Sourdough bread is a hugely popular choice for many people these days. It’s soft, chewy and often healthier than other supermarket loaves, which have the tendency to be ultra-processed. 

Whether you’re making it into a sandwich or topping it with avocado and a poached egg, it’s something that truly always hits the spot, and once you start buying it you never go back. However, a stark warning has been issued to anyone who likes to pick it up during the weekly shop – and it’s all to do with how you store it at home. According to the experts at The Perfect Loaf, one common mistake can make it turn stale a lot quicker. 

There’s nothing worse than baking a fresh loaf of sourdough or bringing one home from the shop, using a few slices, and finding that the rest has gone stale. 

And although it might seem like a good idea to pop the bread in the fridge – which is often the ideal place to store food so it doesn’t go bad – this should be avoided at all costs. 

The experts pointed out that this will make your bread go stale a lot quicker than it would if it was kept at room temperature. 

Instead, you should keep it in a plain paper bag or wrapped in a kitchen towel before slicing, which will keep it perfectly soft. If you’ve got a bread bin at home, then this is also a great solution. 

However, for longer-term storage, freezing is the best option. The experts said: “The retrogradation process can be mostly halted by subjecting bread to very low temperatures, preventing moisture migration out of starches and their subsequent recrystallisation.

“This means a cooled loaf can be frozen whole or sliced completely, and then the slices are frozen independently.”

All you need to do is cut your bread into slices, pop them into sealable bags and store flat in the freezer. Then, when you want a piece, simply take one out and toast it. 

The frozen slices might take slightly longer to toast than fresh ones, but it can be done, and usually takes just a couple of minutes.