Keeping Bread Fresh
The best way to store your freshly baked loaf is inside a bread box, but since many of us don't have one of those sitting around, here's a few more tips:
The recycled Kraft paper bag that your bread is packaged in serves as a fantastic storage vessel for your loaf! Just cut off a few slices and keep the rest stored away for later. Once your loaf is gone, please recycle your bag.
Do NOT store your fresh loaf in the refrigerator; this will accelerate the staling process and cause artisan bread to dry out prematurely.
Your loaf is best eaten within 3-5 days of being baked. To bring a day-old sliced of bread back to life, just pop it in the toaster!
Storing your Loaf
If you don't think you'll be able to finish off your loaf within a few days, or simply want to store an extra loaf away for a rainy day, we recommend one of two options:
Try freezing a whole loaf within a gallon-sized Ziplock freezer bag; it will stay in pretty good shape for up to two months. To bring your loaf back to life, simply remove it from the freezer and thaw at room temperature.
You can also try slicing your loaf and freezing individual slices in a large freezer bag. That way, you can easily grab a slice from the freezer and pop it in the toaster!
If you want a whole loaf warmed for dinner, sprinkle it with a few drops of water and then pop it in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust regains its crunch!
