Does your bread seem to get moldy just a few days after you buy it? Are you not sure whether to throw it in the freezer, refrigerator, bread box or even microwave? Does it seem to you that everyone you know keeps their bread in a different place? Believe it or not, there are actually many different ways to store or keep store-bought bread, and some ways really do work better than others.

Things You'll Need

Store your bread at room temperature. Find a cool, dry place to store it, and keep it away from the hot sun or a window. Keep it away from cold areas as well, including the refrigerator. A bread box or cupboard works well, unless you live in a very humid climate, as a bread box will trap humidity.

Leave store-bought bread in the plastic bag it came with. Store-bought bread is made with preservatives that resist mold growth, so although some moisture may collect in the bag, it should not grow mold if eaten within a 3 to 4 days.

Store it in the refrigerator. Usually, this leads to stale bread and is not generally recommended, but if you live in a very humid climate, you can do this to reduce mold growth, as long as you first wrap the bread tightly in at least two plastic bags.

Place it in a paper bag. Placing bread in a paper bag makes the crust harder, so if you like crispier crust, this is a good method by which to store bread.

Freeze the bread. If you are not going to eat the bread within 3 or 4 days, wrap it in foil or a freezer bag, and place it in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature when you are ready to eat it, but do not try to re-freeze the bread.

References and Resources

Bread recipes at