I realize there are many ways to use stale bread. I could turn it into breadcrumbs or croutons, but as a household of one, I can only eat so much of them — and once a loaf gets stale, I still need to replace it to make toast and sandwiches, two core parts of my diet.

In other words, a stale loaf of bread is of limited use to me, and since I really love good bread — I buy a loaf of my favorite sourdough from She Wolf Bakery every time I visit a New York City farmers market — it’s a wonder I didn’t realize until recently exactly why I’ve had so much trouble using up a loaf before it becomes dry and bland.

While scrolling through social media, I came across a clip of Paul Hollywood, one of the most iconic bread makers, revealing a simple mistake many of us, including myself, make when bringing a loaf of bread home.

Although I learned my kitchen storage habits from my mom, an emphatic message from the host of The Great British Bake Off and a cookbook author might be enough to change my well-established ways.

Don’t store your bread in the refrigerator

In a video shared earlier this summer, Hollywood emphasizes, “Don’t put your bread in the fridge. It will stale quicker, because it takes the moisture out and dries it quicker.”

Bread goes stale because the moisture in the dough gradually evaporates. However, there’s also another crucial process that causes bread to become stale, and your refrigerator will actually accelerate it.

As bread is baked, the starches in the dough gelatinize, absorbing water and expanding with heat. This process is crucial for transforming the dough into the texture you expect from finished bread. However, after the bread comes out of the oven, these starches begin to crystallize, returning to their original form before baking.

This process is called retrogradation recrystallization. As recrystallization occurs, it pushes water out of the starch molecules, causing the bread to dry out and harden. Where does the refrigerator factor into play? Retrogradation recrystallization happens more quickly when bread is stored at low temperatures but not frozen.

In other words, the chemical process that causes bread to go stale is scientifically shown to speed up when you put a loaf in the fridge.

Where should you store your bread instead?

When it comes to where you should be putting your bread instead, Hollywood has two suggestions. The bread expert explains that “You can freeze it. Slice it up and wrap each individual slice in cling film and pop it in the freezer. All you have to do is bring it out, unwrap it, pop it in the toaster.”

For anyone like me who usually cooks for just one or two people, this is the best way to store bread — especially a really nice loaf — so that you can make the most of every piece. Plus, it means you don’t have to thaw an entire loaf before it’s ready to slice and serve.

But if you want to keep a whole loaf unthawed, which is especially useful if you’re cooking for a family or planning to host a dinner party, Hollywood also says, “To be honest, I just put it in a brown bag and leave it on the side.”

A brown paper bag is porous, allowing air to circulate through it and moisture from the bread to still evaporate. The bag won’t stop the natural staling process of bread, but it won’t speed it up like a fridge. This is also important for preventing the development of mold. If you store bread at room temperature in a plastic Ziploc bag, moisture can build up inside, encouraging mold to grow.

Whether you paper bag or freeze it, Hollywood’s expertise will help you enjoy a great loaf of bread for as long as possible.