Goalbeginnerdraft
Fresh for longer
Also searched as: keeping fresh, preventing staleness, keeping bread fresh
In short: Bread stays fresh longer when the starch firms up more slowly and the bread does not go mouldy.
Picture it
Like a clock you can slow down: acid, water and the right storage put the brakes on.
What Fresh for longer means
Stale means the starch has reorganised. More water in the dough, acid from sourdough, fat and proper storage slow this down.
What happens
breads and breads with a lot of water stay fresh noticeably longer. In the fridge the starch firms up faster; in the freezer it holds still.
Rules of thumb
- Bread bin or cloth rather than the fridge.
- Whatever will not be eaten within two days: slice and freeze it.
- Store bread cut side down.
In practice
1
Bread
A scald or cooked flour paste (tangzhong) in the dough binds extra water and keeps the crumb soft for longer.
Related entries
Sources · 2
- Today I Found Out: Bread goes stale faster in the refrigerator
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Brot, Getreide