One essential item to always have enough of in your food supply is sliced bread. It serves as the foundation for countless quick meals, lunchtime fixes, and late-night snacks. Sliced bread is a grocery staple that you may not know you need until the moment arises, but when it does, the last thing you want is to discover mold has taken over your loaf before you have. Watching your beloved white bread, along with your plans for a quick PB&J snack, go to waste due to mold is a nightmare.
To prevent this fate from befalling your favorite white bread, the key lies in how and where you store it. The debate over whether to use a bread box, keep it on the kitchen counter, or store it in the fridge alongside the eggs can be confusing. So, to settle the matter, we consulted with Wonder Bread, a renowned brand synonymous with white bread, to learn the optimal way to store sliced bread and avoid any mold-related disasters in the future.
The secret to keeping sliced bread mold-free revolves around storing it in a cool, dry place, such as a bread box or pantry, with a properly sealed bag, according to Haley Benson, Wonder Bread’s Senior Bakery Scientist. The soft and moist nature of white bread makes it a breeding ground for mold, so shielding it from external air, heat, and moisture is essential for long-lasting freshness.
Contrary to popular belief, transferring the bread to a zip-top bag or airtight container isn’t necessary for proper sealing, as the original Wonder bag is designed to maintain quality and freshness. A bread box is highly recommended as it provides a controlled, dark, and dry environment that preserves freshness by shielding the bread from added humidity or spills that can occur on a kitchen counter.
While store-bought white bread typically contains preservatives that extend its shelf life compared to homemade or artisanal loaves, it’s advised to consume a bag of sliced white bread within five to seven days when stored in a cool, dry place. If the loaf won’t be finished within a week, freezing is a viable option to maintain its quality for several months, as refrigeration can dry out the bread and hasten staleness due to moisture migration.
In summary, for optimal bread storage, keeping it in a bread box or pantry in its original sealed bag is the way to go to enjoy fresh, mold-free sliced bread for an extended period.
“It should be stored in an airtight container. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw or toast the bread, and it will be fresh once again. Benson warned, ‘However, do not refreeze after thawing.'”
“Whether you consume a bag of white bread in a week or take several weeks to finish a loaf, Wonder Bread advises following their time-tested recommendation to prevent moldy bread. For more information, please refer to the original article on ALLRECIPES.”
