January 27, 2009 - 8:43am
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!
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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.
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.
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