What is the best way to keep home made bread fresh for the few days after it is baked and before the entire loaf is eaten?
Are there other problems to watch out for besides drying out (becoming stale) or becoming moldy? I've noticed that sometimes the flavor changes for the worse and/or it begins to smell "off". Is there a way to prevent that? (I've been keeping the bread in a plastic bag).
Thanks,
It depends on the type of bread. For a crusty bread, I prefer a paper bag. For a rich bread with a soft crust, I prefer a plastic bag. In either case, either keep the bread at room temperature or freeze it. Do not put it in the refrigerator, which hastens staling.
If the bread begins to smell off, I would take that as a sign that it is underbaked. Underbaking can be the ultimate result of poor gluten development, too much flour in the dough, underproofing, and other errors. So I would look to root causes before worrying too much about storage techniques.
Dick
I slice it when it's cooled down and freeze it. I prefer to leave it overnight before slicing as it is easier. I then take out whatever I need to toast, defrost etc.
When you defrost a few slices don't they get soggy with condensation from the air?
Thanks
Never had that problem. If I'm making sandwiches, I stand 2 slices upright leaning on each other making an inverted V, which allows them to defrost without getting soggy. Or I put the slices on the rack above our toaster (without the toaster on). Sometimes I make the sandwiches with the frozen bread and wrap in plastic wrap straight away and they're still not soggy.
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