Bread is often at the top of our shopping lists, but it's frustrating when it goes mouldy and stale quickly. The culprit? It's all about how you store it . You might think storing bread is as simple as chucking it on the worktop or into the bread bin, but placing it in your kitchen can massively impact how long your loaf remains fresh.
Emilie Raffa, a baker and the woman behind The Clever Carrot , has served up some prime advice to prevent your bread from going off too quickly, highlighting that heat from kitchen appliances is a common cause for bread ageing before its time. She said: “Years ago, we used to keep our bread in a plastic bag, in a drawer nestled in between the dishwasher and fridge. “The excess heat from the two appliances , plus the moisture locked in the plastic bag, created the perfect storm for mould to grow.
Everything in that drawer was covered in green hairy spots - rolls, tortillas, raisin bread - you name it!” For bread that stays fresher longer, Emilie recommends stashing it in a cool, dry spot, far from any heat or moisture sources which means dodging the oven, stove, fridge, and even the fruit bowl. So, why avoid the fruit bowl? Well, certain fruits, such as bananas and apples, emit ethylene gas, a ripening agent that not only matures fruit but can also make your bread go bad super quickly. As these fruits ripen, they let out moisture, potentially creating a damp environment where mould loves to flourish.
Emilie cautioned: “Mould loves heat, .