How to Cut and Store your Table Bread
Good bread is one of the most versatile staple foods, but it behaves differently than your typical Wonder Bread. Unlike store bought, pre-sliced bread, traditional hearth breads are made without chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide. These additives, to list a few, keep bread soft and sandwich ready.
When I first began baking artisan bread, I thought, "It's delicious on the first day, but why does it get so hard?". The answer: because it does not contain the aforementioned additives. Learning how to get the most out of your Table Bread requires a bit of understanding. Typically, I text or recite this spiel to first time customers (when I remember to do so). This whole website thing is an attempt to make this information a little more accessible to you and a lot less dependent on my ever worsening memory (thanks, motherhood).
How to care for bread:
1. As tempting as it is to tear into a loaf of bread straight from the oven, it isn't advisable. But because humans typically need to try things for ourselves, just do it one time and then you'll see what I mean. Think of cooling as part of the baking process and wait at least one hour, but preferably 2-3. This is why Table Bread is delivered in open, paper sacks. It needs to cool before it is sliced or stored.
2. Once cool, store your bread in a ziplock bag or large container with a lid. Day one, I actually keep the lid barely ajar just to make sure no condensation is forming, which will shorten the life of the loaf. Yes, it will be harder on day two, but toasting will revive it beautifully.
3. I prefer a serrated bread knife for slicing.
4. Most loaves are pretty easy to slice, but here is my preferred method for slicing a round loaf (sourdough). Turn the loaf up on its side, then slice completely in half. Turn each half cut-side down on the cutting surface then cut individual slices. This will be much easier than slicing across the entire loaf and the slices will fit in your toaster.
5. Sourdough has the longest shelf life. In cooler months, I have stored sourdough at room temperature for 2 weeks. Breads made with yeast (baguettes, polenta, etc.) will last about a week. But remember: stale bread can still be used!
6. If you get down to the end of a loaf and can't finish it or find that it's harder than you like, it's time to make bread crumbs, croutons, panzanella, strata, or any other of humanities' marvelous means of using stale bread. I like to keep a ziplock bag in my freezer to collect leftover bread. If worse comes to worst, find a friend with chickens and give the leftovers to them.
I hope this information helps you get the most out of your Table Bread subscription. Happy eating!
