Kate's Global Kitchen: Gourmet Bread Bag

Gourmet Bread Bag

It's better than a breadbox!

Ever since I got my new KitchenAid mixer I've stopped buying bread. If I could get rustic, whole grain artisanal breads up here in our tiny mountain community, I'd likely not make the two loaves a week I've been whipping up in my mixer. But with all the wonderful meals I enjoy making, and the excellent specialty food products I get to sample, those tasteless, doughy white breads just don't cut it.

The same day my mixer arrived I received a Gourmet Bread Bag as a sample—how fortuitous! I've been using it ever since. The bag consists of a heavy plastic liner encased in a white cotton drawstring bag. Simply insert the loaf and pull the string until almost closed. Amazingly enough, bread really does stay fresh for days, even weeks—including my homemade organic, preservative-free breads.

I have to admit that I'm not too keen on the artwork on the bags. It's not offensive or ugly, just not very sophisticated. I'd much prefer an unbleached, natural fabric without a design. But this in no way dampens my enthusiasm for the actual product's performance, and at $11.95 per bag (plus shipping & handling), this worthwhile product is a very affordable investment.

The bags come in two sizes: Long (20x10 inches) and Short (16x12 inches). Note: This was written in 1998 and the manufacturer at Just for Bread may no longer be in business: here's some alternatives:

"Best" Brand Bread Bag, Dalla Piazza Bread Bag, and Stelton Black Bread Bag—(also in white) White Bread Bag or (red) Red Bread Bag

Want a really unique bread recipe? Here's an Italian one from What You Knead by Mary Ann Esposito:

Mushrooms (and there isn't a single mushroom in the recipe!)

Kate Heyhoe
The Global Gourmet

This page originally published as a Global Gourmet Today column in 1998.

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