If you’re wondering how long your freshly baked sourdough bread loaf will last, look no further! A loaf of sourdough bread is good for three to four days at room temperature. As long as the loaf or slice is stored correctly, it should last up to four days. Unlike store-bought bread, there are NO preservatives in authentic sourdough bread. It is best to eat the bread ASAP.

There are ways to make sure your sourdough bread has a longer shelf life. Whether you want to store your homemade sourdough bread on the counter in a bread box, in a plastic bag, or aluminum foil, you have many options to choose from. If you want to freeze your sourdough bread for a long time, you can do that too!!!

After following the storing methods in this post, you will know exactly how to store your whole loaves and individual slices so that they last longer.

This post is ALL about how long is sourdough bread good for.

How Long Is Sourdough Bread Good For

What is the best way to store fresh sourdough bread?

There are multiple ways that you can store fresh sourdough bread! You can leave it on the counter at room temperature or you can freeze the bread.

If you plan on eating the bread in a couple of days, you should store the sourdough bread on the counter at room temperature.

Ways to store sourdough bread at room temperature:

• Plastic Bag
• Bread boxes
• Plastic Wrap
• Aluminum Foil
• Airtight Container
• Brown Paper Bag
• Dutch Oven
• Linen Bread Bag
• Cloth Bag

How long does sourdough bread stay good for in the fridge?

A freshly baked loaf stays fresh in the fridge for roughly three days. You DO NOT want to place your bread in the fridge! The fridge will dry out your sourdough bread and will make it go stale. You can still use stale bread for other recipes. However, I am personally sure that you do not always want stale bread. It is better to freeze sourdough bread than it is to place it in the fridge.

Should I freeze my sourdough bread loaf?

If you do NOT plan on eating the entire loaf within five days, you should store it in the freezer. There are different ways to store sourdough in the freezer. You can use a heavy-duty freezer bag or plastic freezer wrap.

If you are anything like me, chances are you cannot eat an entire loaf of sourdough bread in four days. What I do is leave half of the loaf in a Ziplock bag on the counter. The other half I place in the freezer. That way, I can eat the other half once I finish eating the first half of the bread loaf.

How To Freeze Sourdough Bread Loaf  (great way):

The EASIEST way to store in the freezer is with a Ziplock one-gallon heavy-duty freezer bag. I like to cut the loaf into individual bread slices first. Then, I place it in the Ziplock bag and into the freezer. Whenever I want a slice, I take it out of the ziplock bag. I put the bread slices into plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let thaw on my counter overnight.

This method is the EASIEST way to freeze sourdough slices. It is best if you plan on eating one slice per day.

How To Freeze Sourdough Bread Loaf No Freezer Burn Method:

For LONG TERM storage in the freezer, you can place the loaf into plastic freezer wrap. Plastic freezer wrap is airtight. This will prevent the bread from getting freezer-burn! Freezer burn will ruin your bread and will make it taste off.

This is the BEST bread-storing method if you need to store multiple loaves for one event. For example, if you need multiple loaves for a holiday party, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can bake your sourdough bread and then freeze it. It will taste as fresh as day one.

With this storing method, your loaf will last in the freezer for up to three months.

Why do different types of bread have a longer shelf life than Sourdough Loaves?

A loaf bought at the grocery store often have a long shelf life than sourdough due to all the preservatives. Bread companies add preservatives to their bread so that it has a longer shelf life. Without those preservatives, the bread at the supermarket will mold within a couple of days. However, your homemade sourdough bread is a different type of bread. Authentic sourdough loaves do not have any preservatives added to them. Sourdough bread usually has three ingredients: Flour, Water, and salt. So if you are wondering why your sourdough loaf that you baked has molded within a couple of days, you did NOT do anything wrong. It is completely normal!

Do Humidity Levels affect how long homemade bread lasts?

Yes, humidity levels will affect how long your homemade bread lasts! If you are storing your homemade bread on the countertop at room temperature, the humidity levels can definitely affect it. Humidity will usually make the shelf life of your sourdough loaf shorter.

For instance, I live in Florida. During the winter, I can leave my sourdough loaf on the counter. The bread loaf will last usually 5 days. However, during the summer when the humidity levels are high, I need to be careful! My bread usually lasts 3 days on the counter before I see mold on it.

If your kitchen is humid, it is best to either eat your sourdough bread within three days. If you cannot finish it in three days, you should try freezing it.

There is an off smell on my loaf of sourdough bread. Can I still eat it?

Although sourdough loaf is delicious, you definitely should NOT eat it if there is any type of off smell coming from it. The bad smell means that the bread has gone rotten. It should be thrown away. Sourdough is delicious but it is not worth eating if it is spoiled! A rotten or molded loaf can make you sick.

How do you know if bread has gone bad?

You will know if bread has gone bad by three ways: off smell, mold, or it has gone stale. If bread has an off smell or if it has mold, it should be thrown into the trash. Do not eat it!

An off smell means that the sourdough loaf has spoiled. It should be thrown away.

If you see mold on the bread, throw it away. You will need to throw the entire loaf away and NOT just the section where the mold is. Once there is mold on any part of ANY type of bread, there are mold spores in the container. The mold spores travel the air. This makes the entire loaf unsafe to eat.

However, if it has gone stale, there are recipes that you can use stale bread. Stale bread is safe to eat as long as there is no off smell nor mold.

What To Do With Stale Bread:

GOOD NEWS! If your sourdough bread has gone stale, do not sweat it! It happens. It is completely normal. If the bread has gone stale, there is no off smell, and there is no mold, you can still eat the bread. Some recipes and ideas involve stale bread. Some examples include:

• French Toast: Want to know a secret? French toast tastes BETTER if it is made with stale bread!!! When I make French toast, I purposely make the bread go stale the night before.
• Sourdough Croutons: These will taste better than store-bought croutons!
• Bread Crumbs: Blend the bread in a blender, add whatever seasonings your heart desires. This will turn into sourdough bread crumbs!

Stale sourdough bread is still EDIBLE!!!! The recipes for stale bread are delicious! You should give these recipes a try instead of throwing your bread out once it goes stale.