What do you Store Your Homemade Bread In?

[Sparklebright]

I have been using the single use plastic grocery bags for storing my homemade bread with some success.
Only it seems to be getting harder and harder to actually get a bag that doesn't seem to have a hole or two in the bottom by the time I get it home.

Have also used a Rubbermaid type container that holds the entire loaf. Put the lid in the dishwasher and it warped...grrrr

For me, plastic bags would be the best. I like that it takes up less space as the loaf gets smaller.

It usually takes us a week or more to eat an entire loaf unless we have something yummy like in-season tomatoes for toasted sammies.

What do you use?

[woodleyparkhound]

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/i...

[Antilope]

I've tried plastic bags, zip lock bags and finally, I got a large Lock & Lock container. The Lock & Lock works best. I place sliced and unsliced bread in the Lock & Lock. Homemade sourdough bread lasts longer than homemade white at room temp. If I make too much bread, I store the extra in the fridge where it keeps for at least a week.

[tzurriz]

My belly? ;)

[Sparklebright]

Lol *ding ding*!!!!
We HAVE a winner!

Best answer yet!!
But I'm STILL going to check my options out at the store.

[sandylc]

I use the plastic-with-twist-ties food storage bags, as well. We eat want we want on the day it's made, then slice the entire loaf, bag it up, and freeze it. We then remove slices from the freezer as needed. Not ideal, but not bad. It keeps us from thinking we have to overeat it in order to not be wasteful. And it's better quality from the freezer than from the store.

[kengk]

I can freeze home baked bread for a month and it's still better than what I can buy here.
If you use your bread mostly for sandwiches consider making rolls instead of loaves. I think they freeze a little better. It helps us with portion control as well.

I use a slightly modified recipe from the Bread Baker's Apprentice.
These twelve rolls equals two standard loaves.

[Sparklebright]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions everyone!

[kengk]

One other suggestion is to look on the King Arthur website. They have or did have a few different sizes of bags.

[kengk]

I use one gallon zip top plastic bags. They last a very long time. I bake about once a week and freeze it and then thaw as needed. Works well for me because I typically bake hamburger bun size rolls and can fit four to six in one bag.

[John Francis]

Plastic bags for me too, but not grocery bags. Now and then I buy things like hot dog rolls or buns at the store, and I save the bags they come in. Stick a new loaf in an old bag as soon as it's cooled to lukewarm, then twist the open end and fold it under (no twist tie). One benefit is that holding in the bread's moisture in an airtight plastic bag will soften the crust, which is usually harder than I want it straight out of the oven. Also prevents any mold bacteria in the air from getting at the bread too quickly.

The bread I bake, usually in sandwich loaves, lasts a lot longer than just a couple of days, though not a full week before some mold appears somewhere on what's left. I cut off a slice thick enough to get rid of the mold and keep the rest, or if I'm ready to bake another loaf, use the rest as croutons or bread crumbs. Or just toss it.

Never yet frozen any bread. If the recipe produces two loaves and I only need one (I live solo), I give the other loaf away to family or a friend, which makes him or her even more friendly.

[tonifi]

In the 'bags and wraps' aisle at the supermarket I have found a box of bags with twist ties that are much less expensive than ziploc style bags, (there are, like, 75 in the box and it is priced near the 25 bag box of zipper-type bags.) I wish I had a better, less throwaway solution, but homemade bread is kind of a bear to store...keeping it out leads to quick staling and even (ick), mold...but putting it in the fridge negates a lot of what is nicest about it. Anybody has better ideas, I'd be happy to hear them. Also, my loaves are round (since that's the dutch oven I use for no-knead) so tradition loaf-shaped storage isn't usually optimal.

[Sparklebright]

Oh that sounds best to me!
They are labelled as food storage bags yes?
Thank you!

[wyogal]

Yes, they are food storage bags. Next to the zips. As I also mentioned in my post. They are cheap, get the gallon size, with twist ties.

[Novelli]

These food storage bags are excellent. I use them to package some of the quick breads I sell. They're cheap and do a wonderful job.

Otherwise, next time you're at a grocery store, hit up the bakery dept for a few paper sleeves.

[wyogal]

I use plastic bags, cheap, store-brand of the type that zips. One can also get cheap ones (gallon size) that uses a twist tie. I don't use the bags I bring home the groceries in for anything other than non-food uses (after I've used them for the grocery), like lining the bathroom garbage can. Or wrapping shoes when packing a suitcase, etc.

[chowser]

Home made bread just can't keep a week. A couple of days is the most I can get out of a loaf. You can bake half the dough and then refrigerate the rest to bake a couple of days later. You could freeze half the loaf but I prefer the bread freshly baked. If you bake bread often, try artisan bread in 5 minutes where you can just pull off some dough and bake when you want.

For a few days, you can use ziplock bags, zip most of it up, use a straw to suck out the air and then seal. It's not air tight but closer.

[chowser]

Oh, this assumes it's sandwich, enriched bread. For crusty bread, I put the cut-side down on a cutting board and leave it like that. The crust protects the bread but then again, only for day or so. I would not freeze crusty bread.

[christy319]

I totally agree--homemade bread is not good after a week. Even that squishy sandwich bread with preservatives isn't great after a week! I too make smaller loaves that my husband and I can finish within a day or two (I refrigerate the rest of the dough--the type I make gets better with refrigeration). Storage IS an issue--there is no great way to do it, IMO. This is another reason why its best to make smaller loaves.