[DrewDrew]

It seems like my bread is always going to waste really fast. Does anybody know of any tricks to keep bread fresher for longer? I hate the way it starts developing yellowish hard spots right off the bat.

 

[dilligaf]

How do you store your fresh bread. I take large pieces of cloth and wrap my bread in it as soon as it is cooled from the oven. This keeps it well for about 4-5 days. Then it becomes a bit hardened on the outsides but it is still yummy to heat up on the grill with a bit of butter and basically make a toast from or use in french toast etc

 

[NaeKid]

I keep my bread in the fridge or cooler - which ever has the most amount of room at the time. My 12volt electric cooler does a great job all year around.

 

[Lake Lady]

I was having the same problems with my bread. Just didn't seem to stay fresh for very long. On another forum I was told to use honey instead of sugar and to add ground milled flax. It has made a world of difference and my bread now stays fresh long enough to use the whole loaf.

 

[benJAMMIN]

Does keeping it in a cooler temperature help keep it fresher for longer?

 

[Calebra]

Bread with oils in it will last a lot longer than french bread for instance. Putting it in a plastic bag will help. If it gets stale stick it into microwave with a bit of water on a plate--it'll rehydrate it.Best thing you can do is a bread storage box made out of birch.

 

[NaeKid]

Does keeping it in a cooler temperature help keep it fresher for longer?

I find that leaving a loaf of bread on the counter, it might last a few days before it starts to grow green fuzzy stuff. Leaving the same kind of loaf in the fridge, I can eat it slowly and it will last a week or two. I normally toss away those little plastic ties and just fold the open end under the loaf of bread - that may help keep condensation down.

 

[Emerald]

Wow you actually have bread that lasts longer than one or two days in your house?
Great Googley Moogley!!!! I gotta make some form of bread every other day here or all heck breaks out!
Just the last couple days I have made pita bread, and small hoagie rolls and one set of dinner rolls--tomorrow might be caramelized onion bagels, or should I just make tortillas?
And the really sad thing is... during the week there is only boy and myself at home! And we still go thru bread like a hot knife thru butter! Never ever switch to making all your own breads stuffs cuz you're to cheap to buy store bought--sure you have great fresh warm bread several times a week, but if you run out and are feeling lazy --you either buck up and do it or do without!

 

[Sonnyjim]

I have tried a few things to make my bread last longer and fresher, one of which was already mentioned and that is to use honey instead of sugar. I do not put my bread in the fridge as it may 'seem' fresher but it get kind of soggy from condensation and grows to mold quicker. If for some reason I don't finish the bread I use it for stuffings, bread pudding, or if it's not too hard then toast. Store bought bread sure is easier to buy, but making it is cheaper, fresher, you know what goes into it, and to me tastes a heck of a lot better.

I leave mine on the counter in a thick towel and now only make one loaf at a time. I used to make 3 because it seemed like a waste of time to make one loaf, but if I have the time it's easier to knead than 3 and I know I will eat the 1 loaf and none of it will go to waste.

But now you got me thinking about this "birch box". Any more info on this?

 

[gypsysue]

I wrap my homemade bread in a clean dish towel, then put it in a paper bag.

When I get in a lazy spell and don't want to make "real" bread or rolls, I make biscuits or cornbread. Fortunately I like them all equally well!

 

[NaeKid]

Emerald - during the week, I am the only one eating bread and it is only for lunch (sandwiches at work). Weekends there might be two people eating bread, so, a loaf of bread can last a while. So far this work week, I haven't even looked at bread (lunch or supper) as I have been eating other things instead (left-overs mostly) ...

 

[Emerald]

I use milk and honey in most of my recipes and it usually takes about a week before they even show a hint of mold, every once in awhile one roll or one pita will get pushed to the back of the counter or behind the toaster! But most of them tend to just get hard.
I do know that if you are making your own breads you must let them cool all the way down before putting in a bag or they do mold up quite a bit.
For those folks who don't use up a whole loaf in a week find some of the bread machines pans they are more like a half a loaf anyway and you could make one batch of dough cut it in half- only bake half at a time and freeze the other half after the first rise and it is beaten down- I just butter the outside pop into a plastic bag and pop into the freezer. When I need a quick loaf I just take it out of the freezer put into a buttered or larded bread pan and let it raise and then bake as normal.
Just make sure that you form the loaf to the size of pan you are gonna put it in when you pop it out of the freezer. Dinner rolls do great this way and you only have to thaw and bake the amount needed.