The Old-School Way To Store Bread So That It Stays Fresh For Longer

While store-bought bread often lasts almost a week or more thanks to additives and preservatives, fresh loaves from the bakery section seem to harden overnight. Luckily, there's one trick we learned — courtesy of Alicia Graubard-Silebi, wellness content creator, certified personal trainer, and professional athlete meal prep chef — that will keep your bread soft and delicious for days.

According to Graubard-Silebi, storing your bread in an old-fashioned bread box is a total game-changer. This is because bread boxes serve as cozy little vessels for your loaves, providing an ideal environment that circulates air while regulating humidity. "It keeps just the right amount of moisture in, enough to stop your bread from turning into a rock, but not so much that it turns moldy," Graubard-Silebi said. This allows your bread to stay fresh for about three to four days.

While Graubard-Silebi mentioned that the fridge can be great if you're eating the bread immediately, it can also make your loaf go stale more quickly. This is because the refrigerator causes recrystallization — aka staling — to happen faster. On the other hand, she mentioned that storing it on the counter introduces too much air and light, which work together to dry it out at an accelerated rate. "A breadbox creates the perfect middle ground for your loaf," Graubard-Silebi said. "It's cool, dark, and just humid enough to keep things soft inside and crisp on the outside."

When it comes to bread boxes, Alicia Graubard-Silebi said that freshly baked crusty breads such as ciabatta, sourdough, or various baguettes do the best in them. "They need some airflow to keep the crust from going soft, but also a bit of humidity to keep the inside from drying out," Graubard-Silebi said. On the other hand, she noted that softer breads like brioche or focaccia are actually better candidates for storing in a sealed plastic bag since "they're more about keeping moisture in and less about maintaining a crisp crust."

If you want to store your homemade bread for maximum freshness, another tip is to place it cut-side down inside the bread box. Doing so will help keep out the air, allowing your loaves to stay fresher longer. If you don't have a bread box, you can also choose to store yours in paper bags. Whatever you do, though, just make sure you never store bread near the dishwasher. The heat and steam it gives off can make mold form more quickly.