Beeswax Block

Beeswax block: give your bread bag a new wax layer

The beeswax coating is what does the work in the bread bag: it lets the bread breathe, keeps the crust crisp and the crumb soft. After 6 to 9 months of regular use the coating starts to thin. The fabric looks matt and dry along the fold lines, water soaks in instead of beading, and the faint honey scent is gone. The bag is not worn out, it simply needs new wax.

The block is pure beeswax with nothing added. One thin new layer restores almost all of the bag's function, and the whole job takes about fifteen minutes.

How to re-wax the bag

1. Make sure the bag is clean and completely dry.
2. Bring water to the boil in a pan and set a heatproof bowl on top, so the bowl sits in a water bath.
3. Grate wax from the block and melt it in the bowl. Beeswax turns liquid at around 62 to 65 degrees.
4. Lay the bag flat and brush on a thin, even layer with a clean brush.
5. Give a little extra where the bag is most worn, along the fold lines and around the opening.
6. Hang the bag to cool. The wax sets within a minute.

Use slightly too little wax rather than too much, you can always repeat. A pan and a brush is the only method we recommend for the bag: other heat is hard to control, and the wax melts out of the fabric as readily as into it. The full method, step by step, is in the guide on renewing the beeswax bread bag.

Why it is worth it

• Pure beeswax, nothing added
• Renews the coating and strengthens the protection against moisture
• Naturally antibacterial and moisture regulating, as beeswax is
• Keeps the bag going year after year instead of buying a new one

From 12 to 18 months of use, one or two re-waxings a year is usually enough.

Note: the block and brush belong to the bread bag. Beeswax wraps are renewed a different way, in the oven on low heat, see the guide on renewing beeswax wraps in the oven.