The science behind bread preservation in bread boxes

The breadbox is back in fashion again. As people opt more and more for freshly baked bread, even trying their hand at baking bread at home again like the good old times, breadboxes are beginning to appear in more and more kitchens in homes around the world. Since fresh bread spoils far more easily than the factory processed one which is packed with preservatives, you have to take far better care when storing it. A natural instinct would be to just store it in the refrigerator. That however is the worst thing you can do to your loaf.

As soon as a bread loaf starts to cool, the staling process starts. This happens because the starch and moisture contained inside the loaf start rearranging themselves. Water absorbed by the starch during the baking process escapes once the bread has cooled down. As a consequence, the starch reverts to its original state and solid, producing a rock hard chunk of inedible bread after some time.

No one wants to eat stale and moldy bread. This is why a lot of us store it in the refrigerator. But that is really not the best place for your bread. Bread stored in the refrigerator goes stale almost four times as fast as it does at room temperature. This happens through a process called crystallization wherein water is forced out of the cooked starch molecules in the bread and this make the bread more firm in texture thereby losing its soft texture. The cold temperature inside the refrigerator increases the speed at which crystallization occurs and this make the bread go stale faster. Bread that has gone stale from crystallization can be made palatable by heating it but the taste and texture just isn't the same.

Refrigeration may delay the process of mold formation on your bread, but you have to be really careful not to let even a small amount of moisture get trapped in the box or plastic cover which holds the bread. In fact constantly removing the plastic bag from a cool temperature to room temperature and then putting it back again can allow moisture to condense, promoting the formation of mold. Here you end up accelerating mold formation instead of delaying it.

Bread needs to breathe for its crust to stay crisp, and in a plastic bag with no ventilation it will suffocate when you put it in the refrigerator. Plastic bags also accelerate spoilage by retaining moisture in. This also softens the crust which should ideally be crisp. A paper bag is better than plastic but in a paper bag kept on the counter, it is bound to dry out in a day or two.

A breadbox, a container with an opening that's not airtight provides the ideal environment, by way of optimum humidity, air circulation and temperature, to facilitate for bread storage and preservation.

Humidity is important in a breadbox because it helps maintain the texture of the bread. Bread boxes are not airtight so they retain the requisite amount of humidity caused by the moisture in the bread. This keeps the bread sufficiently moist and fresh.

Too much moisture can turn the bread soggy. Air circulation is important for preventing excessive humidity. Just the right amount of humidity and air circulation create the perfect conditions to keep the crust crisp and the inside of the bread moist.

Excessive light can also lead to premature degeneration of your bread by making your bread sweat. Your bread box protects your loaf from light by providing a dark dry space for storage.

If you're baking bread at home, make sure you don't wrap freshly-baked bread as soon as it's out of the oven. Let the bread cool first, then store it. Heat trapped inside the wrapper produces condensation and this can make your loaf soggy. When you store bread in the breadbox, don't stuff it too much. A box with just a little bread will have lower humidity, and this helps maintain crispness better.

Storing bread in a bread box which provides sufficient moisture, adequately ventilation, optimum temperature and protection from light, lengthens the lifespan of your loaf of bread, keeping it fresh and tasty for much longer.