Recipe Modifications to Increase the Shelf-life of Homemade Bread Why does bread go stale?

Bread gets stale because the water in the loaf evaporates.  This post will explain key ways to slow that water from leaving the loaf. It includes modifications to create a loaf that will retain the moisture by way of recipe additions rather than storage methods.

Placing a loaf in a plastic bag is fine, but you may notice that the bread gets moldy;  that's because the water is continuously evaporating into the air, inside the bag, Thus, the bag will begin to produce mold.

I had discovered some time ago that one should wear food safe gloves when slicing cheese.  The same applies for bread.  Your hands have mold spores, that will cause bread to mold more easily. Practice hand hygiene. There is a natural product that control microbes is called Molderator. Dried sourdough is another product that can help with mold prevention.

We often hear suggestions to store bread in the refrigerator. Refrigeration may lead to faster staling, moisture loss, and flavor alteration. Consider freezing for longer storage and consume as fresh as possible.

Refrigerators work by cooling and drying out the air inside, so you'll actually turn your bread stale faster if you toss it in the fridge. Retrogradation aka staling happens at 33-39f /4-0c, the same temperature as your fridge.

In the freezer, you're capturing the bread exactly as it is. The moisture in the loaf isn't going anywhere. Frozen bread drops in quality at around the 3 month mark.

Time. It is important to note that Express settings produce bread that goes stale very rapidly.  Do not use this setting for a bread that you want to consume in a few days.  A loaf made with this setting should be eaten the same day.

Extended rests/slower fermentation.  Cooler temperatures (39-54f/4-17c) help promote moisture retention.  You can do this by reducing the amount of yeast too.  Reducing yeast allows the time to do its job. Refrigerator dough rise times are approximately 8-12 hour (overnight works). Keep an eye on it though; it could over-ferment.

Use bread flour.  Strong flour produces a better loaf; shape, and improved crumb. The high gluten structure helps hold and retain moisture.

Fibre. An increase in fibre aka whole wheat or rye help a loaf stay soft. Fiber-soluble ones, bind to water within the bread, reducing water activity and inhibiting microbial growth. However, the practical application of adding fiber to your recipe can present challenges depending on your desired kind of loaf (recipe). Not everyone wants a potato bread with some whole wheat addition.

I have read of some bakers’ add the health product; Benefiber to their loaves.  They add 2-3 tbsp per loaf. You may need a bit more fluid too. Other fibre grains can also be utilized to help with longevity.

Wheat germ, flax, oat bran, vital wheat gluten (please search in the group for whole wheat and my post.) Be aware using whole grains interfere with the structure of gluten.  (It is like sharp knives that cut gluten from allowing it to maximize.) This means your loaves will likely be shorter/stouter.

Dense rye breads and seeded breads also have a longer shelf life.

Often the first matter to address is the recipe.  Lean dough recipes which do not include any fats; butter, oil, or eggs do not provide a bread that lasts more than a day or two.  You may have noticed this when you have tried a true French bread.

Additives that help increase the shelf-life

Milk.  Helps reduce staling.  When a recipe calls for water you may substitute all or some of the milk. It’s not necessary to use milk powder.  (In this group there is a post explaining milk and milk products.)

Scalding milk extends the shelf life too.  This technique is often used with lower gluten grains including rye. The whey protein in milk can weaken gluten and prevent the dough from rising properly. Scalding the milk deactivates the protein so this doesn’t happen.Scalding: heat the milk to 170F/76c. FYI. Yeast dies at 138F so be sure and let it cool accordingly.

Eggs. The fat in the yolk—-that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand more.  Yolk is high in lecithin, approximately 10%. The main function of lecithin is the bonding of water and oil; producing a nice crumb. (Read my post about eggs and egg substitutes in here.)

Shortening.  A 100% fat product.  It contributes to the moistness and delays the process of gelatinization including crumbling. Most fats are interchangeable; however I am referring to fats that are solid at room temperature.

Sweeteners.  These will help bread last longer, and provide flavor. The hygroscopic nature(water attracting) contributes to the retaining of moisture. If you are looking for a faster rise; sugar would be preferred over honey.  Brown sugar would be more helpful than plain granulated white sugar.

Honey is a great way to increase a loaf’s shelf life.  Unpasteurized raw honey can have some enzymes that slow the fermentation process. However, it will brown more quickly when substituted in a sugar recipe. This means you should lower the baking time and lower the oven temperature by 25f/3c degrees.

Molasses, black strap, Black treacle, Golden syrup are a byproducts of the sugar making process.  They provide stronger flavours, caramel notes, and buttery undertones. Molasses properties have a slightly acidic effect which improves dough rise, and attracts and holds moisture. Tip: lightly coat a measuring cup with cooking oil spray and it will release easily.

Use of pectin. There are commercial products (LM Pectin & HM Pectin) that are made for bread longevity and allow one to cut back on oil and fats.  This product is a form of fiber thus lengthening freshness. It also increases the extensibility of dough that is frozen/thawed. I wasn’t able to find anyone who had experimented with store jam/jelly making pectin. Let me know if you try it!

Diastatic malt power. There two kinds of this product. (Non-diastatic is only for colour and aroma.) Aka Diastatic malt flour, it increases enzymatic activity, texture, flavour, structure, yeast lasts in the dough and increases those great flavours. By improving dough fermentation and texture, diastatic malt results in a bread that retains its moisture and quality for a longer time. Recommended amount: .25%~1%. 1/2-1 tsp per 2-3 cups flour. Be careful.  Too much can change the color of the bread to an odd reddish tone and can make the crust very hard.

Lecithin. A natural emulsifier; soy lecithin or if you recall eggs are high in lecithin. It slows down the oxidation of the liquid components when making dough and functions as a binder/emulsifier. Recommended quantity: 1/2-1 tsp per cup of flour. Mix with the liquids.

Add an acidifier.  Use vinegar to help extend shelf life. 1% is recommended.  About 1-3 tsp per loaf. Vinegar creates a moisture crumb, cuts down on flour oxidation, and reduces the pH level.

Other acidifiers include; citric acid, buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, whey, and ascorbic acid. These strengthen the gluten network.  Cooler temps encourage a strong acetic acid growth.

Preferments.  These increase hydration.  Poolish, biga, levain, sponge. A mixture of flour, liquid, and time.  An old time sponge you may be familiar with: potato.

Potato has the ability to absorb and retain plenty of liquid. You can use potato starch, mashed potato, or potato water. However, potato water isn’t as good as the former.

Recommended ratios: add 1/4 c /53g mashed potato to 1 c/ 120g flour. Reduce liquid by 50%. If the dough appears dry add liquid as needed. Be sure that your mashed potato is lump free. (Use a ricer.) If you are using leftover salted potatoes lower salt as desired. You may use potato flakes or flour.

Pasta water works too! Again reduce salt if necessary.

Lactic acid bacteria found in sourdough slows down the staling process, while the acidity of the bread inhibits microbial growth (read: mold). Interestingly, higher hydration/stiffer sourdough starter have higher concentrations of acetic acid.  Be aware acetic acid may result in a slightly dense loaf.

Xanathan gum is useful for freezing bread. 3.5g per 500g / 1/8-1/4 tsp per 1 cup(us). It helps create a smooth texture as well.

Use a tazhong. This is a scalding method that can be used in combination of eggs and fats.  Mixing boiling water and flour swells the starch and modifies its abilities.  It will hold more water, it slightly weakens the protein which allows the dough to be loose and soft, the starch converts to sugar and feeds the yeast more quickly.  You may be Japanese milk bread; a long lasting tasty bread. This method is excellent for rye and other lower gluten grains too.

Use vital wheat gluten. (Read my post on this) Increases mix and fermentation tolerances, it may require an increase in liquid for best hydration. With more gluten the product increases in softness and longevity.

Flour.  The types of flour used, impact the hydration requirements of the bread. Loaves that are made with Russian or red wheat, etc will require more water to make quality dough. It is recommended to let the whole grain and liquid sit together and absorb for 30 minutes prior to mixing/kneading.

Oven temperature. Issue: Setting the oven too cool, thus the baking time has to be extended to colour the crust. This makes the breadcrumb drier than it could be. It might sound good from a mould-inhibiting viewpoint, but actually, as the bread continues to dry out (as it will do), it quickly becomes unpleasant and stale.

Often people recommend 350F/175C., that isn’t ideal; the recipe ingredients help determine the best temperature.  Ex.  French bread has no fats or sugar.  It bakes best at high 425/450F. A Hawaiian bun; high in sugar and eggs would be best baked at 325F/160c.

Cool to 95F/ 35c before slicing. Why? Technically, cooling is the final process of baking.  You want more moisture remain in the loaf.  If you slice it too soon, the steam aka moisture will release.  Flavour and texture both improve by waiting.

The interior starch of the bread turns into a gummy, consistency when it bakes. As the bread cools, the interior returns to a solid state. If we cut too early then it will be difficult to slice cleanly, the bread will tear and the knife will have gummy residue. The crumb needs to gelatinize.  Just like a steak needs to rest before slicing so does your loaf of fresh bread.

Dough conditioners. There are several products on the market and in your cupboard.

Ginger can also act as a dough conditioner, add 1/4 teaspoon of dried, powdered ginger per 1 lb loaf recipe.  This bread baking tip was listed on the bags of Roger’s flour in the 1970s.  It’s a classic bread baking tip that Grandma used to get a good rise in her loaves.

Ascorbic acid aka vitamin C is flour improver.  It is useful for freezing doughs. It helps with the structure, loaf volume, creates a fine crumb, and produces a less thick crust. For us nutritionally speaking ascorbic acid is an antioxidant but in culinary terms it an oxidizer.  It helps with gluten development, creates elasticity, and allows a loaf to expand without ruptures.

Well, I believe I have included enough data for this post! 💕

If someone chooses to use commercial products to improve their loaf, please keep your editorializing to yourself.