How to Store Sourdough Bread?

Imagine buying your staple loaf with your favourite flavours, only to watch it go stale the next morning due to improper storage. Worse yet, if you are a food service business – watching your bread go mould and being unable to serve your routine morning customers is a challenge you do not want to face.

While the common practice is to store your bread in the fridge or a plastic bag, there are several other ways to keep it fresh and make the most out of each loaf.

At Novak’s Bakery, we are the breadmaker’s fantasy and the bread lover’s delight – offering artisan sourdough bread handmade fresh every day using quality ingredients. We are here to help you preserve our luscious loaves to perfection so you and your family can enjoy edible artistry for many days without compromising on taste, texture, or quality.

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is naturally leavened bread that doesn’t use commercial yeast to rise. It is also handmade & healthy, features missing in the commercial bread you find at your average supermarket store. Preparation-wise, it uses fermented flour and water mixture to rise. This combination contains wild yeast and good bacteria, which are friendly for your gut. Taste-wise, it produces a tangy flavour with a chewy texture. Health-wise, sourdough bread improves digestion and is 100% natural, free from artificial preservatives or additives.

How Long Does Sourdough Bread Last?

Handmade sourdough bread does not have the same shelf life as store-bought bread. The presence of preservatives in commercial bread makes it last longer – one of the principal reasons why sourdough is considered a healthier option. However, this doesn’t mean your sourdough loaf won’t be edible for much longer.

That is because sourdough contains lactic acid, which is considered good bacteria. Even our body produces lactic acid to break down carbs, which is why sourdough bread is beneficial for your digestive system. Lactic acid lowers the pH level in the bread, preventing food-borne pathogens from growing and keeping your loaf edible for much longer.

With proper storage, this natural preservation keeps your bread fresh for up to 7 days, though it is at its freshest around 1-3 days. Thus, the sooner you consume your bread, the better.

However, if you want to store sourdough longer than that, worry not – here’s how you can store sourdough fresh for weeks or even months without degrading its quality or taste.

The Best Ways to Store Sourdough Bread

If you aren’t familiar with sourdough bread, storage may be an afterthought for you. Perhaps you are storing sourdough bread the same way as normal supermarket bread. This is a bad idea – sourdough bread isn’t the same as mass-produced commercial bread.

The natural acids in sourdough discourage bacteria from taking hold, which means it can prevent mould growth and withstand the test of time better than normal yeasted bread. With this in mind, let’s get down to the best ways of storing sourdough bread:

• Store in a Cotton Bread Bag

Ever noticed and wondered why supermarket bread is stored in paper rather than a plastic bag? This is because plastic may encourage bacteria if stored in a warm environment. The best way to store bread is in a cotton brown bag to let the loaf breathe. Next, leave your bread in a cool place so it can retain normal moisture levels that keep bacteria and mould at bay.

However, remember that storing your sourdough in the fridge isn’t ideal. This is because your fridge is a dry environment that will eliminate all moisture and make your bread harden faster.

• Store Unwrapped & Unsliced on the Kitchen Counter

Unlike commercial bread, sourdough doesn’t contain any preservatives to make it last longer. So, unless you have sliced your loaf, you can store it at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you are sure to consume your bread in a day, you can store your sourdough unwrapped. Remember, it will start going stale if you slice into it. In case you do, make sure to wrap it up after that.

• Store in a Brown Paper Bag

If you have been buying sourdough at your local bakery, you may have noticed they are wrapped in paper. This is because paper bags are amongst the best & most convenient mediums to store sourdough bread, as they allow sourdough to breathe and prevent moisture from escaping. Just make sure your loaf is at room temperature.

• Store in a Microwave

If you don’t have one of those traditional bread boxes, the next best place to store your sourdough is the microwave. Microwaves are viable options to store your bread as they act like air-tight containers with automatic temperature control. This prevents your loaf from going stale and mouldy. The only precaution you must take is not to switch on the microwave by accident.

• Store Sliced Loaf in the Freezer

If you have sliced your loaf or once it has cooled down completely, double wrap it in a cling wrap and then again in aluminium foil. This double wrapping will prevent dryness from penetrating your loaf and making it hard. You can store your loaf in this way in the freezer for six months and re-bake it for a fresh culinary experience.

How to Re-Bake Your Sourdough?

Re-baking a sourdough loaf is more than reheating it in your oven. While we recommend consuming your loaf fresh within 2–6 hours, not all of us have the luxury to finish the loaf within that time. In this case, re-baking your sourdough when you are ready to consume it is the best option to enjoy that tangy goodness fresh again.

Remember that re-baking your sourdough is almost like baking it from scratch – it will take the same amount of time as it did initially, only at a lower temperature. You need to follow the whole process again, including giving your loaf the time to cool down. This is because the starch in your bread reverts to its original state and is less digestible when reheated until it cools down completely. So, once you have re-baked your bread, give it a couple of hours to cool down before serving it.

Additional Tips to Keep Your Bread Fresh

• Let your bread cool off for 2-6 hours before slicing or storing it. Consuming or storing it without letting it cool will cause excess moisture to stay trapped in the loaf.
• Make sure your bread is stored in a cool, dry place. Regardless of the method you choose to store your loaf, you must be mindful of maintaining the right temperature, around 60-70 degrees F.
• The environment plays a big role in how well your sourdough is preserved. Bread tends to lose moisture faster in dry conditions, but the risk of mould forming over your loaf is greater in humid areas.

A Wide Range of Sourdough Bread 

Explore an artistic assortment of tasty & healthy sourdough bread created by Limerick’s finest bakery. We make 100% handcrafted & gluten-free sourdough bread using high–quality ingredients & time-tested techniques. Each loaf is a result of patience, passion, and love – ensuring you get the most exquisite taste & texture in every bite.

Our artisan sourdough bread is available in beautiful flavours:

• White Sourdough
• 100% Rye Sourdough
• Wholemeal Sourdough
• Cranberry & Walnuts
• Caramelised Onion
• Poppy Seed Sourdough

Ready to Switch to Healthier Bread?

These were a few ways to store sourdough bread and ensure you make the most of it – down to the last crumb. Following these tips will help you enjoy your loaves for weeks or even months.

If you are looking for a wholesale partner for high-quality, natural, and handmade artisan bread, reach out to Novak’s Bakery. We are Limerick’s favourite bakery for artisan bread, handmade pastries, and custom cakes. Contact us today to get started.