vcyr6deki7urfdc wrote:
What is the best way to keep home made bread fresh for the few days after it
is baked and before the entire loaf is eaten?

It depends on the type of bread. For a crusty bread, I prefer a paper
bag. For a rich bread with a soft crust, I prefer a plastic bag. In
either case, either keep the bread at room temperature or freeze it. Do
not put it in the refrigerator, which hastens staling.


Are there other problems to watch out for besides drying out (becoming
stale) or becoming moldy? I've noticed that sometimes the flavor changes for
the worse and/or it begins to smell "off". Is there a way to prevent that?
(I've been keeping the bread in a plastic bag).


If the bread begins to smell off, I would take that as a sign that it is
underbaked. Underbaking can be the ultimate result of poor gluten
development, too much flour in the dough, underproofing, and other
errors. So I would look to root causes before worrying too much about
storage techniques.

Dick