Where to Store Bread: Experts Say Skip the Fridge

Where should you keep your bread? A lively debate about this question recently took place in Reddit's r/Cooking community. The experts at the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, however, are all firmly aligned on the best way to store bread.

According to Good Housekeeping, placing bread in the fridge is a mistake. GH food producer Tina Martinez says that the fridge causes bread to dry out rapidly. GH chief food director Kate Merker agrees, saying bread goes stale faster in the refrigerator.

Why does this happen? Merker explains that the cool temperature speeds up changes in the starch structure that make bread firm and dry.

For bread you plan to eat within a few days, the counter, the pantry, or a bread box all work well. Sliced bread should stay in its original packaging and be sealed tightly between uses.

Artisanal or homemade loaves tend to go stale faster because they typically do not contain preservatives. To keep the crust from drying out, these loaves can be wrapped in beeswax, a clean kitchen towel, or plastic wrap.

If you want to keep bread for longer, Merker says the freezer is the best option. She recommends slicing bread before freezing so that pieces can be pulled out as needed. Frozen bread slices toast well straight from the freezer.

GH recipe editor Susan Choung says freezing is great if the bread will be toasted. GH kitchen analyst Eva Bleyer takes a different approach with whole loaves, using Keli bags to store whole sourdough loaves in the freezer.