Nothing is worse than opening the breadbox only to discover that the last slice of bread has gone stale and mouldy, but it may be spoiling quickly as you keep it in the wrong place. It may seem obvious to keep bread stored away in a bread box but this is actually one of the worst areas to store it in the kitchen. Mary Payne Moran, a chef with over 20 years of experience and founder of Hail Mary Food of Grace , has explained that breadboxes are very humid environments which is why bread spoils so quickly.
Chef Mary said: “The truth is that bread needs to be kept in a cool place with little moisture. A dark and warm breadbox is the perfect place for mould and bacteria to grow.” Bread will also become stale if kept in the refrigerator due to the cold environment which causes the starch to crystalise, which makes it much drier and tougher.
Chef Mary explained: “The refrigerator may seem like the perfect place, but if the bread isn’t wrapped tightly enough then the cold temperature can penetrate through the plastic wrapping and create a tough layer that has a stale-like consistency.” Bread can be tricky to keep fresh which is why freezing it is often the best course of action if you really need to preserve a loaf for longer. Chef Mary said: “Bread wrapped tightly and kept in the freezer is the best way to keep bread fresh over a week’s period.
It’ll keep the flavour and the flaky consistency.” However, not everyone has the time to let a whole bread loaf defrost i.
