How to store, freeze, and refresh your sourdough

Written By Alex Baldinger

You've just purchased a loaf of Razava sourdough. Here’s how to treat it right.

If you’re going to eat it right away (2-3 days)

Take it home, slice into it, and keep it sliced-side-down on your cutting board.

In the warmer months when the air is more humid, it's best to avoid using plastic bags to store bread as plastic traps moisture and creates a greenhouse of sorts around the loaf. We instead suggest a breathable paper bag or bread box for best bread storage. This results in the freshest experience slice after slice.

In the winter months, on the other hand, store it in plastic to protect it from the dry air that accelerates staling. The beautiful thing about sourdough is that due to the bread's acidity, it takes a long time before it starts to get funky. The sourdough acidity will protect the bread against molding, allowing you to enjoy your bread over many days.

If you’re going to save it for later

Freeze it whole, either in plastic wrap or an XL freezer bag.

Freezing bread whole is a wonderful idea. It keeps the bread ready for consumption near indefinitely. When you’re ready to enjoy it, follow these steps:

  • Take bread out of the freezer and thaw for a few hours on the counter until at least partially defrosted.

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF.

  • Wrap bread in aluminum foil.

  • Place bread directly on the grill of the oven for 12-15 minutes.

  • Remove aluminum foil and return to oven until crust has re-hardened and is too hot to handle with a bare hand.

  • The hardest and most important part: LET IT COOL COMPLETELY (at least an hour) before slicing into it.

Your bread will be (almost) as good as fresh!

If you aren't sure

You can always ask us to slice it! We'll bag it in plastic for you. After the first few days, store any uneaten portion into the freezer. When you're ready to enjoy, simply take it out of the freezer and toast it one slice at a time—you'll always have fresh bread on hand exactly when you need it.

Don't waste a crumb

If your bread is at least a week old, don't throw it away. Week-old Razava sourdough makes excellent croutons or bread crumbs, and can be blended into soups and stews as a delicious thickener.

Alex Baldinger