Like everyone else in 2020, I adopted a sourdough starter and learned how to to bake boules. It was fun and my family enjoyed my experiments, but after a few weeks of having fragrant, fresh bread anytime we wanted, the novelty wore off and we were often left with too much of a good thing. Stale bread became my nemesis, and I found myself stuffing down slices three meals a day just to avoid it. That’s when I decided to stop my sourdough adventures.
In hindsight, having a proper way to store the loaves would have helped. Experts say that the best method is to store fresh-baked bread in something breathable—a paper sack, a ceramic bread box, or cotton or linen bags—so that the crust remains hard and the inside soft. Of those options, I like fabric bags the best: they’re affordable and reusable, and gifting a home-made boule inside a pretty bread bag makes for a perfect housewarming or hostess gift.
Below, 10 favorite fabric bread bags. (Tip: If you one day decide you’re just fine with store-bought bread, you can always repurpose the bags and use them to take home bulk dry goods from the store.)
