Our breads do not contain any artificial preservatives. Using the guidelines listed below will extend their useful life.
How do I store bread?
- Store bread at room temperature.
- If you are going to be using the bread on the day of purchase, place the loaf on a cutting board/flat surface with the cut side facing down on the surface. This will prevent the cut surface from drying.
- Once you have finished using the bread, place it inside a closed/sealed paper bag.
- The crust will stay firm and the interior will remain soft using this technique.
- After 1-2 days, you may choose to transfer the bread to a sealed plastic bag to maximize freshness. At this point the goal is to keep the loaf from drying out. Once you place the loaf in plastic you will notice that the crust will soften – please refer to our suggestions on how to refresh bread.
How long can I store bread?
- Wheat and wheat/rye blended bread can generally be stored for 3-4 days.
- Rye and rye/wheat blended bread can generally be stored at 5-7 days.
- In general, rye/dark breads store better than wheat/light breads. Bread stays fresher longer in spring/fall/winter than summer (due to high heat and humidity).
How do I freeze bread?
- Freezing allows you to considerably extend the life of your bread, especially during the humid summer months. Some of our customers buy a loaf and freeze half of it right away. This is especially useful if you do not plan to eat all of the bread within 2-3 days. Another good alternative to store bread is to get the entire loaf sliced and take out however many slices you are going to be using. Simply place the frozen slices in the toaster and toast to your desired color/crispness.
- Ensure that the bread is completely cool.
- Place bread inside a well sealed plastic bag. Heavy freezer bags work well. Alternatively, you can wrap your bread in plastic and then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn or the built-up of ice crystals which takes place as the bread releases moisture.
- Bread can be frozen in this manner for up to 2 weeks.
How do I thaw bread?
- Thaw frozen bread inside the sealed plastic bag at room temperature to minimize moisture loss.
- Thawing takes approximately 1-2 hours.
- Bread that has been frozen and thawed should not be re-frozen.
- Microwaving is not recommended for thawing bread.
How do I refresh or reheat bread?
- Sprinkle or mist the bread with a little water. You can also rub your wet hands over the loaf of bread to achieve the same effect.
- Place the bread inside a pre-heated oven at approximately 375 – 400 Fahrenheit (175 Celsius).
- Heat the bread for 6-8 minutes or until crusty.
- This technique revitalizes the crust. It is most useful with our wheat and wheat/rye blended breads; they generally have lighter crusts than our rye and rye/wheat blended breads.
- Microwaving is not recommended for refreshing/reheating bread.
Special considerations
- It is generally best not to refrigerate bread.
- However, if your house is very humid (e.g. during the summer without air conditioning), the high humidity will accelerate mildew growth. In this case, refrigeration can be helpful.
- Be aware that this technique will dry out the bread more quickly than storing it at room temperature. It will also soften the crust.
Recommendations and tips
- Sliced bread dries out much faster than whole loaves.
- Only slice as much bread as you plan to serve within a short time frame.
- We recommend that you invest in a good bread knife with a serrated blade, especially for slicing rye breads.
- Bread slicers are also very useful.