After a loaf of homemade bread has completely cooled, many of my visitors like to store the loaf in a special bread container or bag. Listed below are some of the popular bread storage options that people like to use.
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Short-Term Storage Options – Depending on the heat & humidity in your house, these bread storage options generally only keep bread fresh for 1 to 3 days at room temperature. Higher heat & humidity will shorten this timeline significantly. Unlike freezing bread (see below), room temperature storage has only a short window before the bread goes stale and/or starts to grow mold.
- Bread Boxes – This is a classic bread storage option that often looks great on a kitchen counter. Bread boxes are seen by many as the gold standard for room temperature bread storage because it balances air flow & moisture retention. Bread boxes and other storage options that let in a little airflow are usually better for artisan hard crusted breads (because they keep the crust crisp). In contrast, airtight containers and bags are usually better for soft sandwich breads & moist quick breads (e.g. banana breads) because these storage options trap moisture and slow the drying of a loaf. A very popular bread box is the Kitsure Wooden Bread Box.
- Cloth Bread Bags – This method is often used for artisan sourdough loaves. Why? Because the breathable fibers absorb moisture while allowing some airflow. There are cotton bread bags, beeswax bread bags, linen bread bags, etc.
- Baguette Bags – If you want to store “long” breads (such as baguettes and Italian breads) at room temperature, many people like to use paper baguette bags, cloth baguette bags or long beeswax bags. Others like to use an extra large bread box.
- Twist Tie Storage Bags – These plastic bags are often used to keep soft breads… soft. Why? Because they reduce airflow and moisture loss.
- Beeswax Wrap – Instead of plastic wrap, some people like to wrap their loaves or bread slices in beeswax wraps. It is seen as a more environmentally friendly and/or healthier alternative to wrapping bread in plastic. However, beeswax wrap does not “cling” as well as plastic wrap so it is less airtight.
- Paper Bread Bags – This is a lower cost option for storing bread for 1 or 2 days.
- Gallon Sized Storage Bags – These are generally resealable bags that are like super-sized sandwich bags. Often used to store full loaves temporarily.
- Silicone Bread Bags – Silicone bread bags are seen as more durable and more chemically stable (less risk of chemical leaching) than traditional plastic bags. However, you should look for 100% food grade silicone bags if you explore this storage option.
- Airtight Bread Containers – This option is often used for very soft, moist or high fat breads such as banana breads or extra soft breads. Why? These containers help to ensure that the bread or baked good does not dry out quickly.
- Cake Domes – This storage option is often used to store moist “quick breads” such as banana bread and pumpkin bread. A cake dome looks great on your counter (esp. if it is made from glass and you can see the delicious baked good) and reduces moisture loss.
Long-Term Storage
- Freeze your bread. This option allows you to store bread for usually 1 to 3 months depending on how well the bread is wrapped and how airtight the container or bag is. Freezing bread allows you to store bread for a lot longer than room temperature storage.
- When freezing bread, many people like to wrap individual slices of homemade bread in beeswax wrap, aluminum wrap or plastic wrap. They then place the wrapped slices in an airtight container or freezer bag and then place it in their freezer.
- Make sure to wrap the slices tightly with no bread exposed to the air. Otherwise, the bread is more likely to suffer from freezer burns.
- Freezer burns occur when frozen food loses moisture to the dry air in a freezer. These “burns” leave exposed sections of the bread with dry, dehydrated spots. These dry spots will ruin your bread.
- I like to freeze individual slices (versus wrapping full loaves) because the slices are easier & quicker to thaw out. I find that thawed bread is best for toast. Why? Because if you use bread that have been frozen for a while, the thawed slices generally do not taste as good as fresh bread when making sandwiches.
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