Bread

[Kirstyhev]

I made some fresh wholemeal bread yesterday and it has already gone slightly stale. i covered it with cling film as soon as it had cooled. what did i do wrong?

[qapmoc]

What you did wrong was to make natural bread without all the additives, junk, and preservatives that shop bread has in it to make it keep longer than it naturally would.

[waimarie]

I regularly make a loaf using 200g Granary flour and 200g strong white flour which makes a beautifully flavoured loaf which keeps fairly fresh for several days. However, you do need to add fat of some sort to the recipe which helps keep it moist. I use about 15-20g butter.

[Hamish]

Butter or olive oil certianly helps. I find white keeps better, or 50/50 white/granary. usually we try to use it immediately and then toast the next day. If you make rolls I have found these keep better, I think this is because they have a 'crust' all round them reducing moisture loss.

[waimarie]

Hi Hamish - Fully agree with you regarding a white/ granary toast. As the loaf firms up I cut the slices very thin for the toast, nice and crunchy with butter and a layer of honey!!!!