Don't Make This Mistake: The Surprising Reason Why You Shouldn't Store Your Bread in a Plastic Bag (2024)

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Don't Make This Mistake: The Surprising Reason Why You Shouldn't Store Your Bread in a Plastic Bag? ›

Plastic bags trap moisture, which can cause the bread to become soggy and lose its texture. Plastic bags can cause the bread to spoil faster: Storing bread in a plastic bag can help it spoil faster due to the lack of air circulation.

Store in paper, never plastic

While storing in plastic seems like the right idea, this actually encourages mold growth, resulting in the bread going bad much faster. I also save the heels of my bread and use them as covers for the cut side of my loaf.

People are often advised to store freshly baked bread in plastic to inhibit it from going stale. In the short term, this is effective at keeping bread soft, but eventually it can promote mold growth by preventing air circulation and creating a humid environment inside the bag.

For example, sandwich bread does well when stored in a plastic bag; it locks in moisture which keeps the crust soft. But too much moisture will create mold, so I've found it's best not to keep the bag airtight. Loosely twist the end to close.

Storing your bread in a linen bag leaves you with bread that stays fresher longer. Unlike plastic, which turns bread tough and soggy, linen lets the bread breathe. This means, your crust is still crisp and the inside of the loaf stays soft and fluffy.

Plastic bags can affect the flavor of the bread: Baked goods can absorb the taste and smell of plastic. This can greatly affect its flavor. This is especially true if the bread is stored in the plastic bag for an extended period of time.

Just put it in the box and close the lid! If the bread came in a plastic sleeve, remove it. Plastic interferes with air circulation and encourages mold to grow.

It should take around 7-10 days before you will be able to see significant growth on the bread. You could see growth as soon as 5 days depending on the type of bread you used. Remember, fresh bread will mold faster than store-bought bread containing preservatives.

Avoid enclosing them in airtight containers or plastic bags, as these can trap humidity and promote mould formation.

Freezing bread greatly slows down the staling, or retrogradation, process and eliminates the risk of mold growth. And when you take bread out of the freezer you can put it right into the oven or toaster—which actually re-gelatinizes the starches and makes the bread springy and chewy again.

Why is bread packaged in plastic? ›

This is where the packaging decisions become clearer: Firstly, plastic is perfect for keeping loaves from expiring because it effectively keeps the environment as air-tight as possible; secondly, this prevents the bread from then turning stale and mouldy.

The invention of sliced bread in 1928 ensured the need for specific packaging to keep bread fresh for as long as possible. Moisture-proof waxed wrappers provided the best solution before plastic wrappers were introduced. The first folding cartons were developed in the mid nineteenth-century in America.

Buy from the baker!

Most bread you'll find on the supermarket shelves will be packaged in plastic, because it was made many miles away and shipped to the store in those plastic bags for safety and freshness. But if you buy your bread directly from a bakery, chances are they will be displayed fresh on the shelf.

If your bread comes in a paper bag, you're better off swapping it out for a zip top plastic bag or a reusable option. If storing at room temperature, make sure your bread is in a cool part of your kitchen. Heat makes bread dry out faster. And if you're using a sealed plastic bag, it'll cause your bread to get moldy.

100% paper bags are porous so the bread inside goes stale and/or mouldy faster giving the consumer a shorter time to eat the product and therefore a greater chance that food waste will increase. To offset this, some paper bread bags are actually lined to reduce moisture loss.

Here are some more ideas for how to reuse your plastic bread bag: Pack lunches and snacks. Reuse for picnics and road trips. Use as a glove for greasing pans.

Well, there's a reason bread is sold in brown paper bags at your local bakery. Unlike plastic, paper bags allow the bread to stay dry while still remaining firm and crusty. Even though fresh bread is best eaten within two to three days, you can keep it from molding sooner if you store it in a paper bag.

Both paper and plastic bread bags are a common sight in places like bakeries, supermarkets🏪, cafes, and many more. Paper bread bags are typically used to package freshly baked goods or sandwiches for customers to take away, while plastic bread bags are more commonly used for storing bread to keep it fresh for longer.

After three days, you might observe that the bread has become moldy, with visible spots of mold growth on its surface. The mold you see on the bread is caused by fungi, specifically mold spores that are present in the air.

For best results, we recommend wrapping your bread in plastic wrap or foil, then placing it in a self-sealing freezer bag. Ensure the bread is completely cooled before wrapping it in plastic wrap. But be wary of long-term freezer storage.