How to Store Sourdough Bread, So You Can Enjoy Your Hard Work for Weeks

So you’re a sourdough bread person now—good for you. But ever since you’ve gotten a few loaves under your belt, you’ve been facing a problem: What are you supposed to do with all that bread? You could attempt to eat it all…but friend, even us bread fanatics will admit that that’s a lot of carbs. Luckily, there are five different ways to store your sourdough bread and they're all easy-peasy. Here’s how.

1. Store it unwrapped at room temperature. Since sourdough bread doesn’t contain the preservatives that make store-bought bread last for weeks, it will go start to stale the minute you slice into a loaf. But you can actually leave it out unwrapped for up to 24 hours by placing it cut-side down on your countertop or cutting board.

2. Store it in a brown paper bag at room temperature. Skip the plastic wrap and aluminum foil; both will trap moisture inside your bread and cause it to get soggy (and eventually moldy). Your best bet is a brown paper bag, which allows the bread to breath. You can find bread-size bags online, and if you want to be sustainable, you can buy linen or fabric bags that work just as well.

3. Store it in the microwave. It’s like a modern day bread box! This method works because it keeps air out and maintains a constant temperature and humidity level, so your bread won’t get stale or moldy.

4. Store it whole in the freezer. If you can resist going in for a slice immediately, you can actually keep sourdough bread fresh by stashing it in your freezer. After the loaf has cooled completely (and we mean completely), wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil. It will keep in the freezer for three to six months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the loaf on the countertop before refreshing it in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Store it sliced in the freezer. Allow the loaf to cool, then slice it. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap, then put them all in a freezer bag and store in the freezer, where they’ll stay fresh for up to six months. This is by far our favorite way to make sourdough bread last, because you can pull out just what you need, give it a quick reheat in the toaster and go on with your carb-loving life.