How to keep bread fresh for longer

Buy the right bread

If you think a big loaf is going to be too much, buy a smaller one to stop the bread getting stale in the first place. It’s worth knowing that simple yeasted breads go stale and dry quicker than sourdough breads. The fermentation in the sourdough ensures the bread stays fresh for longer. Dark breads with a high proportion of wholegrain also keep fresh for longer than breads simply made with white flour.

Store the bread properly

The right way to store bread is in paper bags and bread bins: fridges and plastic bags aren’t a good home for bread.

Toast it or crisp it up

If the bread isn’t fresh the next day or the day after, individual slices will toast well. Crisping up baguettes is simple: put them in the oven for a few minutes at 150°C. For perfect results, brush the baguette with a little water beforehand.

Slice and freeze

Individual slices of bread freeze well and can then be crisped up to perfection in the toaster at a later point. If you freeze multiple slices, make sure they don’t stick together. You can put a piece of cling film between them, for instance.

What to do with stale bread

Dice stale bread and leave it to dry out. You can later decide whether to fry them until crisp in a pan with a splash of oil or pop the dice in a blender to make breadcrumbs. Remnants of braided bread or sliced bread can be turned into Vogelheu or Fotzelschnitte – classic Swiss takes on French toast. Slices of wholemeal bread or rye bread make excellent grilled cheese sandwiches. Very thin slices of bread dry out well and can be baked in the oven at a later point to make delicate crackers for dips.

Published 29.11.2021, revised 15.10.2024