Bread typically lasts up to five days once opened, depending on how it is stored and the variety of bread chosen.
While bread can be picked up affordably, watching it turn mouldy can be irritating and results in lots of food waste.
To see how long I could keep my homemade loaf of bread fresh for, I decided to try out a variety of storage hacks.
This included keeping it in the fridge, storing it in a cloth bread bag as well as storing it in the freezer.
The results were very surprising, with one method making the bread last for around 10 days.
1. Storing bread in the fridge
Sophie Trueman, in-house waste expert at Too Good To Go, recommended storing bread in the fridge, especially when it comes to sliced sandwich bread.
The expert said the loaf will “last much longer, extending its expiration date”. It is important to seal the bread up and avoid placing it close to any fruit or vegetables to help make it last longer.
I sliced my bread up and stored it in a sandwich bag before placing it in the bottom of the fridge.
I’ve never stored bread in the fridge before but it definitely made it last longer than if I was to leave it at room temperature.
I did find the slices turned slightly dry after a few days but were still perfectly fine to eat. I also wasn’t a fan of eating the bread straight from the fridge so I did leave them to warm up at room temperature for a little while.
2. Storing bread in the freezer
As well as never storing bread in the fridge, I also have never stored bread in the freezer despite knowing it can last for a long period of time.
Most bread can be frozen for up to three months and will defrost perfectly within a matter of hours. Sliced sandwich bread can also be toasted directly from frozen, as can small pancakes and crumpets.
For any loaf you’re planning on freezing, it’s best to double-wrap it so it tastes fresh when it defrosts.
I wrapped mine in tin foil as I was out of clingfilm and made sure to double-wrap it to lock in the freshness. Make sure to write the date on a label as it’s best to use it within a few months to avoid any risk of freezer burn.
This method was great for storing the bread, and I managed to use up all of the loaves within two weeks.
Freezing the loaf did slightly alter the texture of the bread which I wasn’t a huge fan of but it saved on food waste.
3. Storing bread in a bread bag
Due to making homemade bread quite often, I have always used bread bags to store them in. They come in a variety of sizes and materials and aim to keep them fresher for longer.
Sophie noted: “Remember that if the bread is freshly made, you should not store it in an airtight bag, since it will not be able to breathe.
“You have to let it breathe so that it maintains its most optimal conservation. Storing it in a bread basket or cloth bag is always the best option.”
Available for as little as £5 on websites like Amazon, the bread bag helped to make my loaf last for around 10 days with no signs of visible mould.
It did start to dry out after day five, but it was still edible until day 10 and by that point, the loaf had been finished anyway.
