You’re done with buying bread from market. Most of the time they are not fresh enough, and not so soft to enjoy having them. Even you cannot preserve them for more than 2 days. Keeping all these things in mind finally you have decided to go with homemade bread. Besides preparing them you have to know the way how to keep them fresh for longer term so that you can find them in order even after 4 days.
Yes, fortunately still there are some methods to help you to keep your bread fresh and soft more than a day or two. You have to manage to keep the bread properly and also need to be careful on the ingredients at the time of making the dough; because apart from storing properly, there are some ingredients which really keep your bread afresh for longer days.
Right Place to Keep the Bread Fresh
There are two main reasons behind the stale bread. Firstly, as soon as the bread is removed from the oven the starch molecules start changing and they begin to crystallize. It forces the water out of the bread which results for staleness. Secondly, the loss of moisture due to air exposer. To keep your bread fresh for the longer term you have to keep it in the right place. There are some places which may take care of your bread properly. Here they are.
Bread Box
It is a closed container that allows a little air circulation so that your bread doesn’t get hard and crispy easily. In previous days almost every kitchen had a bread box, and still, you may find it in some of the modern kitchens. Just make sure the box is bigger enough for the loaves.
Plastic Bag
You may use plastic as a wrapper or a bag; both are capable to remove air from inside only to maintain the softness of the bread for more than a day or two. The plastic bag or wrapper can collect a good amount of moisture so that doesn’t allow the loaf inside to dry out. The bread which is commonly used for making sandwiches can be stored in a plastic wrapper or plastic bag.
Paper Wrapper
The paper wrapper is one of the simple options to keep your homemade bread. Even you can use a cotton tea towel for wrapping the bread and then place into a bag. This may allow air circulation but not the dry air, in this way the paper thing is better for artisan bread only to be remained crispy for days.
Cloth Bag
A cloth bag is one of the best choices to keep your homemade bread fresh and soft for days. It is an ideal option that you can use on a regular basis and it is even cost-effective and also available in different sizes for different types of bread.
Freezer
If the climate is warm and humid, a freezer is the best option to store your bread for a longer term. Even bread kept in a freezer stays fresh for 2 months. To make this possible you have to slice the bread into pieces and then wrap the whole bread in a single sheet of aluminum foil and then store it in a freezer. Even you can use a plastic zipper bag but before that, you have to let out the air in the bag.
Before I go to the next point one thing I must not forget to say that you should not keep your bread in a fridge Because the lower temperature of a fridge may spoil the bread. Instead of that, the room temperature is more effective to keep your bread fresh and soft for a few days.
Ingredients used While Making Bread
If you want to get away from this unwanted situation, you have to find out the best ingredients that may keep your bread fresh for a longer time. It means you need to follow the ways that prevent the bread from getting spoiled early.
Using Preservatives
Preservatives are not being used while making homemade bread. But your homemade bread gets off quickly making you throwing it away. To solve this issue while making dough replace sugar with honey and add 1 tsp of fruit pectin for every cup of flour. I am sure you’ll be amazed to see it is working. Now you can keep your bread soft for up to 4 days where before it was started drying out in 2 days.
Using Potato Boiled Water
Instead of using normal water while making a dough, use the water that you left after you boil potatoes. This may make a difference and your bread may last longer.
Using Milk
This is one of the ways to make your homemade bread stay fresh for a longer time. You have to add milk instead of water with dough to prepare milk bread which is capable to stay fresh for more than 2 days.
Also Read: Difference Between French and Italian Bread
The Way to Bring Bread from Stale
If your bread has become a little stale and you’re about to throw it away, then wait and try this method. Wrap it in an aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Once it cools, it may soft and fresh for a very little period. Therefore it should be eaten in no time. But remember this process may be followed for one time, don’t try to repeat it.
How to Keep Homemade Bread Fresh
To keep your homemade bread fresh for a long term a perfect slicing is also an important factor. All you need to slice into the center of the bread instead of slicing from one of the ends. Then put the two cut sides together. This prevents air from entering inside the bread and in this way you can enjoy fresh bread for much longer than you expect.
Conclusion
Preparing delicious homemade bread is really needs a lot of efforts and ideas, but to preserve them for the next few days is really a hard nut to crack. All that I have told you so far are some easy and convenient ways to keep your bread soft and fresh for days. Maybe there are some more options, but still, it is enough for you to handle the situation. What do you say, am I right?
