# Bread storage?



## take-away! (Oct 7, 2011)

Im trying to work out the best place to store my bread. I know bread dries out and becomes stale faster in a very cold, moist place, so it should be kept at in a dry place, not as cold.... but... what I have found out today that my bread is actually lasting far longer in the fridge than the cupboard-why is this? Should it be out of the cupboard? I thought the cupboard would have been better for bread than simply on a worktop (the main worktop in the kitchen is also facing the window, where sunlight can come in).    The cupboard I have recently stored the bread in is quite small, although there is room for biscuits tins etc to also go in. Although this small cupboard is also nearby, but not right beside, the main household heating door. Theres a vent as part of the door but it does not face the cupboard-its on the same side but at least two doors in width away. The bread still feels cool inside the cupboard-the same temp or arguably cooler than the kitchen itself. So what is wrong-is it likely to be simply bad bread? I was thinking of simply moving it back to my previous bread storage area (the fridge!), as bread was lasting far longer there. Perhaps a change from fridge to room temp didnt help either, but I dont think this bread was in the fridge (only my previous loafs).  ps I hope this is the right forum-thanks for any tips


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## justplainbill (Oct 7, 2011)

Sounds like you're talking about packaged bread.  It would appear the manufacturers of such products have concocted and packaged them to maximize unrefrigerated shelf life.  For packaged breads that we expect to consume within 1 week we store them in a 60*F cellar.  For longer periods we freeze and then toast just prior to consuming.


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## Constance (Oct 7, 2011)

My mom used to keep her bread in the fridge. It keeps it from getting moldy, but I don't like cold bread, so I keep mine on the counter or in the freezer.


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## pacanis (Oct 7, 2011)

I can easily get 2-3 weeks out of packaged loaf bread resting on a shelf, but breads I make myself or buy from the store bakery I am lucky to get 5 days out of it without it turning moldy on the same shelf.
Conclusion: There is something to be said for preservatives


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## take-away! (Oct 7, 2011)

Thanks for your reply  yes, its all standard packaged uk supermarket bought bread I buy here, the well known brands and not the supermarkets own, although Im sure the quality difference and longevity isnt massive. I sometimes freeze it myself too if buying more than one loaf.  I often hear that I should keep all bread in a cool, dry place, but not in a refrigerator (as it becomes too moist, and being too cold increases moisture and hardens the bread). I usually think of the term 'cool and dry' to be opposing, but Im sure moisture would only apply under a very low temperature).   From my past experience however, it would seem that room temperature bread lasts the longest (and stays the softest). The refrigerator fares pretty well to and comes in second, surprisingly enough-lasts almost as long, although is slightly harder. Bread in the small low cupboard I have here in the kitchen however, seems to be the worst of all, which I dont understand. On the worst and most current occassion-fresh just bought bread can go off in just a couple of days ..the temperature isnt as cool as the fridge, its almost the same as the room, its in a dark place, and is tightly wrapped.   I dont know why the room temp often fares much better than the cupboard with bread lastability-I should buy 3 loaves of the same brand and date and run a proper test for all locations, lol


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## Andy M. (Oct 7, 2011)

I keep packaged bread out in the kitchen for no more than a week then toss it into the freezer and take out two slices at a time.  

I toss it in the toaster oven and get two perfectly toasted slices for a sandwich.  If I want untoasted bread, I wrap the slices in a paper towel and microwave for about 20-30 seconds for a fresh bread texture.


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## take-away! (Oct 7, 2011)

yeah, it doesnt last long, but it usually gets used up pretty fast. I dont know why its its getting stale much quicker in a cool cupboard rather than a cool fridge. 2 days kept in a cupboard from purchase date is rather fast  thanks


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## Zhizara (Oct 7, 2011)

Living alone, I have to keep my breads in the freezer or fridge, especially because I like having several kinds available.  I might leave Rye bread out for a few days first, as it doesn't last long.

I toast or warm frozen bread like Andy does.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 7, 2011)

I love the Big Bang Theory. One of the segments I watched this week had Jim Parsons' character telling the Penny character why one doesn't keep bread in the fridge--something about the moisture and, gosh, had I known this thread was going to come up, I would've jotted the reason down and checked at Google U to find out if it was the truth or an urban myth. Homemade bread doesn't stick around long enough for me to worry about it! Day or two-day old bread is the chickens training treat. What I do at my folks, because it is the two of them, is that when they buy bread, I split the loaves into 2 zippies so that they can take 1/2 loaf out of the freezer at a time. A friend who lives alone divides the loaves between 4 zippies.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 7, 2011)

Missed that episode.  Love BBT too!

We keep ours in the freezer as well, always toast it.  Didn't even think about the nuke factor for fresh tasting, good idea, Andy and Zhizara!


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## chopper (Oct 7, 2011)

I learned a great trick from my Aunt Mary.  When you freeze bread, put a clean paper towel in with the bread.  It collects the moisture so you have better bread after thawing!  It works for me!  Try it!


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2011)

When my family moved to California when I was about 16, my Mom and I fell in love with sourdough bread.  But everyone else in the family would only eat the plain white bread  that we were raised on by necessity.  So, she and I would keep it in the freezer, and plie off a slice and toast it for breakfast.  It was a great Mom/Daughter thing.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

Thanks for the tip re: paper towels. I'll do that next time I go to my folks. We make bread daily, so left-over bread/storing bread is not an issue. We feed day-old to the hens or dogs.


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## Steve Kroll (Oct 8, 2011)

Good tip, regarding the paper towels.

Just my wife and I at our house, and we don't eat a lot of bread. When I bake bread or buy it, the first thing I usually do is cut it in half and throw the half in the freezer for some other time.


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## chopper (Oct 8, 2011)

Well, I get strange looks from friends when they are at the house and they see a paper towel in the bread or the buns, etc. But then when I go to their place I see that they are doing it too now!


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Oct 8, 2011)

I keep bread in the refrigerator, taking it out and placing it on the counter about 1 hour before I am going to use it. If I forget to take it out, 15 seconds in the microwave does the trick.


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## Max Sutton (Oct 9, 2011)

*Bread Box*

I keep my store-bought bread in my metal bread box.


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## Claire (Oct 9, 2011)

I do the paper towel thing with lettuce and other greens, changing it each time I use the greens.  Seems it would work well for bread and will try it.  Thanks!


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## take-away! (Oct 9, 2011)

I dont like the way the fridge loses the breads softness, the cold just makes it moist and harder than when at room temp, so I dont seem to benefit from putting it in there. I know alot of people that have the same habit of simply throwing it in the fridge, but moist bread does go off slightly faster than kitchen temp (unless your kitchen is really warm, lol).. I only need to freeze when buying alot, as it gets eaten fast. Thanks for the tips-some sort of bread bin (or simply anywhere in the kitchen away from the window/out of the sunlight) seems to be the best way to go.. but I still dont get why my bread is going green faster when its kept in a small, low kitchen cupboard? Perhaps this very small low cupboard is warmer than the kitchen itself-but how likely is that? Ill need to do a kitchen cupboard temperature check   If my cupboard really is slightly cooler, perhaps by putting the bread inside it, this slight cooling down by a couple of degrees/temperature change of bread that had been at room temp for a day or two beforehand-was a bad thing? Could this speed up the process of 'going green' just as fast as warming? I wonder..


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## take-away! (Oct 9, 2011)

Some websites state that bread in the fridge will go STALE faster (hard and dry) and at room temperature will go MOULDY faster (green)! That must be why they recommend to store at room temp, to be eaten soft and fresh, if bread mould normally only shows up after a week, and break should be eaten wihin this time anyway. I still wondered why my bread was going off fast, but I think the size of the storage space and temperature within it must have been to blame-most packaged bread labels say to store in a 'cool dry place', but thats usually referring to before its ever been opened. It doesnt say what temp to keep it at after its open. One bread website states that small storage is bad for tightly wrapped bread, eg 'As moisture/humidity rises, the local environment of the bread (inside the bag) becomes a hot-house and mold spores will quickly multiply. That is why we suggest not storing our bread in an enclosed space when it is above 20° Celsius. A simple remedy is to open the bag and let the moisture escape, or in severe cases (say in the heat of summer), take the bread right out of the bag for a short while, though in this circumstance, putting the bread in the fridge is also not a bad idea. Otherwise, the bread will also just dry out.' I think this should surely apply to all types of bread, so perhaps not wrapping the bread too tight, and keeping it in a dark location, that remains at the same temp/doesnt build up in heat, eg a METAL breadbin (breadbox if in usa), may be the best bet? I still think the cupboard I stored it in was cooler than the kitchen outside of it, but again, ill need a temperature check for that cupboard, lol


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## Claire (Oct 10, 2011)

In my house I have baseboard heat, so stuff stored low IS warmer -- I have to store potatoes higher or they'll sprout!  On the other hand, in the winter my pantry closet is almost as cold as the fridge -- in some ways a good thing, but olive and peanut oils will somewhat solidify.

I have a bread box which pretty much does it for bread we'll use everyday and crackers, but have to say that something I need to keep for longer than a few days has to be refrigerated or froze, and I agree with your observation that it stales faster but takes longer to mold.  So I usually do that with something I'm planning on toasting anyway.


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## Selkie (Oct 10, 2011)

To control the moisture issue, whether stored in the refrigerator or on the counter, keep it in a paper bag. Only large, commercial bread factories (I hesitate to call them bakeries) use plastic. Once opened, they lose their benefit of humidity control and provide a fertile breeding ground for mold on non-chemical treated baked goods. If you go to a small, hometown bakery most, if not all, package their breads in paper.

Personally, I use an on-the-counter bread box and plan in advance the uses for any bread that I make or purchase, and figure on using it all within 3-7 days (3-4 days for home baked bread, and up to 7 days for purchased hamburger or hot dog buns.) After that, they become either French toast or croutons.


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## shnooky (Oct 12, 2011)

Does potato bread last longer than the rest, as far as drying out?


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## justplainbill (Oct 12, 2011)

shnooky said:


> Does potato bread last longer than the rest, as far as drying out?


yes


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