How To Store Sourdough Bread To Keep It Fresh

Learn how to store sourdough bread for lasting freshness. Keep your loaf delicious, crusty, and ready to enjoy!

Sourdough bread stands apart from other types of bread because of its natural fermentation process, which relies on wild yeast and beneficial bacteria rather than commercial yeast. This process is slow and careful allowing fermentation to develop a complexity of flavor that’s both tangy and subtly sweet, giving sourdough its signature taste. 

As it bakes, sourdough forms a beautifully crisp, crackly crust on the outside and a perfectly chewy, airy crumb inside. It’s this combination of naturally developed flavor, texture, and aroma that makes sourdough bread well worth the extra time and attention it demands.

After pouring your efforts into making homemade sourdough bread, you want to make sure your sourdough stays fresh flavorful, and delicious for as long as possible. That’s why I’m sharing my best tips for giving your homemade bread a longer shelf life. For this post keep in mind I am referring to artisan bread such as sourdough boules, batards, baguettes, etc., not sandwich loaves. If you’re looking for info on how to store sandwich loaves, you can find that information here along with my go-to sandwich bread recipe. 

Sourdough Bread’s Shelf Life

One of the benefits of sourdough bread is it’s longer shelf life. Sourdough bread made with a sourdough starter can typically last 4-5 days at room temperature. You may have noticed that a store-bought bread doesn’t typically last as long. It tends to be freshest within 24-48 hours of baking. I’ve even accedentaly purchased loaves that we’re already stale. 

While sourdough bread tends to keep longer than store-bought, you want to make sure you’re using proper storage techniques so that you and your family can enjoy fresh bread for days. 

How to Store Sourdough Bread

Room Temperature Storage

Days 1-2: 
For bread that has just been baked, always leave it out on your kitchen counter. If you’ve shopped at a bakery or market, you’ll notice their freshly baked loaves are stored out in the open and you should do the same. If you’re worried about flies or gnats (especially in the summer) you can store your loaves in a brown paper bag. 

Once you’ve sliced into your loaf, it’s best to store it at room temperature cut side down on a cutting board. By storing it cut side down, the inside will stay moist while the outside will keep it’s crisp crust. 

​Days 3-4:
By day 3 (if there’s any left), it’s best to move your bread to an airtight container such as a ziploc bag. I’m not a huge fan of plastics but i do keep and reuse a large freezer bag for storing bread. You can use a large beeswax wrap but in all honesty, a plastic bag works best.

Day 5 and Beyond:
By day 5 I’m shocked if we still have bread. We have a slice with most meals and with a household of 7 you can understand how quickly we eat a loaf. If you don’t plan on eating your bread within the first few days of baking, I recommend freezing it as the best way to store a loaf of bread. 

Freezing Sourdough for Longer Storage

How to Freeze Whole Loaves:
Many recipes yeild 2 loaves of bread, therefore I like to freeze on loaf and keep another loaf out to enjoy within a few days. To properly freeze an entire loaf, wait until the bread cools completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap or cling wrap. I like to double wrap mine and then place it inside a freezer bag prevent freezer burn. If stored properly, a frozen loaf can last 2-3 months in your freezer!

How to Freeze Sliced Bread:
Freezing individual slices makes enjoying a slice of sourdough super convenient. To freeze sliced bread, simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place individual slices on the pan and place it in your freezer for about an hour. Then take the bread slices out and place them together in a large freezer bag.

For everything you need to know about reheating sourdough bread, check out this post with the 3 best options for reheating bread. 

What To Do With Stale Bread

Let’s say you had great intentions of properly storing or freezing your sourdough loaf but then life happened.  Here are a few suggestions for ways you can use stale bread:

• Homemade Croutons: This is one of my favorite ways to use stale sourdough. I always keep a bag of diced bread in my freezer for croutons. Dice stale bread, toss with olive oil and seasonings, then bake until crisp for a perfect salad topping or soup garnish.
• Bread Crumbs: Grind stale bread into fine crumbs and store them in the freezer. They’re great for breading chicken, fish, or veggies.
• French Toast or French Toast Casserole: Stale bread’s drier texture soaks up custard mixtures well, making it ideal for rich breakfasts and desserts.
• Panzanella Salad: Combine cubes of stale bread with juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a simple vinaigrette for a rustic, flavor-packed Tuscan bread salad. A summertime favorite!

I’d love to hear your best practices for storing sourdough. Please share with us in the comments below or tag me on IG!