Submitted by Bad Cook on January 27, 2009 - 9:43am

Storing No Knead Bread?

I have been practicing on NKB for a while now, and I think I have it down.  But the bread just doesn't last long enough....and the crunchy crust doesn't last long at all.  I've read to store it in a paper bag, but it gets really dry and stale-tasting like that (even just the next day).  What is the best way to store and re-serve NKB?  I've also read that putting it back in the oven for a few mintue crisps it right back up, but I haven't found this to be the case.  What am I doing wrong?  Hope you all give me some good ideas!

Filed under:

It's not you

It's the nature of the beast, BC.  Bread goes stale, especially home baked bread which hasn't been pumped full of chemicals to give it a six-month shelf life! (Yettch and ugh).

Some people will place the loaf crumb side down on the counter, uncovered.  When I try that, mine always fall over because my counters are busy places.

Storing bread in a paper bag will dry it out.  It will keep longer in a plastic bag, but the crust will soften.

Directions for reheating are to mist the loaf with water and place it in a preheated 450F oven for five to ten minutes.  If you haven't tried misting before reheating, I hope that will work for you.

 

 

 

 

user icon

freshening bread

I have always had luck with putting bread inside a paper bag - in a cold oven then turned on at 325 F.  I keep  it in their around 10 minutes, while serving dinner, then take it out to slice.  It has a perfectly crusty texture with soft crumb.  Everyone I have told about this method loves it.

crumb side down

Is the best way to store it, I find. That and if you have more than one loaf around, just leave one un-cut. I had a loaf of pain de campagne from BBA, un-cut on the counter for about 4 days before I cut it for the first time. It wasn't the best ever, but it was not stale.

Bad Cook - I'm glad to see that you're jumping into bread! NKB is what brought me in. I thought I couldn't bake anything, and now, in my crappy oven, I make great tasting bread consistently. Just stick with it.

Matt

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.