vcyr6deki7urfdc wrote:
> What is the best way to keep home made bread fresh for the few days after it
> is baked and before the entire loaf is eaten?

It depends on the type of bread. For a crusty bread, I prefer a paper
bag. For a rich bread with a soft crust, I prefer a plastic bag. In
either case, either keep the bread at room temperature or freeze it. Do
not put it in the refrigerator, which hastens staling.

>
> Are there other problems to watch out for besides drying out (becoming
> stale) or becoming moldy? I've noticed that sometimes the flavor changes for
> the worse and/or it begins to smell "off". Is there a way to prevent that?
> (I've been keeping the bread in a plastic bag).
>

If the bread begins to smell off, I would take that as a sign that it is
underbaked. Underbaking can be the ultimate result of poor gluten
development, too much flour in the dough, underproofing, and other
errors. So I would look to root causes before worrying too much about
storage techniques.

Dick