Picture it: You just brought home a delicious loaf of still-warm bread from your favorite bakery. After pedaling it home in a bicycle basket—alongside a small dog and wheel of brie—you immediately cut yourself off a slice and enjoy it immensely. There's still 90 percent of the loaf left, and you want to keep it fresh for as long as possible. What do you do next?
If your answer was, "I put it back in the bag and right into the fridge," you're not alone. We're all guilty of it—but fresh bakery-style or homemade bread is one of several foods you shouldn't store in the fridge to extend its shelf-life. Here's an expert baker's take on how to store different types of bread for the best results.
Jonathan Davis is an expert baker, author, and Vice President of R&D and culinary innovation at La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles.
Why Can't You Put Bread in the Fridge?
The refrigerator keeps food fresh longer, but storing a loaf of bakery-fresh or homemade bread in the fridge is the ultimate offense, according to Jonathan Davis. "When storing bread, the number one thing you should not do is put it in the refrigerator," he insists. "This is because the temperature and environment of a refrigerator can actually expedite the staling process and will not keep it fresh."
How does that happen? Turns out, cold temperatures (like in the refrigerator) cause the starch molecules in bread to crystallize and become hard, leaving you with a dry, crunchy loaf. The result is a loaf with stale texture and flavor, more stale than if it had been left on the counter.
When to Put Bread in the Fridge
Although we say never to store bread in the fridge, that absolute comes with a couple of exceptions:
- Room temperature is better for bread unless you live in very humid conditions. Too much moisture in the air can leave bread more susceptible to mold.
- Store-bought sandwich bread usually can be kept in the fridge without much change in texture. That’s because it often contains additives and preservatives that keep it fresh longer.
How to Store Bread at Room Temperature
The best way to keep freshly baked bread as fresh as possible is to store it at room temperature in a part of the kitchen that isn't too hot or dry, according to Davis. When leaving it on the counter, it's best to keep it out of places that attract sunlight, such as right next to a window. If counter space is at a premium in your kitchen, consider the microwave as a viable bread-storing option.
The arch enemy of bread is air, which absorbs moisture that keeps bread soft and fluffy. Around 50 years ago, every well-equipped kitchen had a bread box that served the purpose, but we've gotten away from that with the proliferation of additives, preservatives, and store-bought bread.
How Long Freshly Baked Bread Lasts
"Bread should also be consumed within the first 2 to 3 days of purchase," Davis says. "After 3 days, the bread's texture and freshness will begin to decline."
If you don't manage to finish your loaf within the first 3 days, the best option is to wrap it up well—in plastic wrap plus a layer of aluminum foil—and store it in the freezer instead of the fridge. Whenever you're ready to polish it off, thaw the loaf at room temperature for a few hours or pop it in a low-heat oven to warm it up before serving.
Ways to Use Stale Bread
If your loaf has started to wane in the fresh-and-fluffy department, don't sweat it. "There are different levels of 'stale' when it comes to bread," Davis explains, "and with each level comes an opportunity for different recipes."
For instance, two-day-old bread is great for recipes that call for leftover bread—like bread pudding or Panzanella—because it's firmer and crusty on the outside and less soft on the inside.
Three-day-old bread is hard to the touch, and the outer crust is crispy, which makes it perfect for making croutons and homemade breadcrumbs that can be incorporated into salads, soups, and baked dishes.
The Secret to Baking Fluffy, Homemade Bread—Without Kneading—Is All About Science
FAQs
The reason a refrigerator is bad for bread: When bread is stored in a cold (but above freezing) environment, this recrystallization, and therefore staling, happens much faster than at warmer temperatures. Freezing, however, dramatically slows the process down. So that's the science in a nutshell.
How to store bread in the fridge? ›
Plastic bags, like freezer bags and even the original packaging from the supermarket, can help with this, but they are still porous. If you decide to store bread in the refrigerator, it's best to store it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
What's the best way to store bread to keep it fresh for the longest time? ›
The Best Way to Store Bread
Use either freezer bags or sheets of plastic wrap to keep away ice crystals, prevent freezer burn, and get a tight seal.
How long is bread good for in the fridge? ›
Commercially baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Bread products retain their quality when stored in the freezer for 3 months. Any breads containing meat or hard cooked eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.
Where is the best place to store bread? ›
Most bakers recommend storing bread in a cool dry spot, at room temperature. Why? Excess heat and moisture creates mold, and too much air creates stale bread. So yes: a cool dry spot such as a pantry shelf works.
Is it better to keep bread in the fridge or counter? ›
*Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at cool temperatures, and cause the bread to stale much faster when refrigerated. *Shop-bought loaves should be kept in an air-tight plastic bag at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
Can I store bread in a paper bag? ›
Whatever you do, do NOT use paper bags.
It allows all of the moisture to escape and accelerates the staling process. If your bread comes in a paper bag, you're better off swapping it out for a zip top plastic bag or a reusable option.
Can I store bread in an airtight container? ›
Although plastic bags and airtight containers may seem like a good way to keep your bread from going stale, the lack of airflow will foster an environment for mold growth, because the moisture is contained and mold loves moisture. If you want to put your bread in a container, a bread box is the way to go.
Do bread boxes prevent mold? ›
It's an attractive and convenient storage solution that helps both preserve the freshness of your loaves and ward off mold. From hardwoods to brightly colored vintage styles, bread boxes offer a dark, cool place to keep your baguettes crusty and banana bread supple.
What bread stays fresh the longest? ›
Store-bought sandwich breads and buns are often baked with mold inhibitors and other preservatives, and those types of bread will stay fresh longer than homemade bread with very little effort (though you can freeze commercially-produced breads, too).
Store in paper, never plastic
If you plan on devouring it right away, then keeping it in a paper bag on the counter is the move. While storing in plastic seems like the right idea, this actually encourages mold growth, resulting in the bread going bad much faster.
Can I leave fresh baked bread on the counter overnight? ›
While it's safe to keep many baked goods at room temperature, it depends on the item and should be taken on a case-by-case basis. For instance, breads and rolls can last up to four days at room temperature, but any bread with meat or hard-boiled eggs should be refrigerated within two hours, according to the USDA.
Why do people put bread in the fridge? ›
"But if you take a long time to consume your bread, [if your kitchen] is warm and humid, and especially if the bread is homemade, it is worth refrigerating to prevent mold growth," she adds. Homemade bread does not contain the preservatives that help keep it from spoiling that most store-bought breads have.
Can you eat bread straight from the fridge? ›
According to Baker, it isn't advisable to store bread in the refrigerator. Although it would still be perfectly healthy to eat, she cautions that it will become a lot less palatable because the cold temperatures of the fridge will cause the starch in your bread to recrystallize and lose moisture.
Should I freeze bread? ›
Because this household staple typically goes stale in a matter of days, the freezer is the best option to keep it fresh; it preserves freshly baked bread at its prime. And helpfully, most bread can be frozen for as long as three months.
What would happen if the bread was placed in a refrigerator? ›
Bread stales much more quickly in the refrigerator. Always store bread at room temperature and unsliced, if possible. during a bread's lifetime (which begins when a bread cools after being heated during baking), its starches (which were rearranged when baked) will regroup back to their original, crystallized state.
Does putting bread in fridge prevent mold? ›
According to Harold McGee, author of On Food & Cooking, refrigerating fresh bread can cause it to stale up to six times faster than bread left out on the counter. That said, the fridge is a decent place to store your store-bought bread because it will prevent mold and dryness.
Does bread still rise in the fridge? ›
Your dough will rise in the fridge and it can be a huge help as it makes bread making easy to fit into your day. When you put your dough in the fridge it slows the yeast activity down. It takes ten times longer for dough to rise in the fridge than it does at room temperature.
Is it good to put bread in the freezer? ›
Because this household staple typically goes stale in a matter of days, the freezer is the best option to keep it fresh; it preserves freshly baked bread at its prime. And helpfully, most bread can be frozen for as long as three months.
