314 FOOD FACTS Do you buy more bread than you eat? HOW TO KEEP THE LOAF FRESH LONGER AND AVOID WASTE KEEPING bread fresh is a problem in many households. Nowadays it's not always easy to buy it just as you need it. On the other hand, it's by no means easy to calculate in advance just how much bread your family is going to eat! The right way to keep bread, to prevent it going stale, is to wrap it in a clean dry cloth— never a damp one!—and place it on an airy shelf. If you use a crock or bin, see that it is sweet and dry, and that the lid is slightly tilted.