How to store sourdough bread

Part of sourdough's magic is its shelf stability and long-last freshness after it's pulled from the oven. So once you've baked or bought a loaf of sourdough, you can maximize its freshness with these storage techniques.

Up to 2 days: On the counter. 

Sourdough's natural acidity prevents staling and molding far better than yeasted breads. You can store sourdough on your counter or cutting board for up to two days after first slicing into it. A good tactic, both for ease of slicing and storage, is to cut your loaf in half, and then cut slices out of each half rather than from the whole cumbersome loaf.

Then, once you're done sawing off a piece, simply turn the loaf cut-side down on your cutting board or counter surface. This prevents the exposed side from going stale and keeps the thick outer crust from softening.

Up to 5 days: Under a bowl

I came across this method a few years back, and was tickled by its ingenuity. This is basically a makeshift breadbox, fashioned out of a much more accessible bowl. It does minimize airflow to your bread, which can soften the crust. But it's a better storage method than a plastic bag, which traps far more heat and moisture, or longterm open-air exposure, which can harden up your bread far too much to pleasantly gnaw through.

This method works best with a half loaf, again stored with its cut-side down to your counter or cutting board. Simply cover it back up with the bowl every time you slice off a hunk.

Up to 5 days: In a bag or breadbox

Paper or cloth bags are more breathable alternatives to plastic. You could even wrap your bread in foil, a tea towel, or beeswax wraps. And while plastic bags aren't usually a good way to store your bread, they may come in handy in certain drier climates, where you need to retain as much moisture as you can. But in D.C., and especially during D.C. summers, plastic often traps too much humidity.

​​Bread boxes can be very handy if you're an everyday bread eater with plenty of counter space. They come in endless different sizes and materials, and can store multiple whole or half loaves.

Up to 3 months: In the freezer

My favorite way to store excess bread is to slice it up and store it in the freezer. You can either wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil or put it in a plastic bag; just make sure there's no exposed bread and no excess air in the bag, in order to prevent freezer burn and discoloration. Then, you can just pop a slice in the toaster in the morning when you're out of fresh bread.

You can also store whole, unsliced loaves in the freezer. Again, make sure the wrapping is airtight. When you want to thaw your bread, you can move it to the fridge or counter to defrost completely, spritz with water, and rebake in your oven at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. This refreshes and re-firms the loaf.

Bread storage don'ts

• Don't pre-slice your bread if you're going to leave it on the counter or in your bread box. That exposes more of its soft interior to air, and hastens the drying and staling processes.
• Don't store your bread in the fridge. This may seem like it would keep your bread fresh longer, but it actually speeds up the staling process. The dry, cold environment sucks the moisture out of the bread's starches and starts their recrystallization, which hardens the bread.
• Don't thaw and then refreeze your bread. Bread that has been frozen should be reheated and eaten immediately, for best taste and texture.
• Don't treat sweetened or enriched breads the same way you do lean, traditional sourdough loaves. If you have a bread like challah, babka, or brioche, you want to encourage more moisture to stay in the bread, so plastic wrappings are actually ideal. Also, these breads will go stale or moldy more quickly than lean sourdoughs.

Saving stale bread
There will come a day when, despite your best efforts, you leave a loaf out too long. But there are still many alternatives to the garbage bin or the compost heap. Bread crumbs, garlic bread, croutons, crisps, French toast, and bread pudding are all excellent projects for stale sourdough.