The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Varnish=Bread forever?

staff of life's picture
staff of life

Varnish=Bread forever?

I have a neighbor who is requesting a basket of varnished bread (for the decorative effect) for his wife for her birthday.  Has anyone ever done this before?  Any tips?  I was thinking about varnishing the top, hollowing out the insides and bottom and letting it dry out.  Will this work?

pmccool's picture
pmccool
mattie405's picture
mattie405

I did this for one of my jobs long ago and it held up for years, they even used to wash the dust off it several times a year and it still held up. I made up a few different shaped loaves and put them in our brisker (large bread box shaped container made to keep things crisp in damp conditions) and let them dry out then coated them with clear polyurethane, they got as hard as bricks after a few days in the brisker. I think I may again do some for here at home and fill a large basket on the counter. Thanks for reminding me! mattie

staff of life's picture
staff of life

Thanks so much for the info, mattie! Do you suppose drying them out in a low oven for several hours would work also?

mattie405's picture
mattie405

I think you could probably dry it in a very low oven so it wouldn't brown but I don't know how long it would take.........I would think several hours. I would let it dry out on the counter for a few days (as long as your area is not as humid as ours here in LA) and then put it in a low oven for an hour or two to make sure it was dry. Let us know how it turns out for you. mattie