Don’t we all love bread? But have you noticed how difficult it can be to eat a whole loaf before the whole thing turns into a brick — totally stale and inedible? No matter how conscientious and diligent I was, I still ended up throwing away at least a few slices. That fuzzy green mold was quicker than I was!


This was a common scenario, that is, until I discovered a better way to store my bread. I’m speaking of keeping it in the freezer. In the off-chance that some of you aren’t familiar with this approach, let me elaborate.

First, the entire idea does seem counterintuitive, right? After all, the goal is to preserve the bread’s freshness for as long as possible. But after visiting with lead bakers at my favorite bakeries in our area, I was convinced. Each one affirmed the freezer method.


In fact, one baker said, "Yes, please freeze it. There’s absolutely no better option for bread storage." Then she went on to explain why this is so.

The reasoning, it turns out, lies in water content. Bread gets stale because the water in the loaf evaporates, so the key is in keeping the water from leaving the loaf. Leaving it on your counter or in your pantry in a plastic bag is a fine way to keep it—freshness lingers. BUT, this is also a perfect atmosphere for mold to grow. That's because the water is still evaporating into the air in the bag and it has nowhere to go. This process creates a damp environment that allows mold to flourish. Boo and hiss.

With that said, then, you’d tend to assume putting your bread in the refrigerator is the answer. Nope. While doing so will prevent mold, it doesn’t ensure freshness. Fridges work by cooling and drying out the air inside, so bread will actually turn stale, and quickly, if you store it in the fridge.


By putting bread in the freezer, you’re stopping time in a way. Mold can’t grow in freezing temperatures, and the moisture in the loaf can't going anywhere.

The bakers I talked to all said you want to store it in the freezer already sliced (you definitely don't want to try to slice a frozen loaf of bread), and then tucked securely in a plastic bag. This way you can just remove the slices you need. And if you want toast, you can even place the bread directly into the toaster from the freezer—no need to wait for it to thaw. And it won't add more than about 30 seconds or so to your toast time.


As I thought about this advice it occurred to me that for us at our house, the smart thing to do would be to divide my loaf in half before freezing. So now I keep half on my counter and the other half is patiently waiting for us in the freezer. I’ve beaten that mangy mold at its own game, and have fresh bread at the same time. And besides that, there's no better feeling than thinking I've run out of bread for my morning toast, only to realize my freezer is fully stocked with perfectly fresh slices!