Bread

We discovered a trick about bread recently that changed our lives -- a small change, granted, but a wonderful one -- and I wanted to tell you all about it. (And yes, I'll be getting back to the Big Questions soon. Come the new year, I'll be posting about atheism and sex and grammar and other controversial topics. I'm just giving myself a short break from it all.)

Anyway. Bread. I've always loved those crusty artisanal peasant breads from Acme and the like. They're so... bready, so much like what bread is supposed to be like and what mass-produced sandwich bread is just a pale imitation of. But it goes stale so fast, in a day or two, and the two of us just don't eat it fast enough to finish even half of it before it goes to waste.

But we recently started getting Bay Bread Company bread in our Planet Organics basket (par-baked, so we can finish baking it fresh ourselves)... and it changed our lives. Not just because it's amazingly delicious bread (although it is). It changed our lives because it came with instructions on how to keep a loaf of artisanal bread fresh.

I desperately wish I'd known about this sooner. I've wasted years of my life eating mass-produced sandwich bread just because it stays fresh longer. So in case any of you have found yourself in the same "can't eat it fast enough before it goes stale" predicament, I want to pass these instructions along.

1. When you cut the bread, store it cut side down on a wooden cutting board.
2. Cover it snugly with a cotton cloth (a dishtowel is fine).
3. Once a night before you go to bed, sprinkle a few drops of water on the towel.

Simple, no? And it totally works. The bread's obviously not quite as fresh on the third day as it is on the first, but it's still yummy and edible. And it means we never have to buy mass-produced sandwich bread again. For which we will be forever grateful. Enjoy!

Comments

[Iamcuriousblue]

Great tip!

I've always loved good artisanal San Francisco sourdough bread, but am often reluctant to buy it for precisely the reason you describe. I'll definitely have to give this a try.

BTW, what's your favorite sourdough? These days, I'm pretty partial to City Bread, from Cheese Board and Arizmendi.

[Beth]

And I thought I was so clever perking up my dried out sourdough in the steamer a few slices at a time.

[Ulysses]

Ooh! I can't wait to try it.
I, too, have been frustrated for years with how much of the nice loaves I have had to throw away.
Incidentally, I recently learned we have friends in common. You know Jen Marks and Steve Jones from Morris. I know them from Chaos. Perhaps we'll meet in person some day.
- Ulysses

[Sour Nilos]

Well, jee-eez, guys! You coulda asked me!