June 28, 2020 - 12:28am
keeping sourdough fresh
im guessing we all have the same problem, loaves generally lasting 1 day before the crumb starts to go harder and 2 days before its pretty much stale? unless you have a family that gets through a loaf a day maybe?
and yes i get that its because its more natural, no preservatives etc. ive looked online and read that you should cover the loaf in a teatowel rather than plastic, but whatever i do i cant make it last any longer. i end up slicing and freezing most of a loaf. that has the knock on effect of not needing any new bakes for a while, so my starter maybe deteriorates through lack of use.
and yes, i know the answer is to eat more bread :D
does anyone have any good tips/advice on making your loaves stay fresher for longer?
thanks
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I typically make 2 loaves on either Saturday or Sunday. One loaf I give away, the other one is eaten by me and the family for toast and sandwiches. I typically finish my bake around 4/5p, and the loaves hit the cooling rack until the following morning. The loaf that we are going to eat goes on the cutting board, and after the first slice(s) come off, I just stand it on end on the board. I do this through the next day. At night on that day, it goes into plastic. This has the effect of capturing the remaining moisture in the loaf that would normally evaporate and continue to harden the crust. Doing this keeps the loaf sliceable for the next 3 days that it takes us to finish it (on average), and the crust comes back to a decent, crispy state in the toaster. It's not perfect, but it works for us. Anytime we can't eat the whole loaf before it gets too tough, I make croutons or bread crumbs out of it.
Using this method, I get 5-6 days out of a loaf, and, while it changes some from the first slice (of course), I love it all the way through.
YMMV.
Rich
These salad bins repurposed have been working well for me.
thanks both, very interesting.
i assume the salad boxes do just the same as wrapping in Rich's plastic, or a normal bread bag from the supermarket then yes?
ill try that next loaf, thank you.