Karen writes:
From: kwheless@peachnet.campus.mci.net (Karen Lynn Wheless)
Subject: Keeping Bread Fresh
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 00:54:02 -0400
Is there a good way to keep bread fresh longer? I bake as small a loaf as
I can, but I usually lose three or four slices per loaf to mold, especially
in the summer (in Georgia, that's half the year). Is there some kind of
preservative you can add to the bread to keep it from molding? Or, is
there a way to keep bread in the refrigerator without it getting soggy? or
heating up bread from the freezer relatively quickly without getting soggy
or burnt bread?
When fresh bread has cooled completely, slice into two-day chunks, put each
chunk into a Ziplock baggie, and freeze.
To warm a frozen chunk, leave it in the sealed baggie, and either stand it
on edge on the counter (or better, on a rack) for an hour or two, or
microwave on very low power for a very short time (your microwave may vary
from my weak one -- I use half power for maybe 20 seconds) until the bread
is slightly warm on the outside though still frozen inside. Now let it sit
out, still in the baggie, for five or 10 minutes until it is completely
thawed and any condensation inside the baggie has been absorbed.
The crust will be soft but the bread should otherwise be like-new fresh. I
do this all the time; the bread keeps in the freezer for weeks.
- susan