An answer to yesterdays question!

Thanks lovely reader who wrote to me to explain why my homemade bread does not freeze well. Chris – the lovely reader said:
‘Bread does not seem to freeze well, I have more luck with rolls which I fill while they are frozen on the day you use them. Then they are just defrosted in time for lunch. The reason shop bread freezes better is the additives and the Chorley Wood method of production. I would make smaller loaves more often and store them in the fridge in a plastic bag or container or try a bread bin, which is what my granny did, and she was a professional cook’.

I was freezing the bread as my idea was to slice it, freeze it and then use it for sandwiches all week. I have been used to bread that lasts ages and haven’t had to think about making/ buying fresh bread regularly throughout the week before and at first thought this seems like a bit of hassle.  I want to avoid plastic bags and to be able to control the ingredients in my bread though, so it’s hassle I’m prepared to take on.
Today I went to a bakery very near my house and bought some fresh bread which was entirely unpackaged. The shop put it into paper bags for me to take home, but it would have been easy for me to have asked for them not to put it in the paper bags. This is great and now I know I always have that option, but I’m not 100% what the ingredients were in the bread and the bakery isn’t on my usual routes anywhere so I think it would be easier to make my own bread.
I have found bread flour in some local shops around 50p cheaper than the same flour is sold for in the supermarket, but they only seem to stock a little at a time, which means I have to visit those shops more often than I would like.  I guess I could ask them to order some extra in for me or I could buy bulk flour online.   The cheapest flour I’ve found  is Bacheldre Watermill Organic Stoneground Strong 100% Wholemeal Flour 25 kg which I might invest in…

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I’m going to take on board Chris’s advice to make smaller loaves more regularly. I’m hoping that I settle into some sort of bread making / buying routine that is affordable and practical – I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Do you make all your own bread? How frequently do you make it and how long does it last? Have you bought flour in bulk and if so was it a great money saver or a major hassle to use? Please let me know in the comments section below – thanks!

So far I have given up shampoo and supermarkets as part of My Year of Eco Challenges and now I’m preparing to give up plastic too. If you have a moment I would really appreciate it if you would consider sponsoring me with an action on my DoNation page. Also if you liked this post please click like on Facebook and follow on Twitter – thanks so much!