Who doesn’t love a fresh loaf of bread? I certainly do.  The only problem I have with bread is storing it so I don’t end up having a stale piece of toast for breakfast the next day.   I usually freeze about half the loaf once I come home from the market but, lets be honest, frozen bread just is not the same.  I knew there had to be a way out there to preserve bread without throwing it in the freezer.

That is how my quest for the best storage method for bread came about.  Paper and plastic bags never seem to do the job and leave me with hard bread only suitable for croutons.  I don’t really care for croutons, so my search was fueled with even more determination to find an answer.  The answer, strangely enough, is linen.

Linen bags are the perfect way to store bread because they are breathable, yet tightly closed.  It seems a bit unlikely, I know, but it really does work.  I am actually quite pleased the answer to a fresher loaf of bread is linen because they look a lot nicer than a crumpled bag.  Not only do linen bags look lovely on your kitchen counter, they also save you (and the environment) a lot of paper and plastic. 

Storing your bread in a linen bag leaves you with bread that stays fresher longer.  Unlike plastic, which turns bread tough and soggy, linen lets the bread breathe.  This means, your crust is still crisp and the inside of the loaf stays soft and fluffy.

There are a number of stores online that offer linen bread bags, including my favorite Swedish version found at the Huset store.  I was all set to order a few bags until realized something- I can make that!  I do enjoy the occasional craft session, but this is so simple to make it hardly counts as a craft.

All you need to make your very own bread bag is a piece of linen, tea towels work really well, and a drawstring cord.  Just make a couple seams to create a drawstring bag essentially.  It doesn’t have to been perfect; mistakes make it look more…rustic. 

Of course, you can let your creativity run wild with this.  I think using vintage linen tea towels look and work very nicely.  If you are good at embroidery then perhaps a little design or personalized detail will make your bag look even more beautiful.  My favorite way to decorate it is simply with the word “bread” on it.  Or perhaps label it in different languages such as “le pain” or “bröd”.

If all this sounds a tad daunting then maybe just try a colorful cord for the drawstring to start with.  Still too much? You can just close it with a rubber band then….no one is grading you on this.   In the end, it is just a bag for bread so you don’t need to break out all the arts and crafts if you don’t want to.  But that is what I love about making your own bag. It is so simple and you can create it however you want!  They are so easy to make that you can even hand them out to friends and family, because everybody loves fresh bread.