5 Tips On Storing Homemade Bread At Home – How To

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Baking my own bread has long been part of my life. We bake about once or twice a week to have fresh bread. The part we have been struggling with was storing homemade bread so it stays fresh longer. It usually went stale when we went through a period of not eating much bread. Below you will find a selection of tips on how to ensure your bread stays fresh longer.

Homemade Bread

It does not need to be difficult to bake your own bread. There are plenty of options and different recipes.

From using a bread machine and prepared bread mixes to the more advanced baking in the oven. There is probaby a solution that fits you and your lifestyle.

I like baking my own sourdough bread. We always have sourdough starter in the fridge and then whenever I have time I bake a loaf or two and freeze part of it for later.

Now if you have a hungry family and they eat the bread on day one – fantastic! You will not have to worry about how to store it.

But if you just eat bread every now and then you may be wondering how to store your homemade bread. Storing homemade bread can just be as easy as making it!

Storing Homemade Bread

There are different solutions on how to store homemade bread. Have a look below which option may suit you best:

Bread Bins

This is a classic option and I remember growing up my family had a metal bread bin. This is a classic version which just has one storage area and it has suited my family fine. However, there are now these convenient bread bins that have two different storage areas so you can store different breads in it.

If you are after something a bit more understated and decorative in your kitchen have a look at these metal bread bins with a wooden or bamboo lid. Storing homemade bread is easy:

Bread Storage Bags

Another option to bread bins are bread bags. These linen cotton bags are a useful alternative to bread bins if space is of the essence or you just prefer bags.

It is easy to extend the freshness of your bread. Just follow these tips with bread bags:

✔ Close bags tightly when storing your homemade bread. When storing smaller loaves of bread or bread pieces wrap the bag around the loaf. Natural linen allows the bread to breathe, but this may also dry the breads out if the bag is not used correctly.

✔ Don’t store your bread in the fridge but keep it at room temperature and ensure you keep it away from sunlight.

Beeswax Wraps

These wraps have become very popular and will keep your bread fresh for a few days. One thing to remember is to not put any warm bread into these wraps as it may damage the beeswax cover. Ensure your bread has cooled down after baking before wrapping it up!

Alternative Storage Solutions

If you haven’t decided for any of the above solutions you may try one of the ones below for a temporary solution. You could repurpose some old lined bags, use plastic bags from cornflakes boxes or even muslin cloths. All of these work but may not keep your bread fresh for a long time. However, for a temporary solutions all of these are perfectly fine.

What To Do With Stale Bread

My top tip for getting that fresh bread smell, taste and texture again is to sprinke some water over it and then pop it back into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on oven) at 180 degrees (about 360°F). We have experimented with this and now love to just pop it back into the oven for a bit if it has gone stale. This even worked with pretty hard white baguettes! We loved this and it definitely works.

Are you interested in more ideas to be more sustainable in your home? Have a look in my Sustainability section.