Bread too dry for sandwiches

kindanice

I have borrowed a bread maker to see how I get on with it, before I buy!

I have made a couple of lovely loaves, but they seem to go dry very quickly. Is this normal? By the next day they are no good for packed lunch sandwiches. Any suggestions?

(Ps. I make the pack up the night before).

flea72

yes they do go dry quicker than pre-packed sliced bread, but i wouldnt say they fare any different to fresh shop bought, uncut loaves

ive never noticed that they are too dry after a day though - espec if they have already been made into sandwiches and kept in the fridge overnight

perhaps try adding a little more liquid to your mix?

Katinkka

How do you store the bread? We find wrapping it in foil once its cool keeps it fresh for a day or two.

Ticklemouse

I've just dug my breadmaker out of the cupboard and it is paddling dough as I speak. I used to find the bread went dry much quicker, but I kept it in a plastic bag once it had cooled and that made it last a little longer. How about, once it has cooled, slicing it and freezing it ready for the sarnies?

I think the thing to remember is that most of us have got used to soft, fluffy, keep for ages bread (because it is full of chemicals and additives) and so we expect it to last for days and days. Maybe it's a combination of finding a way to store your bread for a day or so but remembering to make fresh bread little and often.

kindanice

I have just been storing the loaf in a tupperware box. I haven't been wrapping it up. I think I will try storing it differently - and slicing and freezing it sounds a good idea. Thank you.

And you are so right Ticklemouse, we are used to soft fluffy bread full of unknowns! :eek: I think I was expecting the loaf to stay fresher for longer just because that is what I am used to!

Loadsabob

Kindanice -

I get around this and have a loaf last me a week, by freezing. I slice it when totally cold, freeze in a freezer bag and take out slices for sandwiches as I need them (or toast from frozen, too). I make my lunch in the morning, and by the time my hair's washed etc, the bread has thawed out enough to spread (even if they're a little frozen still, it means the butter doesn't damage it if that's a bit hard!). So an hour or so before you make the sarnies at night, if you take out and space out on the board the slices you need, they'll be fine when you make them. My sandwiches taste like freshly made bread every day!

mink35

I usually make the smaller loaf (my breadmaker does 2 sizes) so that it doesn't go dry before it's eaten, but I think TM is correct in that bread only lasts a long time because it's pumped full of chemicals etc.

Pal

Forget sandwiches. Make bread and butter pudding with the slightly stale bread.

We_Laugh_Indoors

Pal wrote:

Forget sandwiches. Make bread and butter pudding with the slightly stale bread.

or failing that make toast.

and lots of it!

Pal

Or failing that, breadcrumb it and freeze it. Then mix it with butter and herbs and stick it on baked mushrooms.

Fatten up a duck on it then eat the duck.

and so on...

MATH

I find it much better to make a small loaf once or even twice a day so that you are always using fresh bread. Make sure you are adding the full amount of oil and milk to your bread mixture to add softness to the texture. Leaving them out gives a much lighter french type bread which stales very quickly.

Save all your stales and loaf ends for stuffing mixes, treacle tart, queen of puddings, meat balls, bread and butter pudding, or even for bulking up mince in savoury dishes.