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Oct 14, 2024

The Best Way to Keep Bread Fresh, According to a Pro

If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. It’s simple, but if you love buying or making fresh bread, you definitely need one. Getty Images There are few things in this life better

If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

It’s simple, but if you love buying or making fresh bread, you definitely need one.

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There are few things in this life better than a perfectly baked, crusty loaf of fresh bread. While some of my friends look forward to the weekend so they can go camping or binge watch television (no disrespect), my preferred activity is heading to my favorite local bakery for some coffee and returning home with a stunning loaf of just-baked sourdough. As serious bread-enjoyers, my fiancée and I can easily eat a whole loaf before Monday arrives, but there are (rare) occasions when we have to think about our bread’s shelf life. We might need to resort to Plan B: storing the bread. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent ways to ensure the longevity of an awesome loaf.

For tips on how to make the most of my fresh bread, I spoke to Pete Ternes, co-owner and co-founder of Bungalow by Middle Brow, a beloved Chicago hub that makes everything from naturally-leavened sourdough, pizza, and beer to, in a more recent turn, natural wine. At Middle Brow, Ternes says that the principal loaf is a country sourdough, with other popular options being a seedy loaf, a whole wheat loaf, a country batard, and a number of milk breads.

“What we tell people is that if you think you can finish this loaf in a couple days, keep it in the paper bag and eat it in the course of 48 hours,” Ternes said. But if you want to extend the bread’s life beyond that, there’s a bit more to consider.

For one, decide how much of it you want to eat now. “If you think it’s going to be three or four days, immediately cut it in half and keep the half you intend to eat in a paper bag on the counter, or in a cool, dry drawer or cabinet,” Ternes said. “Then, take the other half and slice it up and wrap those, ideally, with wax paper in between them and wrap the whole thing in wax paper, beeswax, or a bread storage bag, and put it in the freezer.”

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Ternes is a big fan of bread bags, which he says allow the bread to interact with the environment in a way that extends its freshness. To this effect, they can be very useful before the bread hits the freezer as well, or if you want to avoid freezing it entirely.

“They have some breathability, but they prevent too much airflow, so they keep the bread from staling quickly,” Ternes said. “If you’re buying sourdough bread and are trying to max out its counter life, to push it from a day and a half to three days or something, a bread bag is worth investing in.”

Beyond bread bags, Ternes also highly recommends bread boxes to people who want to have fresh bread for a bit longer. “A bread box on your counter will keep your bread in great shape for an extra day or even a pinch longer than an extra day,” he said.

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When asked about the worst place to store, Ternes had a couple quick answers. “The fridge is a huge problem, really. The fridge has airflow,” he explained. “And you don’t want to wrap it in plastic, because it will get gummy — the moisture can’t escape.” He added that putting your bread anywhere with temperature fluctuations is not ideal.

So, if you’re lucky enough to have a place you love going for fresh bread (or if you happen to enjoy making your own), a bread bag or a bread box are totally worth picking up.

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