Bread is one of the highest loved foods around the world, and it’s used in many different ways, but there’s nothing worse than going to get a slice of bread and finding moldy bread, even when you’ve been keeping your bread in the fridge.
So, does keeping your bread in the fridge helps prevent mold or cause mold to grow faster?
Keeping your loaf of bread in the fridge will slow down the development and growth of mold on the bread. This is because it slows down the chemical reactions in the bread from ingredients like the yeast that the mold requires to grow. This won’t stop mold from growing but will slow it down.
What are a few considerations you need to keep in mind when storing your bread in the fridge? Are there other ways to store bread that will help prevent mold growth?
Let’s find out!
Does Bread Mold Faster When It’s Kept in the Fridge?
Bread is possibly one of the best foods in the world. No one can resist a loaf of freshly baked bread that’s straight out of the oven and is still nice and warm. Bread is an essential food for many families as its highly versatile.
Certain breads can be eaten as a meal on their own, while others are meant to be made into something like a sandwich. However you eat your bread, you will probably have to store some of it for later.
But is it a good idea to store your bread in the fridge, or will this cause the bread to grow mold faster? Storing bread in the fridge will not make mold grow faster on the bread. In fact, storing your bread in the fridge will slow down the growth of mold thanks to the cold temperatures.
However, this does not mean that the bread itself won’t be affected by this cold temperature, but we will cover this further in this article. So, how the temperature your store your bread at affects the mold growth on the bread? Let’s find out.
What Role Does Temperature Play in Bread Mold Growth?
Mold is a fungus that requires resources produced by other living organisms to survive. This is because mold cannot create its own food. So, the ingredients in bread, mainly yeast and sugar, create the perfect environment for mold to grow, which is why mold grows so easily on bread.
Mold will thrive on bread if the bread is kept in warm conditions because the enzymes and proteins that control the chemical reactions that allow mold to grow properly on the bread work better in warmer temperatures.
If you place your bread in the fridge, these chemical reactions will slow down, leading to slower mold development on your bread. This is why your bread will last longer in the refrigerator than at room temperature.
Considerations When Storing Bread in the Fridge
There are still things you should think about when you choose to store your bread in the fridge. Firstly, bread can take up a large amount of space in your fridge if you have a full-sized loaf. This means that your bread can easily be squished inside your fridge if you aren’t careful.
Another thing to bear in mind is while your bread may not grow mold for a long time while stored in the fridge, your bread can easily become stale when you store it this way.
This doesn’t mean that your bread is inedible; it only means that your bread has dried out from being in the cold conditions of the fridge.
You can still eat your stale bread, but many people don’t like the texture of stale bread, which is why this is a consideration you need to keep in mind. However, stale bread does make for some good toast as it crisps up better.
How to Prevent Mold Growth On Bread
So, storing bread in the fridge is a good way to help prevent mold growth and help your bread last longer.
However, if you don’t want to risk your bread getting squished in the fridge or don’t like the taste and texture of stale bread, you might be looking for other ways to help prevent mold growth instead of placing your bread in the fridge.
Thankfully, there are several methods you can utilize to help prevent the growth of mold on your bread, but without any of the negative effects of the bread being stored in cold temperatures.
Let’s have a look at what other bread mold prevention methods are available to you that will still do keep your bread mold free for longer.
Do Not Store Your Bread in Plastic
One of the main things to avoid when trying to keep your bread mold free for longer is storing your bread in a sealed plastic bag. Mold needs certain conditions to be met for it to thrive. These conditions are moisture and warmth.
When you keep your bread in a sealed plastic bag, you create these environmental conditions that mold thrives in as your bread is filled with moisture and at room temperature. This can even happen in the fridge if mold spores get into the plastic bag.
This can be challenging for some, as you might not have any other bag to put your bread in. If you don’t have another choice and keep your bread in a plastic bag, keep the bag open on your kitchen counter and out of any direct sunlight.
Keeping the plastic bag open will allow for some air circulation around the bread, which can help prevent mold growth.
Try Avoid Pre-Sliced Bread
Another way you can help prevent your bread from molding quickly is to avoid buying pre-sliced bread; this can also help prevent your bread from becoming stale when kept in the fridge.
This can sound weird to a few people, but it could mean the difference between your bread going moldy in a week or your bread lasting two weeks before mold even appears on the bread.
When you buy pre-sliced bread, more of the bread is exposed to the air at once. This means that the bread will grow mold faster than unsliced bread with the crust to protect it.
So, you cut off what you need to make your sandwich with unsliced bread, and the rest of the bread is still protected. This comes with the added benefit of your deciding how thick you want your slices.
Slice Bread Loafs from the Middle
This method of bread mold prevention ties into the one we just covered above, as you can only do it with an unsliced loaf, and it does give your loaf of bread an extra bit of protection against mold and the cold of the fridge.
This method is literally cutting your unsliced loaf of bread in the middle and taking slices from there rather than the ends of the loaf. Then once you have sliced the amount you need for your meal, simply push the two halves of the loaf back together, with the cut sides facing each other.
With the crusts of the bread remaining intact, your bread is more protected from mold, even though the inside of the bread stays moist and soft.
Avoid Buying Bread That Molds Fast
Unfortunately, certain types of bread are more prone to fast mold growth than others. These breads also tend to be the tastiest, which is rather disappointing, but that just means we have a good reason to eat all of it in one go.
The main breads that will grow mold faster and become stale faster are white bread loaves and French bread. To keep these breads mold free for longer, you will need to keep in in a controlled environment with great airflow and next to no sunlight, which even rules out the fridge.
So, you should avoid these fast mold-growing breads unless you are eating them the same day you buy them. Breads that will be less prone to growing mold fast include whole wheat, rye breads, whole grain, and sourdough.
However, you should still opt for unsliced bread so you can store them correctly using the methods above to help them last longer when keeping them in the fridge.
Other Methods of Storing Bread to Prevent Mold
If you are concerned about storing your bread in the fridge, but you still want to maximize the shelf life of your loaf of bread and prevent mold growth, then there are a few alternative storage methods you can use.
Some of these methods will help your bread last longer than in the fridge, while others may help your bread last as long as if you were to store your bread in the refrigerator. The following methods are simple and easy to do, so you only need to pick the one best suits you.
1 – In the Freezer
Keeping your bread in the freezer is a great way to prevent mold from growing on it, and it won’t make your bread stale either. With this storage method, you should slice your bread first, making it easier to use your bread later.
To freeze your bread properly, you need to wrap the sliced bread in aluminum foil and then place it into a large freezer bag you can seal tightly. This will help keep your bread from developing freezer burn.
Then, when you want some bread, simply take your bread out of the freezer, take out the number of slices you need, re-wrap it and return it to the freezer. It will only take a few minutes for your slices of bread to thaw, and then you can use your bread however you intend.
2 – In a Cloth Bread Bag
A great way to keep your bread fresh and mold free for longer is to keep your bread in a cloth bread bag. These are great if you don’t have must freezer or fridge space for the other bread storage methods, as it takes up very little space on your kitchen counter.
Cloth bread bags are designed to allow the right amount of airflow through them to prevent mold while still keeping the bread moist and soft. So, place your bread in a cloth bread bag on your counter, and enjoy fresh, mold free bread every day.
Unfortunately, it’s not recommended to store bread in a bread bag in the fridge, as the bread will still dry out.
3 – In a Bread Box
Another great way to help prevent your bread from developing mold fast is to keep your bread in a bread box. Bread boxes exist for a reason, and they do a great job at keeping your bread mold-free and fresh for longer.
You can place your loaf of bread directly into the bread box; there is no need to wrap it in anything first. The bread box is designed to have just enough airflow inside it to help prevent mold growth while keeping the humidity higher to ensure the bread stays fresh and soft.
4 – In a Brown Paper Bag
If you don’t have a cloth bread bag or a bread box, you can achieve the same results with a brown paper bag. Brown paper bags are easy to get, and they will help prevent mold from growing on your bread.
All you do is place your bread inside the paper bag, roll up the open end so it’s nice and sealed, and leave it on your kitchen counter. The paper bag will act the same way as the cloth bag by allowing some air circulation while keeping the bread moist, preventing mold growth.
5 – In a Kitchen Cabinet
If your kitchen gets a large amount of direct sunlight throughout the day, so leaving your bread on your counter is not an option, then you can keep your bread in a kitchen cabinet. Place your bread in a brown paper bag or any other storage vessel mentioned previously, and then place it in a cabinet.
The cabinet will still allow some airflow through it to help prevent the mold from growing, but it will keep your bread safe from the sun and keep it fresh and soft.
6 – In a Kitchen Draw
You can also use a kitchen drawer in the same way you can use a kitchen cabinet to store your bread. Place your bread in a brown paper bag or a cloth bread bag, and then place it in a clean draw in your kitchen.
This will allow air movement, just enough to prevent mold growth, while still keeping your bread fresh and ready to use.
Final Thoughts
Bread is an important food that can be used in many different ways, so it can be highly disappointing when you go for a slice of bread only to find it moldy and gross. Luckily, storing your bread in the fridge can slow down the development and growth of mold on your bread, so you won’t be disappointed again!
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.