Anyone have a "secret method" for storing bread, to retain crust crispness?
Long-term (36+ hours) "freshness" is not the objective. Reheating bread
(turning on the oven) isn't a desired direction (it affects other bread
qualities).
Example: French baguettes baked last night had a thin, crisp and crackly
crust. The bread was glorious! 10 hours later (the next morning)... "crust
crispness" was a long-forgotten child. Didn't even recognize it!
Event sequence: after dinner (the thoroughly cooled bread at room
temperature, an hour+ out of the oven), I wrapped the remaining bread in a
heavy zip-lock bag and left it on the counter. (If left on the counter -
unwrapped - it simply becomes hard, tough and dry).
Zip-lock bag logic: the bread at that point (last night) was crisp and
dry... keeping it within the air-tight plastic bag prevents room humidity
from going back into the bread (I live in Florida, the home well air
conditioned, humidity controlled at 56%). But the zip-lock bag doesn't
work. No next-day crispness. Even 10 hours later. Nada. Zero. Zip.
Anyone with a bright idea on how to store bread to retain crust crispness?
- Ed Okie