Baking bread at home is a great and healthy solution for everyone. But even the most experienced bread baker wonders how to prevent bread from molding. Before we discuss the best tips to keep bread fresh longer, you should learn why mold occurs.
What causes mold on bread?
Well, mold is a fungus that reproduces using airborne spores. It can create a spore colony in your favorite bread if it experiences the right conditions.
Moist and warm spots will make good bread mold faster than you think! Luckily, there are some pro tips on how to keep the bread from molding. Let’s see next what you can do!
Tips on how to keep bread from molding
1) You can store your bread in the freezer
Our pro tip to keep bread fresh for longer is to store it in the freezer. Keep in mind that you should slice your bread before freezing for the best results. We usually cut the loaves of bread to a medium thickness, and afterward, we wrap the loaves in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It is best to put the wrapped loaves into a plastic bag to seal it tightly.
Wrapping the bread and storing it in the freezer will prevent moisture buildup. In turn, this will keep your bread mold-free and tasty for longer periods. When you need to use the bread, you have to unwrap it and leave it on the counter for one night. By the time the morning arrives, the bread will be fresh and ready to be served.
2) You can buy a professional bread box
Of course, if you love baking bread at home, you can always use an affordable and useful bread box. These are perfect for storing bread and preventing it from molding. All you have to do is place the loaf inside. You don’t even need to wrap it into a bag.
A bread box is created to allow the air to flow and keep up the correct temperature for your bread. It prevents excess humidity, which is why your bread will be soft and fresh. Our advice is not to put too much bread inside. If the air can’t circulate, the humidity will build up inside and cause unwanted mold.
3) You can use a cloth bread bag
Bread lovers know that the best way to keep the bread from molding is to store it in a cloth bread bag. These are extremely functional, affordable, and handy in any kitchen.
Cloth bread bags are created to keep your bread air-tight while allowing some air to flow. As such, it will not create suitable conditions for mold spores to grow. There are different types of cloth bread bags, suitable for all types of bread. Just make sure you purchase the adequate one to fit in your loaf.
4) You can use a paper bread bag
Following the idea above, you can use a paper bread bag to store bread and prevent it from molding. A simple brown paper bag can do wonders for your bread. And if you didn’t notice already, many bakeries sell their products in paper bags for the exact same reason.
Storing your bread in a paper bread bag is a top choice for rustic loaves of bread or homemade bread. It will keep those types of bread fresh for longer. Just make sure you close the bag tightly and store it out of direct sunlight.
5) You can use the kitchen cabinet
A straightforward idea for when you don’t have any other solution is storing your bread in the kitchen cabinet. It can prevent mold from growing and become the perfect place to store your goods.
But we recommend you use this tip only if you place your bread in an open plastic bag. Closing the bag will prevent air from circulating and lead to mold spores growing. For example, we prefer storing bread in the kitchen cabinet, but we take it out of the plastic bag and wrap it in a clean tea towel.
What You Should Never Do
The above tips will help you prevent your bread from molding. But there’s also things you can do, that you should avoid doing. Below we explain the things that you SHOULD NOT do.
You should never put bread in a plastic bag and seal it
As we mentioned above, mold requires the right conditions to grow on your bread. And we can say from our experience that the perfect storing approach for mold spores to grow is the sealed plastic bag.
If you store your bread in a plastic bag and tightly seal it, it will offer both moisture and warmth. As such, your bread will become stale faster, and mold spores will thrive. If you want to store your bread in a plastic bag against our advice, it might be better to keep the bag open. Keeping the bag open will allow airflow and mold won’t have the perfect environment to grow.
You should never slice bread from the end
Professional bakers say that the perfect way to slice loaves of bread is by starting in the middle. This will keep your bread fresh and mold-free for longer.
Cutting the bread from one end will make it stale faster. Besides, its freshness will become uneven, and mold can start growing with ease. Slicing your bread into the middle is an excellent way to keep the loaf fresher. Just remember to push the bread together again before you store it.
But, you SHOULD bake bread at home
If you haven’t noticed yet, our team at Make The Bread are big fans of making bread at home. We love baking bread at home because of numerous reasons. One of those reasons is that you can play around with your bread (machine recipes) to discourage mold growth.
For example, adding more flour makes a denser loaf. This means mold has a harder time spreading (it basically has little to no conditions to grow). Another professional solution is to use in your recipe a natural preservative like lactic acid.
The takeaway
Mold is the enemy in any kitchen. It thrives in moist and warm environments, which is why it can significantly reduce the life shelf of numerous products. But with the tips mentioned above, you can keep the bread from molding like a professional.
We encourage you to bake bread at home so that you can enjoy your loaves for longer periods. Using specific ingredients and ratios will ensure your bread will remain tastier and fresher for a couple of days.
