I don’t like to put it in the fridge even though that does inhibit mold because that makes it taste like crap.
Note that being a good resident of Philadelphia I like to buy Amoroso’s products which lie somewhere between the typical storebought processed bread and freshly-baked artisan stuff however I will concede that it’s closer to the former. But I don’t have a fortune to spend on bread (used mostly in sandwiches) and I want it to last more than a day and right now the bags of club rolls are getting moldy in just 2-3 days and that seems abrupt to me.
I’ll buy a bread box if it works, not just to have something cool looking for the bread to go moldy in just as fast, y’know?
Sorry if this is better served in another forum but I figured there mught be a factual answer to this one.
When was the last time you cleaned and bleached the shelf or whatever you store your bread on?
Once you get a lot of mold spores on that, they will innoculate the outsides of any bread bags you put on the shelf; and when you open the bag to get at the bread, the spores that’ve just rubbed off on your hands will innoculate your loaf.
Bread is a volatile product. A good bread box, one that seals fairly tightly, will give you a couple of extra days, but mold is pretty relentless, especially if you live in a humid area.
We put our bread products in the freezer right away, and that seems to work against mold and staleness. We just take out a bagel or a roll as needed, let it thaw or put it in the toaster oven on low. No mold, and it still tastes fresh even after a week or two, esp. if heated.
I think there are bacteria that actually thrive in fridge temps on bread, but I have no cite. I know I read it in Cooks Illustrated some time ago - looks like Feb 2005.
Can you switch to potato bread? Tastes better than plain ol’ white bread and it lasts for at least two weeks on my counter top. I have no idea why it doesn’t go moldy as quickly as other breads.
a good bread box has minimal ventilation. the moisture in bread contained in a tight box will support mold, the spores are already on the loaf. a ventilated bread box lets the moisture out gradually, enough to keep the bread below the moisture level for rapid mold growth and doesn’t let it rapidly dry.
I have a Tupperware bread container that can hold one 24 oz. loaf. The seal is not airtight anymore, if it ever was, and it keeps my bread fresh and unmoldy for up to two weeks on top of my fridge, and I live in south Florida.
I keep my bread in the freezer, too. I take out at much as I need at once and wrap it in a paper towel then microwave it for a few seconds and it’s all good.
This. You don’t want to know how many spores there are in a square inch of space.
I hang my bread from the cupboard pull knob using a loop of thin braided rope. The rope is wrapped around the twisted end of bread and back through itself. The weight of the bread keeps it tightly closed as it hangs.
Another vote for the freezer. Unless bread is loaded with preservatives, it isn’t going to last very long. The 40 degree temp in the refrigerator actually makes bread go bad faster.
I use a plastic bread box that has a really tight seal. Not even a Palmetto bug (cockroach, to you Yankees) can get into it. I know because I saw one try. I use only whole wheat bread, and a loaf lasts me for one week before getting stale or moldy. I can finish a loaf within a week. If you cannot, the freezer is a good alternative. I got my bread box through one of those mail order catalogs, but I don’t remember which one.
That’s not the one I have. Mine is not adjustable, but the top is on a hinge that seals with the bottom. I keep the bread in its original packaging also, for double indemnity.
Yeah, I’m a convert to freezing bread. I like to freeze a loaf and insert a bit of plastic or waxed paper between every six slices or so, which makes it easier to pop out a few slices at a time. You can thaw it and it will feel perfectly fresh for sandwich making, or put frozen slices right in the toaster, and they will toast the same as unfrozen bread.
The freezing method allows you to have a couple of different loaves on hand, so if you’d like keep both rye and whole wheat around, you can do so without feeling like you have to use them up before they go bad.
Refrigerating bread, however, gives it an icky waxy texture, and it’ll be unsuitable for anything other than toasting. I wonder why that is?
I bake a ton of bread. Olive oil bread seems to take forever to get stale or to mold. That and freezing. I slice my loaves, put then in ziplock bags, then freeze.
bread can freezer burn, water in the interior of the loaf is drawn out and freezes on the wrapper or the sides of the freezer compartment. to help prevent you can tightly double wrap the bread with a very tight seal. also freeze in smaller volumes, split the loaf up, so the inside freezes quicker before lots of moisture is drawn out. also you only thaw what you are about to use.
I keep my bread in the fridge and don’t have this problem. What is the nature of the crap taste? Bread and other types of foods will absorb whatever odors happen to be floating around inside, so that can cause an off taste. Just need to wrap it airtight.
You actually don’t want an air tight seal. Moisture is one of the key contibutors to the growth of mold on bread. Many times bread put in its wrappers while it is still warm contibutes to faster mold growth because of the moisture in still warm bread. If you notice on the link to the adjustable bread box I posted there are actually small adjustable vents to let the bread breath and the moisture escape.
Another vote for freezing. Sandwiches made with frozen bread in the morning are perfect by lunch time (the freezing has kept them cool, too, if not having a fridge is an issue). Bread molds quickly, but it also thaws quickly. I get a big bag of buns and freeze them, and take out about three at a time so I always have a fresh bun for lunch. Since I discovered freezing, my bread wastage is down to almost nothing. I wish I could buy frozen bread at Safeway - getting the fresh loaves home in an un-squished state is much more difficult (and you need them un-squished so the slices separate easily).
