How to Keep Bread Fresh the Natural Way

Unless it is loaded with preservatives, fresh bread, will not be fresh for a very long time. There are many methods used to keep the bread fresh, but most of them only give an extra day or two, if anything. However, there is a proven way to significantly extend the shelf life of bread, but let us first see what the alternatives are:

The standard way is to use a bread bin or a bread box. The wood it can be considered archaic by some, but they tend to work better than metal or plastic to them. They all trap moisture in the air and cause it to condense, which actually hastens molding, especially plastics them. Freezing or refrigeration is the most popular methods for prolonging the life of bread. Although cooling can delay the molding it will expedite the process if the moisture becomes trapped inside the plastic bag. Staleness (where the bread will be harder), happens when you hold it. Bread goes stale because of the gluten proteins knitting back together after cooking, making bread harder. Bread is only soft when gluten is present when it is fresh gluten protein areas are long and stretched. Believe it or not, bread stale much faster at lower temperatures, this is due to a modification of the starch fraction of wheat flour with crystallization, or retro-gradation. If the bread is store d at higher temperatures it becomes moldy very quickly. The starch crystallization reaction can be reversed, which is why old bread can be softened by gentle heating. The usual commercial method to delay staling is the use of additives such as Glycerol or methyl cellulose; molding can be partially inhibited by an antimicrobial, as prop ionic acid.

Other possibilities include:

Let freshly baked bread completely cool before storing it. Wrapping it too early causes condensation to form which is absorbed into the bread, so it is damp and faster mold growth.

Keep the bread at room temperature in a paper bag.

In longer periods of storage time with bread in the freezer, first wrap it in aluminum foil and then in an airtight plastic bag. Keeping it all in order to prevent freezer burn.

Frozen bread should be thawed at room temperature. Warm it up before you eat for about 10 minutes in oven at 350 degree F.

Or insert a tea towel in the bag the bread came in and arrange it so the bag does not stretch beyond its capacity. Squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag and seal it with a twist tie.

Put the bag in the freezer, it should last for months. To thaw the bread, open the bag and remove the cloth, then put the bag of bread in the refrigerator. It will take hours to thaw, but it will not be soggy or hard.

A lot of bags and boxes are currently available that claim to keep the bread fresh, but none of these are particularly effective. There is a product available that works, it is called eggstrafresh . It will help to raise fresh bread as much as 3 to 5 times longer to drastically reduce oxidation and retain moisture. Oxidation and moisture loss are the primary causes of bacteria, mildew and nasty odors associated with food spoilage. eggstrafresh is a scientifically proven, revolutionary breakthrough in food preservation. Just place one in the fridge and one in the pantry, keep the bread fresh just been so easy!