surely we should be able to get a few extra days from our loaves before they require a similar level of divine intervention. And wouldn't the refrigerator—the magical modern box of prolonged freshness, with fancy models miraculously dispensing water from their rock-hard doors—be the logical place to do it?
Actually, no. The refrigerator really is bad for bread, though the full story is a little more complicated than just that. To get to the bottom of it, I decided to do a quick little experiment that, sadly, required harming quite a few squishy young loaves.
To the casual observer, the staling of bread seems like a cut-and-dried case of a loaf that's cut and dried out. But moisture loss is only a part of what causes bread to go stale. The other part? The retrogradation and recrystallization of starch.
Say what? Yeah, I had to read it a few times too when I first consulted Harold McGee on the subject. Here's what that basically means:
Wheat flour, the primary ingredient (along with water and yeast) of bread dough, is packed full of granules of starch. That starch, in its natural state, is largely in crystalline form, meaning the starch molecules are arranged in a defined geometric structure. Once mixed with water to form a dough and baked in the oven at high temperatures, the crystalline structure of the starch breaks down as the starch absorbs water and becomes increasingly amorphous (meaning the starch molecules have no clearly defined structure).
As the bread cools, however, those starches begin to slowly regroup into a more ordered, crystalline structure again, and it's this gradual return ("retrogradation") to the crystal state ("recrystallization") that causes bread to harden and grow stale. This process is so central to staling, in fact, that even bread that has been hermetically sealed to prevent all moisture loss will still harden and turn stale.
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.
So that's the science in a nutshell. What does it mean on a practical level? Let's proceed to my test.
The Test
To test various ways of storing bread, I went to a local bakery and purchased four white baguette loaves, all from the same batch that had been freshly baked a few hours earlier. I then cut the baguettes into smaller sections, weighing each one to make sure they were all the same weight, and discarding the ends so that each section had exposed crumb on both sides.
I divided the bread up into three groups: room temperature, refrigerator, and freezer. For each group I tested several wrapping methods: unwrapped, enclosed in a paper bag, wrapped thoroughly in plastic, and wrapped thoroughly in foil.
As a bonus "breadbox" test, I placed two pieces of bread in my microwave, one unwrapped and one in paper. I don't actually own a breadbox and have no plans to buy one, but I figured a microwave might be a decent stand-in for a breadbox's small, enclosed storage space. (I skipped plastic- and foil-wrapped samples in the microwave since such tight wrapping supersedes any humidity-retaining benefits a breadbox might offer.)
I checked my samples a day later and found the following:
All unwrapped bread samples suffered, with the "breadbox", room temperature, and refrigerator samples completely stale; once defrosted, the unwrapped freezer sample showed very mild signs of hardening/drying. Clearly, allowing unchecked moisture loss is the quickest way to make bread go fully stale.
The paper bag did very little to prevent drying of the bread: room temperature, "breadbox", and refrigerator samples were all very hard, though surprisingly in this test the refrigerator sample was not quite as stale as the others (this was the one result that diverged from my expectations, but in any case none of the paper bag samples were good so I still wouldn't recommend it). The paper-bag freezer sample fared about as well as the unwrapped one.
The plastic- and foil-wrapped room-temperature samples were about the same, showing slight firming but still retaining a good degree of give and tenderness throughout.
The plastic- and foil-wrapped refrigerator samples, while still retaining some give and tenderness, were significantly more firm than the room temperature versions; this remained true even after they had warmed to room temperature.
The plastic- and foil-wrapped freezer samples, once defrosted to room temperature, had retained more of their original fresh-baked softness than any of the other samples.
Reheating
Based on my above results, what's clear is that the refrigerator is just a plain-old bad idea for bread. But I wasn't done yet: What about reheating the bread?
I set my oven to 350°F and toasted all the samples simultaneously on a baking sheet. Hands-down, the best reheated bread came from the plastic- and foil-wrapped freezer samples, almost indistinguishable from its fresh self a day earlier.
But what's interesting is that the wrapped room-temperature and refrigerator samples, which had staled at remarkably different rates, were indistinguishable from each other once reheated. As it turns out, even after bread has been baked and cooled, after the starch has recrystallized to create a stale texture, you can actually reverse that crystallization process through reheating and return the stale bread to a state much closer to its original glory (assuming you didn't allow much moisture loss during storage). Not as good as frozen, but still much improved.
Conclusion
So here's my practical advice. In lieu of acts of god and any other kind of divine intervention, the best way to store bread is well-wrapped in plastic and/or foil in the freezer, whether sliced or not, then reheated in the oven. For those willing to shell out for a fancy pants toaster, we recommend the Balmuda toaster oven to breathe new life into stale bread. If you don't want to deal with reheating the bread, wrap it well in plastic and/or foil and keep it at room temperature; it won't be as good the next day, and it will only get worse from there, but you should be able to eke some extra life out of your bread before it's no longer enjoyable. And if you do let it sit for too long (or if you make the mistake of refrigerating your bread), pop it in the oven and you should be able to reverse a fair amount of the staling, assuming you had it wrapped well enough to prevent drying. Now that really is squeezing water from a stone.
The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling
staling
Staling, or "going stale", is a chemical and physical process in bread and similar foods that reduces their palatability. Stale bread is dry and hard, making it suitable for different culinary uses than fresh bread. Countermeasures and destaling techniques may reduce staling.
While there are some breads, like baguettes and ciabatta, that taste better when left on the counter, there is nothing inherently wrong with storing bread in the refrigerator. Refrigerated bread will still be safe to eat, and depending on the type of bread you store in the fridge, it will taste just fine.
Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallise 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.
Room temperature is better for bread unless you live in very humid conditions. Too much moisture in the air can leave bread more susceptible to mold. Store-bought sandwich bread usually can be kept in the fridge without much change in texture.
Surprisingly, NO. Bread placed in the refrigerator loses its freshness far sooner. It takes on a semi-stale texture, and loses taste as well. FREEZING fresh bread, on the other hand, is an excellent way to preserve the taste, and even the texture if you reconstitute it carefully.
According to Harold McGee, author of On Food & Cooking, refrigerating fresh bread can cause it to stale up to six times faster than bread left out on the counter. That said, the fridge is a decent place to store your store-bought bread because it will prevent mold and dryness.
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.
Yes, absolutely. Know that the longer you proof your dough in the refrigerator, the less rise and more (potential) sourness you'll get in the resulting loaf of sourdough bread.
Information. 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.
The best container to keep bread in is one that provides airtight protection against moisture and air exposure. Wesco's bread bins are the best choice because of their level of quality and their stylish designs.
Bread should never be refrigerated. As soon as you put bread in the refrigerator, it begins to dry out and go stale, a process that actually happens faster because it's in the fridge.
While it's safe to keep many baked goods at room temperature, it depends on the item and should be taken on a case-by-case basis. For instance, breads and rolls can last up to four days at room temperature, but any bread with meat or hard-boiled eggs should be refrigerated within two hours, according to the USDA.
This comes from all the heat your fridge is putting out. Same for storing near a dishwasher; the excess heat and moisture these appliances give off is not bread-friendly. Try to store bread in a cool and dry area of your kitchen. If not out on the counter, then in a cabinet or a deep drawer."
According to The National Peanut Board, an unopened jar of peanut butter can last six to nine months at room temperature. Once opened, they say that it can last two to three months in the pantry before you should move it to the fridge, where it can maintain quality for another three to four months.
In short, store your bread at room temperature in a cool, dark, dry place such as a pantry, breadbox, or cabinet if you plan to eat it quickly, and freeze it if you want it to last longer.
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. So that's the science in a nutshell.
Spore-forming bacteria typically crops up post-baking, so to increase shelf life and strengthen resistance to microbiological contamination, it isn't uncommon for commercial bread to be loaded with synthetic antimicrobials (stabilizers and preservatives) including but not limited to butylated hydroxy anisole, tertiary ...
"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. Homemade bread does not contain the preservatives that help keep it from spoiling that most store-bought breads have.
At 3 to 5 °C, bread stales faster than in the freezer or at room temperature. The fridge will prevent moulds growth and spoilage, and lower moisture loss than when at ambient conditions (without plastic bag) but starch properties change a lot faster here, leading to faster staling.
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.
It should take around 7-10 days before you will be able to see significant growth on the bread. You could see growth as soon as 5 days depending on the type of bread you used. Remember, fresh bread will mold faster than store-bought bread containing preservatives.
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.
Stopping moisture build-up will help control unwanted growth without having to worry about spoiling quickly. If you're noticing food going bad too fast, it could be a sign that your home has an “elevated mold load.” This includes the presence of spores and mycotoxins associated with harmful mold.
Although plastic bags and airtight containers may seem like a good way to keep your bread from going stale, the lack of airflow will foster an environment for mold growth, because the moisture is contained and mold loves moisture. If you want to put your bread in a container, a bread box is the way to go.
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 temperature of the fridge will cause the starch in your bread to recrystallize and lose moisture.
Some breads last better in the freezer than others. "Sourdoughs and simple breads that are only flour, salt, and water store extremely well in the freezer," says Boonthanakit. Enriched breads like brioche and challah and other breads that include dairy and eggs seem to degrade in quality after being frozen.
Also prepare, freeze and reheat meals makes you ingest fewer carbs. This process of freezing and reheating changes the molecular structure of the carbs (starch) in such a way that the starch is being transformed into a resistant form your body cannot absorb.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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