How to Make Bread Last Longer
Bread is one of the greatest things available easily. There is no substitute for it and most of our meals will be incomplete without it. Bread tastes best when it is fresh, preferably straight out of the oven. Sadly this does not happen all the time. You have to store bread that is left out. Unfortunately, most of the time, the bread starts losing its freshness after a couple of days. Commercial breads do have preservatives that keep them going for up to five days but fresh bread made at home does not survive more than two days. However, there are still ways to prolong the life of your bread and keep it fresh enough to consume later on.
Instructions
-
1
The first rule of bread life is to keep air away from it. This prolongs its life and you can enjoy your bread even after a week. The air makes bread dry and stale, making it useless for human consumption. When you buy or bake a loaf, separate the portion you are going to consume in the near future from the one you want to store. Take clean air tight jars. Place these bread portions into these jars. Take them out whenever you need to use the bread. However, do not leave the jar open.
-
2
Food wraps are a common method of storing bread. These could be made of fabric and plastic. However, bread boxes are also available and serve the same purpose. These wraps and boxes keep out the air and keep your bread fresh for longer. Keep the bread in room temperature if you plan to consume it within a week. Keeping it in the freezer dries it up. When you keep bread at room temperature, you need to be careful about the risk of mold growth. Mold grows in moist conditions. When you take out a bread warm from the oven, let it cool first. Wrapping up a warm bread can lead to moisture buildup through condensation and eventually mold growing as a result.
-
3
If you want to store bread for a longer period of time, freeze it. Freezing prevents mold from forming on the bread but dries it too. Put your bread in a zip seal bag and then into a plastic wrapper. Now place it in the freezer. When you wish to use it, take it out and thaw it in the oven for ten minutes. This will soften up the bread.
