Learn How to Keep Italian Bread Fresh for the Next Day
It isn’t easy to keep Italian bread fresh for longer. The loaf is delicate, airy, and crusty that it starts to go stale only hours from the oven. The tiny starch granules tend to lose moisture as the bread cools, making it crumbly, dry, and tough. However, correct wrapping techniques might extend the bread’s life but can’t go more than a day. Besides, you can heat Italian bread to refresh. You can also wrap the bread immediately as it slows down the staling process.
Put the bread in a paper bag, then twist the open end to seal or fold it over. Use a plastic wrap to cover the bread in the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dry place. Use an aluminum foil to wrap the bread then throw it in a pre-heated oven for about ten minutes at 450◦ F depending on the bread’s size.
The bread will reabsorb the lost moisture as it heats hence reversing the staling process partially. While still wrapped in the foil, allow the bread to cool after removing from the oven.
If you are planning to store your bread for 36 hours or even more, freezing it would be ideal. Wrap the bread then put it in the freezer when you get home. Freezing does stop the staling in the tracks. Allow the loaf to thaw at room temperature. Heat in the oven before you serve.
