These Are The Types Of Bread That Last The Longest In Your Fridge And Pantry

There's nothing worse than spending money on groceries and realizing they've gone bad before they were up in your meal-planned weekly dinner lineup. Bread, a staple in many households, can be a victim of this unfortunate fate if not stored properly. To avoid the issue, it's worth it to do some research into the type of bread you're buying and how you're keeping it. In general, prepackaged sandwich loaves last the longest due to a nice dose of preservatives. Out of all the homemade or bakery-fresh varieties, sourdough, whole-grain, and enriched breads (like challah or brioche) will keep the best.

Refrigerators are essential for keeping perishable food items from going bad before we get a chance to eat them. Given this knowledge, you might have always assumed the fridge was the best place to store your bread. While it works for veggies and meat, the fridge is a dry environment, which is the opposite of what bread needs. Keeping your bread from going stale requires preserving its moisture; the fridge will dry it right out, so leave those loaves out on the counter. Plastic bags are ideal for soft loaves like sandwich bread, but they'll soften the crust of more rustic loaves. For those, a bread box, paper bag, or a dish towel are better storage options.

The reason enriched breads keep longer is because of their ingredients. While rustic loaves are made with few ingredients other than flour, water, salt, and yeast, breads like challah or brioche contain some combination of flour, dairy, eggs, and sugar. Their higher fat and sugar content helps them stay moist and soft for longer. Sourdough will keep better due to the natural leavening in the bacteria, the fermented component that keeps your sourdough starter alive.

If all else fails, you can still use stale bread in a variety of ways. Toast it into croutons, blend it into breadcrumbs, or use it in recipes like stuffing or panzanella. There are even ways to salvage dried out bread and use it as you normally would; try spraying a slice with water and air frying it at 450 F for about 5 minutes or wrapping it in a damp paper towel and microwaving it for 10 seconds.