Most Brits have a loaf of bread in the cupboard. After all, it’s a big staple of many people’s diets, being handy for sandwiches, toast and to just nibble on when you fancy a little snack. But, keeping it fresh can sometimes appear to be a tricky task, and it could be due to the fact that you’re storing the food wrong. Krystian Alisha shared a simple way to store your bread that will help to keep it fresh – and it’s easier than you may think.
According to the content creator, who shares videos on TikTok, storing your bread near the fridge or the dishwasher can hinder your loaves. This is because the heat and moisture that comes from both can lead to accidentally “cooking your bread”.
It can cause the bread to become dry and crusty, so it’s best to avoid storing your bread near the appliances. In fact, all you need to do is wrap it in a common kitchen item to prolong its shelf life.
She said you should wrap it in a tea towel and keep it away from heat to protect it more. This will help your bread to stay fresher for longer.
It may seem like a simple food storage hack, but it works. There are simple reasons why it’s such a good idea.
Little you may know, it’s not actually ideal to store bread near a fridge or a dishwasher. This is because both appliances generate heat and moisture, which has the potential to dry out paper-bagged bread or cause plastic-bagged bread to mould quickly.
While refrigeration can cause bread to dry out and become stale faster because of the cold temperatures and lower humidity, the heat and steam from a dishwasher can cause bread to become dry too.
Ideally, bread should be kept in a cool, dry place such as a pantry or bread box. It turns out the towel trick could work wonders too.
This is because wrapping freshly baked bread in a clean, cotton tea towel can help retain freshness, especially when it comes to sourdough. Cotton is a breathable material, which means it enables moisture to escape and prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
It also works to retain some moisture, which can stop the bread from drying out too quickly. You just need to ensure freshly baked bread is cool before you attempt to wrap it.
Other ways to keep bread fresh
There are also various other things you can try to keep bread as fresh as possible. Some examples include:
- Make sure your bread is stored in a cool and dry place. It shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight, heat or excess moisture.
- Wrap bread in a paper bag, a clean cloth or a linen bag to enable some air circulation. This will help to stop the crust from getting soggy.
- Don’t refrigerate bread, as this can lead to it drying out and becoming stale faster, especially if it’s not properly wrapped.
- To allow your bread to last longer, you can freeze it. Pop it in a tightly wrapped plastic wrap, and add a layer of foil or freezer paper to prevent freezer burn.
- When freezing, make sure you use freezer-safe bags and remove as much air as possible before sealing. This will help to boost its freshness.
- Make sure you label and date the bag so you don’t consume the bread after it’s exceeded its sell by date.