How long does bread last?

Packaged store-bought bread keeps 14 to 18 days at room temperature from the day you buy it, thanks to its preservatives. Homemade and bakery bread keeps 3 to 5 days. Both freeze well for about 3 months.

Food	Fridge	Freezer	Pantry
Store-bought bread, rolls and buns	—Opened: 2–3 weeks	3–5 monthsfrom purchase	14–18 daysfrom purchase
Homemade bread	—	3 months	3–5 days

Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.

How to tell if bread has gone bad

Mold: fuzzy spots of green, white, gray, black or pink. If you see any, throw out the whole loaf. Mold roots spread through soft bread well beyond the spot you can see.
A sour, musty or yeasty smell.
Hard and dry bread is stale, not spoiled: it's fine for toast, croutons or breadcrumbs.

How to store bread

Keep bread at room temperature in its bag, a bread box or a cloth bag, away from the stove and direct sun.
Close the bag tightly to stop it drying out, but don't seal warm bread in plastic: the moisture brings mold.
The fridge slows mold but makes bread go stale faster, so it's only worth it in hot, humid weather.
Crusty bakery bread keeps its crust best in a paper or cloth bag, and goes soft in plastic.

Can you freeze bread?

Yes, bread freezes very well for about 3 months. Slice it first so you can take out just what you need, and wrap it tightly in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Toast slices straight from frozen, or thaw a loaf at room temperature in its wrapping and warm it in the oven for a few minutes to refresh the crust.

Questions

Can you eat bread if you cut off the mold?

No. The USDA advises throwing out moldy bread: on soft foods, mold sends roots below the surface that you can't see, and some molds produce toxins.

Should you keep bread in the fridge?

Usually not. Cold speeds up staling, so bread goes dry and hard faster in the fridge than on the counter. The freezer is the better choice for bread you won't eat within a few days.