I’m often asked about the best way to store home baked bread. This natural cotton bag is one of the very best ways I’ve found for storing sourdough loaves. It keeps them fresher for longer and looks good too! I sometimes wrap my loaf in one of our bread towels before putting it in the bag, then I can hang the whole thing on a hook on the door in the kitchen. The bag is very versatile and it also makes a spacious shopping tote, and our students use it to take home the notes, bread and flour samples they get on our courses.
When we decided to produce a bag, we wanted to create something that was unique, something that was connected to us. I saw the work of a local artist called Bonfire Cherry in a cafĂ©, and fell in love with it. Everything was hand carved and printed, using natural organic inks on natural fabric. Bonfire Cherry’s ethos is very close to our own here at The Sourdough School’s connection to people, natural fabrics, creating something beautiful, and supporting each other. So these bags are the antithesis of the mass produced plastic bags that you would find commercial bread in. They are made in small batches (no more than 30 bags at a time), they are hung out on a washing line to dry, and they’re made by a young artist who has a heart of gold, an enormous talent and who is someone we very much enjoy supporting.
My last tip when it comes to this bag is not to wash it every week. I understand that, especially where food is concerned, hygiene is important. But as long as there is nothing left in the bag between loaves that is degrading, then you can simply empty out the crumbs and reuse it. If you do need to wash it, give it a gently hand wash using just a very small amount of mild soap, and definitely not any heavily scented washing powders or fabric conditioners. These scents can be taken up by your bread during storage and I’m pretty sure no one wants the flavour of fabric conditioners in their sourdough!
Size: 41 x 38cm
