Bread storage

How to store bread: what works, and what ruins it

Bread goes bad for two reasons: it loses moisture and turns hard, or it keeps too much and moulds. The bag decides which one happens.

Short answer

Bread keeps best at room temperature in something that breathes. Plastic traps the moisture and causes mould. Paper lets out too much and dries the bread. A beeswax bag lets a little moisture out and keeps the rest, and the bread stays good for 7 to 10 days.

The five most common ways

Method	What happens	Keeps
Plastic bag	Moisture is trapped and settles as condensation inside. The crust goes soft and mould arrives early.	2 to 4 days
Fridge	Cold makes the starch retract faster than at room temperature. The bread hardens sooner, not later.	Worse than the counter
Paper bag	Lets out nearly all the moisture. The crust stays crisp, but the crumb turns dry and crumbles.	1 to 2 days
Freezer	Stops the process entirely, and is the right call for bread you will not eat this week. Needs thawing, and the crust is rarely fully crisp again.	Months
Beeswax bag	Breathes with the bread. A little moisture leaves so the crust holds, the rest stays so the crumb stays soft.	7 to 10 days

Why beeswax makes the difference

Air

The beeswax breathes with the bread, a little moisture escapes, so the crust stays crisp.

Moisture

Naturally moisture-regulating, the crumb stays soft, not dry.

Mould

Beeswax counteracts mould by preventing condensation, which is what ruins bread in a plastic bag.

How to care for the bag

Rinse in cold water with mild soap. Never hot water, above 40 degrees melts the beeswax.
Air dry the bag completely before using it again.
When the wax thins after a year or more, re-wax the bag with a beeswax block instead of buying a new one.