Paul Hollywood warns about common mistake Brits make with bread – as he says it spoils ‘three times as quickly’

TIRED of making a tasty sandwich or slice of toast online only to realize your bread has gone bad?

Well, it might just be a matter of how you store it, at least according to baking pro Paul Hollywood.

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The Great British Bake Off judge recently revealed the common mistake millions of Brits are making: making fresh bread spoil three times as quickly.

On TikTok, foodie Paul, 58, explained that he is always asked about the best way to store bread – and always gives the same answer.

“If you store bread in the refrigerator, it will stale three times faster because you are removing all the moisture from the bread,” he said.

This happens because of a process called retrogradation, where starch molecules crystallize at lower temperatures.

So if you must stay away from the refrigerator, where is best to buy bread?

“To be honest,” said Paul, “I just put it in a brown bag and set it aside.”

But that advice didn’t go down too well with other foodies on the social media app.

Many people disagreed with Paul and insisted that storing bread in the refrigerator is the best method, especially during the hot summer months.

Commenting on the clip, which has so far racked up more than 1.4 million views, one person said: “I can’t believe this, I kept the bread in the fridge for a week, it’s better before the date and it was still good.”

Others insisted that the freezer is the best place to put bread.

“I always put it in the freezer and defrost it as needed. This makes gluten easier to digest and adds flavor to freshly purchased bread,” someone wrote.

Another agreed: “I keep it in the freezer and it lasts a long time, I only store it in a sealed plastic bag.

“Freezing is the best way to store bread, I’ve been doing it for 50 years and I always have many varieties of bread in the freezer,” said another person.

Sophie Trueman, Too Good To Go’s in-house food waste expert, suggested something a little different to help bread last longer.

Talking to Express.co.ukshe recommended storing the bread in a cloth bag for long-lasting freshness.

“Remember that if the bread is freshly made, you should not store it in an airtight bag, as it will not be able to breathe.

“You need to let it breathe so that it maintains its optimal conservation. Storing it in a bread basket or cloth bag, as mentioned, so it cools at room temperature is always the best option.”

The professional agreed that the refrigerator is no place for bread like Paul.