Fresh bread, with its crispy crust and soft inner crumb, is one of the most beloved culinary delights in the world.
However, it unfortunately tends to lose its freshness quickly and with it its overall nutritional value; indeed, although primarily a source of carbohydrates, fresh bread also contains minerals and vitamins.
Preserving bread properly means not only maintaining its nutritional properties longer, but also reducing food waste which is now one of the major problems of our time.
There are several ways to preserve the freshness of bread for two or three days thus preventing it from drying out and hardening.
Firstly, it is important to know that in the case of still warm or just baked bread, it is absolutely necessary to let it cool at room temperature before storing it, as otherwise, the moisture in the crumb will tend to make it spoil sooner.
Preserving fresh bread in a paper or cloth bag and in a plastic bag
One of the most common ways to keep bread is to place it in a paper bag (usually the one in which it is sold) and wrap it all in a plastic bag making sure to remove all the air inside.
Often a cloth such as a napkin or a kitchen towel replaces the paper bag.
This method of preservation has the advantage of blocking the passage of air from the outside, preventing the bread from losing its softness and thus not hardening.
At the same time, however, the lack of ventilation promotes a humid environment where bacteria are free to proliferate, quickly leading to the appearance of mold.
Preserving fresh bread in a paper bag and in a cloth bag
To avoid mold problems while maintaining the freshness of the bread, you can opt for a solution that wraps it multiple times in breathable materials.
Specifically, we wrap the bread first in a paper bag (even the bakery's) and then in a cotton or linen cloth bag.
By doing so, we will have fresh bread longer that is not prone to mold.
Freezing fresh bread
Freezing freshly purchased bread is a great idea because this way literally nothing of it is wasted.
A valid anti-waste freezing technique consists of storing the fresh bread already sliced into portions in special plastic bags, so only the necessary quantity is thawed as needed.
Regarding the thawing phase, it is preferable for the bread to thaw naturally at room temperature and then it can be heated for a few minutes in the oven so that it regains its natural crispiness.
It's important to remember that for a satisfactory result after thawing the bread should always be frozen fresh and never as leftovers from the day before.
Where to store fresh bread
The place where bread is stored is not a factor to be underestimated in order to keep it fresh longer.
Bread, in fact, should not be exposed to direct sunlight and should be kept at room temperature away from heat sources in a dry place such as a bread bin or a kitchen cabinet.
Although it is a common practice, bread should never be stored in the refrigerator where it tends to become stale and dry out faster than it would at room temperature.
In the fridge, the natural moisture of the bread is removed, migrating first from the crumb to the crust and then evaporating into the air.
As a result of this migration, the bread becomes much less digestible as it undergoes a process called "starch retrogradation" in which the starch, deprived of water, tends to assume a more compact crystalline structure that is difficult for digestive enzymes to break down.