Delaying Staling

There is, somehow, a distinction between old bread and stale bread. Old bread (well made) can, like old people, improve in character. The wonderful crust of the fresh loaf may be gone, but there is a subtle complexity that accompanies the bread as the days go by. Nevertheless, bread does eventually age and deteriorate. This process of staling is called “starch retrogradation.” Prior to baking, starch is in a crystalline state; during baking, the starch gelatinizes as it swells with water. As the baked bread begins to cool, the starch begins to revert to its former crystalline structure and the crumb of the bread hardens. While eventual retrogradation and staling cannot be eliminated, there are ways to prolong the onset and somewhat delay the effects: