What Is The Best Way To Store Gluten-Free Bread? – Our Guide!

If you are making some gluten-free bread at home or maybe you’ve brought a sealed pack from the supermarket, you might have seen on the packaging that this bread needs to be refrigerated. 

Gluten free bread needs to be frozen not refrigerated since it does not contain additives and preservatives like standard bread, therefore mould in the bread grows very quickly at room temperature. 

In our guide below, we will discuss how long gluten free bread lasts, some tips for storing this kind of bread, what it’s made of and how to make it plus defrost it in the best way!

How Long Is Gluten Free Breads Shelf Life? 

For most gluten free bread brands you can expect the bread to last between 4-6 months once opened, but this is because they are frozen, for an unopened vacuum sealed gluten free bread you can also expect them to last around 4 months. 

The shelf life of store-bought bread dramatically decreases once opened, you can only expect these types of breads to last a few days since bacteria will make the bread mouldy.

Tips For Storing Gluten Free Bread

Gluten free bread can go bad quickly according to how it is made and how long the pre-packaged gluten free bread has been opened. 

If you’ve made some homemade gluten free bread at home or brought some expensive bread for the store, we’ve got some great tips for storing this kind of bread down below.

• Avoid storing gluten free bread in a plastic bag which is air sealed at room temperature, this is because the moisture in the bread will condense and make the fresh bread go soggy quickly.
• For a fresh loaf of bread, we suggest storing it in a bread box, this will allow air to circulate the bread but not so much that moisture clings to the bread and condenses.
• We do not suggest storing homemade gluten bread in a fridge, this is because bread can dry out fast in a fridge since it’s meant to keep moisture out of the bread. 
• Any gluten free leftover bread we suggest storing it in the freezer, this bread can start to go bad in as little as 3-4 days, make sure to keep the bread in a freezer-safe wrap so as you can prevent freezer burn, we also suggest slicing your bread before wrapping to make it easier to use.
• Allow gluten free bread to cool down fully before storing, this is because any moisture left on the homemade gluten bread will then condense and make the regular bread soggy. 
• Leave your gluten free bread whole until you are ready to eat it, cutting the bread into pieces will make it go bad faster.

What Is Gluten Free Bread Made From? 

Regular non-gluten bread is made from flour, water, yeast and salt, making your everyday bread very simple, this kind of bread is held together by gluten. The gluten is activated to make the bread stay together when kneading it. 

Learn more here Can You Eat Yeast On A Gluten Free Diet?

Gluten free bread, on the other hand, used ingredients such as quinoa, rice, almond, buckwheat and more, to make it glue together as gluten does, either starch or gum is used in the bread. 

• Starch – Starch such as corn, tapioca, and arrowroot, is used in home-baked gluten free bread to act as gluten.
• Gums – Xanthan gum and guar gum are both used inside of gluten free bread, due to the fermentation of sugar in them they produce a gel-like substance which helps hold non-gluten bread together.

How To Make Gluten Free Bread 

If you’re tired of buying freshly baked gluten-free breads which go bad all the time or are too expensive, we’ve got a great recipe for you to try out below. 

Ingredients 

• Teaspoon of xanthan gum.
• Teaspoon of gluten free baking powder. 
• Three egg whites. 
• Teaspoon of salt. 
• One and a half cups of warm water. 
• Teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. 
• 1/4 cup of honey and olive oil. 
• Packet of instant yeast. 

Method 

1. Start by spraying a 9 x 5-inch bread pan then preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Add the baking powder, yeast and gluten free flour into a bowl then stir. 
2. Next mix your apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey and warm water, stirring for around a minute. Add in the egg whites and salt to make dough. 
3. Pour this mixture into the baking pan, cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for around 30 minutes. 
4. Bake the bread in the oven on the middle rack for around 30 minutes, remove once baked, cool in the pan for around 10 minutes then remove and allow the bread to cool down completely before slicing.
5. The bread can also be stored for a further three months in the freezer in a freezer-safe airtight bag.

Tips For Making Gluten Free Bread

• Use room temperature ingredients. 
• Make sure that your yeast is fresh. 
• Make egg whites at room temperature by letting them sit in warm water for five minutes. 
• Bake the bread on the middle rack and keep it horizontal for even baking.

Find out here Does Gluten Free Mean No Carbs

How To Defrost Gluten Free Bread

If you have frozen your gluten free bread to help it last longer then you might be curious as to how you can defrost your bread while avoiding loss of moisture or your bread becoming too soggy. 

To defrost gluten free bread properly you need to make sure you leave it in its wrap and allow it to defrost at room temperature. For slices, it will take around 30 minutes for them to sit out and defrost, for a whole loaf you’re looking at around five hours or more. 

You can also defreeze gluten free bread in the microwave by splashing it with some water and microwaving it for 30 minutes or putting it in the toaster.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten Free Bread & Refrigeration 

Does regular bread last longer than gluten free bread? 

Regular bread does tend to last longer than gluten free bread since it often has more preservatives inside the bread.

How long does home-baked gluten free bread last?

Home baked gluten free bread will last 3-4 days maximum, in the freezer, it could be between 3-4 months or longer.

When should I cut my gluten free bread loaf into slices of bread? 

Only cut up your gluten free loaf bread once you’re ready to eat it, this will help the bread last longer, make sure you cut it into slices before freezing it if you want to use it slice by slice.

Should I wrap bread when freezing it? 

Bread should be wrapped in a freezer wrap before freezing to help protect it from freezer burn. Double wrapping is also ideal.

Does bread in cling film last longer?

No, bread in cling films can trap moist bread underneath causing it to condense and become soggy bread.

How long does regular wheat bread last?

Regular wheat bread lasts 3-4 days like gluten free bread, after then it needs to be frozen to extend its lifespan. A great place to store wheat bread is in a bread bin where it can access air but not condense moisture due to being too airtight.

Last Words

Overall, gluten free bread should not be refrigerated, keeping it frozen is ideal, where it can last between 4-6 months. This is because gluten-free bread at room temperature becomes mouldy quickly since the bread does not contain preservatives, room temperature gluten free bread will last 4 days maximum. 

Find out here The Best Vegan Bread You Can Get at the Grocery Store.