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How Long Does Bread Last In The Fridge?
To put it simply, commercially baked bread can last in the fridge for up to one to two weeks (seven to fourteen days) only. This time frame is reduced if the bread is placed at room temperature to two to four days only. After these time frames have passed, the said bread will start to go bad.
Before deciding to keep extra bread to use later, you should look into the question of whether or not bread goes bad, as well as the duration of the breads shelf life. Just because you can keep your bread in the refrigerator up to two weeks does not mean that you will want to eat it. You will get much longer shelf life out of your bread when you place it right into the refrigerator, where it can keep up to two weeks if properly sealed to keep out any humidity.
To store bread for two months or more, put it in the freezer (but sealed correctly). If you are keeping bread bought at a convenience store in your refrigerator, you may want to store it in the original wrapper as well. Keeping your bread in the refrigerator is a good way to keep it fresh much longer than leaving it out on the counter.
The refrigerator is an underrated way to store bread and keep it fresh longer, though it does take a little bit of extra work to prolong its shelf life. While many bread geeks would recommend not keeping bread in the refrigerator because it will lose flavor and texture, doing so can prolong the shelf life of your loaf for up to one week. You can prolong the shelf life of packaged bread by freezing it for a minimum of three months. While these methods for on-counter preservation may get you an extra couple days out of bread, nothing gives it this added shelf life quite like keeping it in your fridge.
If you want to enjoy your freshly baked bread, you should always take it out of the fridge about two hours before serving. If you would like to store fresh bread for a specific event or occasion, you can just freeze the entire loaf. While it is not necessary, it helps to freeze your bread into slices, so that you will not need to thaw a whole loaf.
For freezing, it is best to cut your bread ahead of time, so that you only take out what you need at a time. If you know that you are going to be eating your bread in a couple days, then keeping your bread at room temperature is best. If bread is sealed well, you can expect to get a couple of days longer than keeping it on the counter.
It all depends on the bread, but I would not expect any bread to hold up quality more than about 3 or 5 days past its expiration date. Because bread does keep for a few additional days in the refrigerator, it can occasionally make it past its printed ” Best By” date on the bag. How long you can store it in the refrigerator past its expiration date depends on how long you left it on the counter before placing it in the refrigerator. As long as bread is sealed properly and stored properly, you will be able to keep bread a bit fresher.
| Types | Shelf Life |
| Fridge | 6-9 days |
| Freezer | 6 months |
| Counter | 4-5 days |
In fact, as long as your bread is sealed, you should not have to find ways to keep your bread safe. If you are going to devour your new loaf right away, keeping it in a paper bag on your countertop is a smart move.
Bread can also grow mold and bacteria in the refrigerator, so it needs to be used immediately, either fresh or frozen. It may become soggy if left in wrappers or microwaved; however, it is fine to toast it right out of the fridge or freezer.
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Bread can last several months frozen, however, after 6 months, it will have lost its quality. Bread generally keeps for 4-5 days on the counter, 6-9 days in the refrigerator, and for at least 3 months in the freezer. Bread will last longer when stored in the fridge, not in the freezer. Bread stored in the freezer will last longer than bread stored at room temperature, but will eventually go stale.
Most types of bread, even if tightly packed, tend to become drier and stale in the fridge, so bread needs to be stored in a pantry or breadbox, or frozen, in order to keep it for a longer period.
Bread boxes are ideal if you are looking to store a loaf for several days. If you pack and effectively store bread in a refrigerator, you can increase your loafs lifespan by as much as five whole days, which makes a huge difference if you are trying to cut down on waste and track budgets and inventories. This means your fresh bread can easily last for nine days, whereas store-bought bread might make it as long as 12.
When storing bread at room temperature, your home-baked bread can last for four days, whereas store-bought lasts a week. Multigrain, whole-grain, and white store-bought loaves will last around 5 to 7 days in your pantry, whereas home-baked loaves typically last between 2 to 5 days. If you store commercial bread products refrigerated after opening rather than placing them in the pantry, products like loafs, panini, rolls, and commercial buns will last for two to three weeks, rather than the typical three to five days. Even the plastic-wrapped breads in the middle aisles of grocery stores will last no longer than one to three weeks, and this includes sugars and preservatives designed to prolong shelf-life in these commercial products.
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The shelf life of bread stored at room temperature is 3-5 days, but can vary depending on ingredients, type of bread, and preservation methods. After a month or two, you should get a good sense of how many days mold-free the same bread will remain, and when it will go bad. Your bread might get moldy one to two days before, but equally as well, it may be just fine three days later.
This post teaches you how to properly handle your storage, so that you will enjoy your over-baked bread — even days after. Or perhaps you have heard that bread can be frozen, but are unsure of how to do so.
Some people have kept their bread in their refrigerators their whole lives, others have said that you should never even think about doing so. That is why so many of us keep special bread boxes in the kitchen, use resealable plastic baggies for our bread, and take other proactive measures to ensure our bread lasts longer and ensures no piece goes to waste.
Does the bread in the fridge go bad?
The majority of loaves typically keep for up to a week at ambient temperature and three to five days longer in the refrigerator. However, refrigeration can cause bread to go stale. Stale bread can still be used to make breadcrumbs, croutons, and bread pudding.
How long does sliced bread last in the fridge?
Most experts say that sliced bread should be eaten within two or three days. After that, it’s still technically safe to eat, but it will be less fresh and may not taste as good. If you want your sliced bread to last a little longer, you can store it in the freezer. This will help to keep it fresh for up to three months.
Should you keep bread in the fridge?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It really depends on your personal preferences and how you plan to use the bread. If you like your bread to be softer, then you may want to keep it at room temperature. If you want your bread to last longer, then storing it in the fridge may be the better option.