Bread boxes - - - I never knew this!

.... I can't remember now how it came to be, but I started reading online about bread boxes.  I always just assumed a bread box was a place to store your bread so the counter wouldn't look messy.  Not so!  I have discovered that the traditional Bread Box helps to keep bread fresh longer.  How did I not know this?  I guess my mom didn't use one and I simply never talked with anyone about it.  I thought I would put it to the test.  I don't have an official Bread Box (yet), so I cleaned up this old "tin" to use:

It's a nice big old cookie tin that I've had for a number of years and have used to store canning rings in.  I thought, "Well, if this works, then I'll see if I can get a real Bread Box."  The article I was reading suggests wrapping the loaf of bread in a cotton cloth, so that's what I did.  I put my loaf of whole wheat sourdough bread in the tin, wrapped in a nice cotton cloth.  Here is what is left today.  I put it in there on Tuesday, so that was 3 days ago.

Let's unwrap it!

And here I cut off a nice slice.

The bread is still nice and moist and nearly as fresh as the day I made it.  Now, I do understand that sourdough bread (true, long - fermented bread) has better keeping qualities than "normal" bread, but even so... this is much much better!

If you store your fresh breads in plastic bags, it simply doesn't work.  I don't know why.  It just doesn't.  And if you pre-slice your bread, that's not a good idea either.

I can't tell you how pleased I am!  The extra bread that I made is in a plastic bag in the freezer.  When I need some, I will just get it out and let it thaw and then wrap it in the cloth and put it in the tin.  

A small thing, again, but I am easily entertained.  ;)