If you are looking for the best bread bag, you quickly meet four candidates: a paper bag, a plastic bag, an unwaxed fabric bag and a waxed fabric bag. They look equally innocent on the kitchen worktop, but they treat your bread completely differently. Here is an honest review of all four types, and a clear answer to what works best for you baking at home.
What is a good bread bag actually supposed to do?
A loaf goes downhill in two ways: either it dries out, or it turns damp and goes mouldy. A good bread bag therefore has to solve two tasks at once. It must let out enough moisture that the crust does not go soft from condensation, and at the same time hold back enough moisture that the crumb does not turn hard and crumbly.
That balance is the whole test. All the bag types below can carry a loaf home from the shop, but only one of them masters both tasks over several days.
The paper bag: fine on the way home from the bakery, weak over time
The paper bag from the bakery breathes well, so a piping fresh bakery loaf can happily stay in it for the first day. The problem is that the paper does not hold on to moisture at all. After just a day you notice the bread is drier, and after 2 to 3 days the crumb is hard.
The paper bag, in other words, is a means of transport, not a place for storage. If you want to understand what happens inside the bread as it dries, we have explained the mechanism in the article on why bread goes hard.
The plastic bag: holds the moisture in, but far too well
The plastic bag does the exact opposite of the paper bag. It does not let air through, so the moisture that migrates out of the bread settles as condensation on the inside. The crust turns soft and chewy within a few hours, and in the damp, closed environment mould thrives: the first spots tend to appear after 2 to 3 days.
For the freezer, plastic is perfectly fine, but on the kitchen worktop the plastic bag is the weakest candidate in the whole field. Do read more about why homemade bread goes mouldy if you want to see how fast it actually happens.
The unwaxed fabric bag: a good choice that lets out a lot of moisture
A bag in pure cotton or linen, without wax, is a pleasant reminder of older Norwegian kitchens. The fabric breathes superbly, so condensation and mould are rarely a problem. The bread stays dry and fresh in smell and taste, and the bag copes with a round in the washing machine.
The weakness is that it breathes a little too well. With nothing to slow the moisture loss, the moisture in the crumb quickly migrates out through the fabric, and the bread is noticeably drier after 2 to 3 days. For rolls that get eaten quickly that is perfectly fine, but a big weekend loaf is rarely finished before it has gone dry.
The waxed fabric bag: breathability and moisture regulation in one fabric
The waxed fabric bag starts from exactly the same good fabric, cotton and linen, and adds a thin layer of natural beeswax on the inside. Then something lovely happens: the fabric still breathes, so condensation never gets the chance to build up, while the wax layer slows the drying right down.
The result is exactly the balance a bread bag should deliver: a crisp crust and a moist crumb for 7 to 10 days. The Vokshus Bivoks™ bread bag is one such bag: beeswax-lined cotton and linen that closes with a simple clip and can hang on a hook. When the wax layer one day wears down, the bag can be re-waxed at home with a saucepan and a brush and last for years on end.
How to choose the right bag for your everyday life
If your household finishes the loaf in a day or two, both the paper bag and the unwaxed fabric bag hold up long enough. If you bake less often and want one loaf to last the whole week, the waxed fabric bag is the only option that actually manages it without the freezer.
If you already have a bread bin you are fond of, you do not have to choose: put the bread in the bag and the bag in the bin. We have compared the two solutions thoroughly in the article on bread bin or bread bag.
Conclusion: the waxed fabric bag wins for homemade bread
All four bag types have their place, and none of them are foolish choices. But for you who spend hours on dough, proving and baking, the ranking is clear: the waxed fabric bag first, the unwaxed fabric bag as a good second choice, the paper bag for transport and the first day, and the plastic bag only for the freezer. It is the wax layer that makes the difference between a loaf that lasts through the weekend and a loaf that lasts through the week.
Frequently asked questions
Is an unwaxed fabric bag a bad choice?
No, quite the opposite: cotton and linen breathe well and keep mould away. It just lets the moisture out faster, so the bread dries after 2 to 3 days. If you eat the bread quickly, it works fine.
How long does bread keep in a waxed fabric bag?
Usually 7 to 10 days, depending on the type of bread and the temperature in the kitchen. Sourdough loaves and coarse loaves with a good crust tend to keep the very longest.
Can a waxed bread bag go in the washing machine?
No, machine washing and hot water damage the wax layer. Shake out the crumbs after use and wipe with a cloth dampened in cold water. That is all the care the bag needs day to day.
What about the bread bin I already have?
By all means keep it. Put the bread in the waxed fabric bag and place the bag in the bin: then you get the bag's breathability and crust protection together with the bin's shield against light and knocks.
Test the winner in your own kitchen
The Vokshus Bivoks™ bread bag is sewn from cotton and linen with natural beeswax on the inside, closes with a clip and gives you a crisp crust for 7 to 10 days. With a 365-day money-back guarantee you can safely test it against the bag you use today.
See the bread bag →- 365-day guarantee
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- Crisp crust for 7 to 10 days
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- Can be re-waxed and last for years