As an avid sourdough bread baker, I’ve made hundreds of loaves of homemade sourdough bread. Unfortunately, I’ve made a few loaves where we ended up having to throw half of the loaf away. Maybe you made a loaf of sourdough bread a few days ago, or perhaps someone gifted you one, and you’re wondering at what point the bread has gone “bad.” In this article, I want to answer that question for you. So, when should you throw out sourdough bread?
As a general rule, you should throw out a loaf of sourdough bread when it shows visible signs of mold, when it has an unpleasant odor, or when it doesn’t taste right. At this point, mold may be contaminating the bread below the surface, even if you can’t see it. However, if sourdough bread is merely dry or stale, you don’t need to throw it away. You can use dry or stale bread to make things like bread pudding or croutons which make good use of old bread.
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In the rest of this article, I’ll share a few signs you can look for to determine whether or not your sourdough bread has gone bad. I’ll also explain a few ways you can store your sourdough bread so it lasts longer.
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Non-Stick Bread Pan
Non-Stick Focaccia Pan
Signs That Your Sourdough Bread Has Gone Bad
1. There Is Visible Mold
When your sourdough bread shows visible signs of mold, it’s time to throw it away. For artisan or homemade sourdough bread, mold usually appears after 5-7 days when you store the bread at room temperature.
Unlike other foods, such as fruit and hard cheese, you cannot cut off the moldy portion of bread and eat the rest of it. Since bread is full of tiny holes and pores, mold can travel easily below the surface of the bread. So, if one part of sourdough bread is affected by mold, the whole loaf is compromised (source: USDA).
As a general rule, mold found on sourdough bread will be fuzzy white or greenish-blue in color. If you see any mold on your loaf of sourdough bread, throw it out.
2. The Bread Has An Unpleasant Smell
Fresh sourdough bread will smell sweet, slightly acidic, and you may even smell some notes of yeast. However, if you smell an unpleasant odor coming from your sourdough bread, it’s time to throw it away.
Unpleasant smells can be a sign of mold growth that is not visible to the naked eye (source). So, if you’re sourdough bread is past stale and you notice an unpleasant smell that no longer reminds you of bread, throw the loaf away.
3. The Bread Has A Bad Taste
Visible mold and bad smells can be a sign that your sourdough bread is past its prime, but so can bad taste. If your sourdough bread has an off taste to it, it’s likely best to throw it out.
Bad odors as well as unpleasant tastes in your sourdough bread could be a sign of potential mold growth that would be unsafe to ingest (source). So, if something tastes off, it’s better just to throw the bread away.
To summarize, if your sourdough bread has visible mold, has a bad smell, or has a bad taste, just go ahead and throw it out. It’s better to be safe than sorry. But, what if your sourdough bread is just dry or stale?
If your sourdough bread is dry or stale, you don’t need to throw it away. It is still safe to eat. You can use old bread in recipes that traditionally call for stale bread, like bread pudding or croutons.
How to Tell If Your Sourdough Bread Is Dry Or Stale
Dry sourdough bread will be crisp and hard to the touch, while stale sourdough bread will feel leathery and tough. If you leave sliced bread exposed to air, it will naturally lose moisture and become dry, but it won’t necessarily be stale. Staling happens when starch granules within the bread transfer moisture into the air pockets of the bread (source). Through this process, stale bread ends up feeling tough and leathery and can actually retain moisture. On the other hand, dry bread just feels crisp and dry, without much moisture at all.
Whether your sourdough bread is just dry, or if it’s actually stale, there are plenty of recipes that you can make which utilize dry or stale bread. Try making sourdough croutons, bread pudding, French toast, or even bread crumbs with your dry/stale loaf.
How to Store Sourdough Bread So It Lasts Longer
As a general rule, sourdough bread will last longer if you store it at room temperature, covered with either a cotton bread bag or a kitchen towel. Storing bread in a plastic bag won’t allow the bread to “breath,” so it may grow mold faster, and storing it in the fridge will speed up the staling process (source). So, storing your sourdough in a cool environment covered with some type of cloth is the best option.
I usually just keep my sourdough bread out on a wooden cutting board. If I slice into the bread, I make sure to place the bread cut-side-down so that the soft interior of the bread doesn’t dry out. This is the best technique that works for me, so go ahead and try it out for yourself.
Conclusion: When Should You Throw Out Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough bread naturally has a longer shelf life than regular breads made with commercial yeast. Even though this is true, every loaf of sourdough bread will eventually go bad. I hope this article has helped you decide when you should finally throw out your sourdough bread. As a rule of thumb, if you see mold on your sourdough bread, if it smells bad, or if it tastes bad, throw it out. That’s easy enough!
If you are interested in making your own sourdough bread from scratch, consider checking out my master sourdough bread recipe here. You can also get my free sourdough starter guide which will walk you through creating your own sourdough starter from scratch.