Sunday, July 7, 2013

It's about the Bread, how to store it and my fabulous linen bread bags. A little bit of information, blatant self promotion and a great idea.


BLATANT SELF PROMOTION ALERT! 


https://www.etsy.com/listing/156065863/linen-bread-bag-by-tracycooksinaustin?

BLATANT SELF PROMOTION ALERT! 

Well, come on now, I cook and I sew, it was about time I put the two together. 

I have been fighting with storage issues for the bread, ciabatta, pretzels, croissants and anything else I've made lately with flour and yeast.  I will confess (purists, avert your eyes) that frequently, I wrap my bread loosely in a plastic grocery bag and leave it on the counter.  *shame*

I refuse to put it in the fridge for the obvious dryness problem but I will freeze loaves when they're cool then bag them in Ziploc. 

I have been reading about linen bread bags.  Seriously?  How on earth will that make it NOT go stale?  Well, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't.  They are great.  They are seriously great.  I sort of became a line convert when I treated myself to a hideously overpriced linen bread cloth.  Really, a hunk of linen that I could have made myself but, hey, sometimes you want someone else to make it.

I made linen bread cloths for friends and I am going to start selling them on Etsy.  I just made one for my International tester as a surprise.  

Then, I started making bread bags.  I made the bags for me, for friends, for use as delivery vessels when I arrive at whatever location I'm invited to with my bread.  I have made bread some bags now and they ARE on Etsy, my link is above.  They are big and even though there's draw string closures, I find I just put the bread in and fold the end of the bag underneath, it sure looks prettier on the counter than a bunch of grocery garbage bags or veggie plastic bags from the store.  Yeah, you do too! 

  

  

*this is the "best white" farmhouse loaf,  it's 7 inches tall!!
 
IF you don't want to go play on Etsy, you can, however, just email/message me here and we can bypass Etsy all together.  

I think they're great, they are handy, pretty, light, soft and they keep fresh bread fresh for a period of time longer than a bag or just sitting on the counter.  Remember, however, fresh bread needs to be eaten in a timely manner just by virtue of it's freshness but this is really, truly a way to keep it around that extra day before it becomes food for chickens, hamsters or the local squirrels. 

Even if you don't buy one of mine, go get yourself a linen bread bag.  You'll be pleased you did.

IN case you didn't notice the link above, here it is again! :)  *cheeky aren't I?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/156065863/linen-bread-bag-by-tracycooksinaustin?

/tracy

2 comments:

  1. I recently acquired some linen bread bags but my bread became hard and stale around the edges in just a couple days. Definitely not fresher or longer lasting. I've always used plastic bags but I'm trying to phase plastic out of my kitchen. Any suggestions? Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

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  2. fresh bread really doesn't last long, a few days at best, BUT you should turn the linen bags inside out (be sure they are 100% linen, that matters) and rub them with flour, really work the flour into the fabric, then flip the bags right way out again, the flour and linen together wick moisture and retard mold for an extra day or so but really, 2-3 days is the most you'll get with any proper fresh loaf. I make smaller loaves and freeze them so the loaves don't have a change to get old or moldy or hard and i can pull the next out of the freezer... let me know if this helps!

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