Purchasing handmade, fresh bread has several advantages over buying a loaf from the supermarket shelves, like improved taste and texture. Artisan bakers take pride in their work, only use quality ingredients, and never include additives, colorings, or preservatives. Here are a few tips to keeping your handmade bread fresher, longer.

Tips for Fresh Bread 

Keep It in the Freezer

Freezing temperatures stop the starch from changing, so the bread won’t go stale as quickly. You can keep a loaf in the freezer up to three months, but be sure to use a thicker freezer bag to prevent it from getting icy. Save the shape of your loaf by ensuring heavy freezer foods, like meats, bags of veggies, or containers of ice cream, aren’t stacked on top of it. You might want to pre-slice the bread to allow yourself the option of thawing only a portion of it at a time.

Protect It From Air Exposure

A loaf of bread will go stale when it’s exposed to air. When you don’t protect a loaf from oxygen, the starches crystallize, and the bread hardens inward from the outside. To keep bread fresh, always find a way to seal it to reduce air exposure. Maintain the bread’s texture by keeping your loaf in a bread box or paper bag or covering it with aluminum or plastic wrap to prevent oxidation.

Backup Plan for Stale Bread

You can still use your bread after it goes stale despite your best efforts. Break up the remainder of the loaf to use in burger patties, toast slices for a breakfast sandwich, or pulse them in the food processor for homemade breadcrumbs. For a sweeter solution, soak the bread in sugar, butter, and cream as a base for bread pudding, or cover slices in butter and egg to make French toast.

If you’re looking for handmade, fresh bread, head to BRUG Bakery in Honolulu, HI. This Japanese bakery offers over 70 baked goods, like raisin bread, sausage rolls, kitaguni focaccia, and melon pan. Their team of skilled bakers never cuts corners and always uses quality ingredients, including imported flour made from Hokkaido wheat. View their products online, or call (808) 945-2200 to speak with a team member about their availability.