Bread. Tips for storing, freezing and roasting

Bread. Everything you need to store or save, freeze or toast.

Bread is the most basic food that exists since time is time and also one of the most delicious to eat in any corner of the planet.

Water, flour and salt (sometimes yeast ) is all that is needed for the miracle to shape this great bite that has accompanied us for centuries and that feeds so many mouths every day.

In many houses a day without bread is not conceivable and the daily walk to the bakery on duty is a must-do task that guarantees us fresh bread every day on the table.

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This is what happened in my family and this is how I would like it to continue happening, but my routine is very different from what it was years ago and I cannot always go out and buy it whenever I want.

As this is something that I have very assumed, I organize myself by storing the bread in the best possible way so that it remains in good condition and you can enjoy it as if it were freshly baked.

Also, today’s breads are not what they were before . At least that’s what the grandmothers tell us, that surely you have heard it on some occasion.

Formerly the bread lasted for several days, a loaf was bought on Sunday and it was kept in good condition until midweek without the need to do anything to obtain it.

Why does the bread get tough?

It is not that they were other times, rather it was other breads . Today, bread is quickly hardened . So much so that sometimes we buy it first thing in the morning and by dinner it is already dry.

The industrialization of the bread making process, the frozen doughs, the abuse in the use of yeasts , the reduction in fermentation and baking times are the reason why today’s bread is not like the one of yesteryear.

We can make homemade bread , look for an artisan bakery or continue buying the common loaf of bread . Be that as it may, if we do not consume the bread at its optimum moment it will dry up at some point and this is something that gives a lot, but a lot, rage.

The hardening of the bread is caused by the loss of moisture in the starch molecules. When they lose the water inside, they degrade so much that they return to the hard, dry bread.

How to store bread

Stopping the aging of bread is an impossible mission , but lengthening its status is at our fingertips if we know how to store the bread in conditions and apply the following tips.

1. Buy good bread . As mentioned above, quality, natural and artisan bread supports better the passage of time than poor quality bread.
2. Use a cloth or paper bag . Bread hardens on contact with air and softens in a humid environment.
3. To prevent the air from drying out the bread, it is best to keep it wrapped in a cloth bag , preferably linen or cotton, which are fabrics that allow the bread to breathe while protecting it from the air. If we don’t have a cloth bag, we can also use a paper bag to wrap the bread.
4. The use of plastic. Avoid using the plastic because it accelerates the appearance of molds unless we are going to consume the bread in the following 12 hours. For example, the next day for breakfast.
5. If we toast it, the result is very pleasant since the crust becomes crisp due to the heat and the interior is soft and fluffy. Of course, you have to eat it hot because it hardens quickly.
6. Let the bread cool before putting it away. At home we often make muffins very often , but I make a lot, so I only have tips on my sleeve to make us last as long as possible.
7. If we buy freshly baked bread, we leave it in the air until it has completely cooled down and only then do we store it . If we keep it hot, the heat will generate steam that will moisten the crust and the bread will become chewy.
8. The deterioration of the bread is proportional to its size . The more crust surface a bread has, the faster it will dry. So a loaf of bread lasts less than a loaf.
9. The ideal temperature for preserving bread and that it last us as long as possible without drying is room temperature . Neither cold nor heat. Putting the bread in the fridge only accelerates its decomposition, except for the sliced ​​bread, so it is better to leave it in a bread basket, in a cool and dry place.
10. And if you want to take advantage of the bread to make breadcrumbs or panko , you just have to follow the advice we give in the homemade panko post .

How to Freeze and Thaw Bread

If we do not want or can store the bread that we have left over from the day, we can always freeze it as it supports freezing very well. To do it correctly there are also a number of tricks and recommendations.

1. Wrap the bread in a tightly closed plastic bag or in aluminum foil. Whole, chopped or sliced ​​according to the needs of each one, always bearing in mind that once defrosted we will not be able to freeze it again.
2. If we freeze bread regularly and it accumulates in the freezer, it is advisable to indicate the freezing date on the packaging and consume the one that we have frozen first.
3. When defrosting the bread, we unwrap it and leave it in the air. It does not take long to recover the temperature, especially if it is a small piece. Better avoid the microwave (which can leave it rubbery) although we are in a hurry we can put it for a few seconds wrapped in kitchen paper and then let it rest before removing the paper.
4. If, despite knowing all these tips and tricks to extend the life of the bread through proper storage and / or frozen, the time has passed and the bread has remained hard, we can always slightly moisten the crust and bake it for a few minutes. 70ºC to regenerate it.
5. Then cut it into thin slices and dry it in the oven at low temperature until you get crispbread or grate it and use it for breading, gratin and other elaborations.

I hope it has helped you with all these tips so that you always have fresh bread at home.

Do you know any other trick?

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