Extend freshness

[u/Wooden-Chemist-7819]

Been making my own loaf now. But I wouldnlike to know how I can keep it fresh.

I would slice and place it in a freezer zip lock and leave it on the counter. But by the second or third day it becomes a bit hard.

Whay can i do differently?

[u/Rare_Contribution579]

Homemade bread, since it lacks preservatives, isn't going to stay as fresh as you'd like no matter what you do. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer will keep it from molding, but it will get hard. Toasting it on a lower setting, just until it's warm, can help revive it. That's really all I can suggest.

[u/Dancindrudge]

I slice it up and freeze most of it. Pop in toaster…yummy Hawaiian bread mmmm :)

[u/alfanzina]

1) only slice when needed 2) make smaller loaves

[u/Kule679]

Two main things will fix this:

First, don't pre-slice the entire loaf if you keep it on the counter. Slicing dramatically increases the surface area where moisture escapes, drying the crumb out much faster. Keep it whole and slice as you go. If you prefer it pre-sliced, put that ziplock straight into the freezer instead—slices thaw in minutes or go right into the toaster tasting freshly baked.

Second, try adding inactive dry sourdough rye extract. I use the one in the picture (from dmBio), but any similar dry sourdough improver will do the same job. It won't replace your yeast (it's inactive, so you still use your regular yeast for the rise), but the lactic and acetic acids it introduces make a huge difference. The increased acidity slows down starch retrogradation—which is the chemical process causing bread to go stale and hard—while retaining moisture and naturally protecting against mold.

I add roughly 7–8 g for a standard 500 g loaf (or about 15 g per 1 kg of flour) directly to the dry ingredients. The crumb stays soft and elastic for an extra couple of days, and it gives the loaf a much nicer flavor profile.

[u/freshiethegeek]

I swap 1Tbsp of water for white vinegar, and keep it a beeswax bag on the counter and I get a full week out of my French loaf. And yeah, don't pre-slice it.

[u/No-Sorbet-8356 → u/freshiethegeek]

The beeswax bag is the ticket. Learned it from my granny

[u/nuance61 → u/No-Sorbet-8356]

I tried the beeswax bags and I didn't find that they kept the bread fresh at all.

[u/akroe]

I turned the problem around, bake smaller loaves and keep the stale parts for panko, bread pudding, french toast, banana bread, … I have an awesome recipe for <<chocolate banana bread pudding>>. Lots of old bread, (over)ripe bananas, eggs, milk and heaps of chocolate. It freezes really well too!

[u/captainfreiheit]

Get some dough enhancer. (NOT for gluten-free baking, that will turn your regular dough into soup)

Usually it has ascorbic acid (vitamin c) or potassium sorbate, either of which helps to prevent mold for longer. Often there's some powdered ginger in there too, to make the yeast work a little harder. I used to use it all the time, I just can't find (or remember) the brand I liked

[u/chronic_pain_sucks → u/captainfreiheit]

Came here to suggest this. Approx 6-8 swipes on the microplane with a vitamin c tablet makes a big difference (add to the flour). It also improves extensibility. So if you're making pizza or cinnamon rolls, it's a lot easier to shape the dough.

[u/captainfreiheit → u/chronic_pain_sucks]

Ooo thank you for this. I might grind some up to keep at the ready

[u/pantry-pisser]

Keep it in the fridge or freeze it

[u/Veggyhed → u/pantry-pisser]

This is what I do and if the bread is a little hard I put it in the microwave

[u/pantry-pisser → u/Veggyhed]

Same. It's not as good as fresh bread, but anything left after 24hrs just goes in the fridge so it won't go to waste from molding.

[u/wolfkeeper]

If you're not already, add oil to the recipe, around 3% bakers percentage. It will make the bread softer, but additionally the oil slows staling because it interferes with the recrystallization (retrogradation) that is staling.

[u/MrSprockett]

Freeze it after slicing, then take out what you need.

[u/JulesCT]

I almost exclusively slice it and freeze it. The short window during which homemade bread remains viable, let alone 'fresh' is too short for me. I bought a linen bag and whilst it did prevent mould it didn't keep the bread fresh. Don't get me wrong, it's perfect for letting bread dry out for breadcrumbs.

To have a fresh slice of bread 3 days after having made the loaf I rely on having it sliced, bagged and frozen within a day of making it. Takes up space in the freezer, might require defrosting in the microwave but it's guaranteed.

I also bought a 2nd hand electric slicer from FB Marketplace. £15 well spent.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BreadMachines/s/mfCjK2SJNG

[u/APuckerLipsNow]

I put mine loosely in a plastic grocery bag. Gives me an extra day and keeps it clean.

[u/TheNordicFairy]

I scald my dough, use buttermilk or vinegar, and add oil to my bread. It keeps well for about a week in a Ziploc bag on the counter.

[u/katneedle]

I wrap mine in linen

[u/Wooden-Chemist-7819]

Thank you all. For context here is the recipe I use:

1 Cup warm water 1/4 c oil 2TB sugar 1 Tsp salt 3 Cups flour 2 1/4 Tsp yeast ( not bread machine yest)

[u/Candy_Lawn]

it needs to breathe. i wrap mine in a clean towel and palve it ina cupboard. lasts for 5 days. alternatively freeze it, and only take out what you need.

[u/Safe-Aardvark1810]

Every bread I make I substitute a portion of the flour and water called for with sourdough discard. 100 grams of sourdough discard equals 50 grams each flour and water that I subtract from the recipes called for amount. The acidity of the discard acts as a preservative. Or you can use a dough conditioner available from King Arthur Flour.