How To Preserve Bread Made In A Bread Maker

While bread made in a bread maker is free of artificial preservatives, making it a fresher and more healthy choice than store-bought bread, it also means it will become moldy and stale much more quickly. To preserve the freshness of your homemade bread, you must use proper storage methods to prevent spoilage, keeping the bread free of excess moisture. These methods depend on how long you plan to store the bread before eating it and on the type of bread you are storing.

Short-Term Storage

After baking, your bread begins to lose moisture in a process known as starch retrogradation, which results in hard, stale bread after 24 to 48 hours. To prevent your bread from becoming stale, while keeping its texture intact, keep the bread at room temperature in a bread box. These storage containers allow air to circulate around the bread, keeping the crust crisp while preventing moisture loss from the inside of the bread, usually for up to three to four days. You can find bread boxes or special bread storage bags in home supply stores. For breads containing seeds or nuts, store these in a refrigerator to prevent the formation of mold and preserve their freshness, recommends author Lauren Chattman in "Bread Making: A Home Course: Crafting the Perfect Loaf, From Crust to Crumb."

Long-Term Storage

If you do not plan to consume your bread in the days after you bake it in your bread maker, storing in the freezer will keep it fresh for up to two weeks, preventing the growth of mold and stopping starch retrogradation. After baking, allow the bread to completely cool for up to two hours, then cover it in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer. Defrost the bread for a few hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator; reheat it for five minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven before serving, according to Chattman.

Additives

According to the "Handbook of Food Science, Technology and Engineering, Volume 4" the addition of a sourdough to homemade wheat and rye bread increased its shelf life by three to four days. The sourdough slowed the growth of mold on the bread and kept the bread from drying out. To make a sourdough starter, mix one 1/4-ounce packet of yeast, 1/8 teaspoon of sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Add the liquid to 1 1/2 cups of white rice flour, stir and put the mixture aside for up to one hour, until it bubbles, according to the Enabling Support Foundation website. Store this in the refrigerator and add a small amount to your dough when making it in the bread maker. One teaspoon of vinegar or liquid lecithin, a supplement found in health food stores, added to the dough may also increase the bread's shelf life, recommends the Enabling Support Foundation website.

Considerations

Place your bread box in a cool, dry location, never near a sink or other source of moisture that can encourage the growth of mold on the bread. While storing bread in the refrigerator will prevent it from molding for a longer period of time than leaving it at room temperature in a bread box, it will dry out the bread, making it stale. Certain essential oils, such as cinnamon, garlic, clove and mustard seed oil, when added to the dough or to the bread's wrapping, may help to preserve the bread, according to a September 2000 study published in the "International Journal of Food Microbiology." These oils will affect the taste of the bread and may not be suitable for all bread recipes.