Best place to store bread to stop it from going stale or mouldy

Bread is a staple on almost every shopping list with a staggering 11 million loaves sold daily in the UK.

When it comes to storage, many people opt for a bread bin or kitchen counter, but the varying summer temperatures can make this unreliable.

Sarah Taylor, a food safety expert at High Speed Training, has revealed the optimal location and how to prevent bread from going stale or mouldy.

Sarah said: "It's the age-old question, should you bin or keep bread with spots of mould? Mouldy bread is generally best thrown away, as the mould will likely have spread much further through the loaf than is actually visible."

Buying sliced bread is a good, cheaper option for keeping your bread fresh for longer, as mould takes longer to spread throughout the loaf, reports the Express.

The food safety expert said: "A typical supermarket loaf tends to last no longer than a week without going stale or mouldy. Freshly baked loaves will have shorter shelf lives than the off the shelf equivalents, so you should bear this in mind when choosing your loaf."

She added: "To keep your bread fresh for longer, it's best to keep it covered. Whether you have a dedicated bread bin or bread bag, or whether you're keeping the loaf in its original packaging, you want to try and store the bread in a cool, dry place."

If the bread comes in plastic packaging, it may 'sweat' in warm environments, causing moisture to form inside the packaging.

"You should try to use a bread bin or breathable bag to avoid this, but if you have no other option, then storing the bread inside a cool, dry cupboard can help slow the process down", said Sarah.

You should also keep the loaf away from water, which can speed up mould development. Sarah explained: "Moist, damp environments are the perfect conditions for causing mould spores to develop and spread quicker than they normally would, so slow this down by keeping the loaf as dry as possible."

There is one place Sarah advises against storing bread, she said: "You should never store your loaf in the fridge. This is because the cold conditions inside the fridge will make the starch recrystallise, causing the bread to develop a stale taste and texture.

"If you tend to go through your bread slowly, a better option is to freeze it - this keeps the loaf edible and prevents the spread of mould. "

When it comes to eating frozen bread, Sarah said: "To thaw the bread, simply use the defrost setting on your toaster to avoid a soggy slice."