Should leftover steamed buns and bread be refrigerated? Or leave it at room temperature? Experts reveal: the culprit of starch aging

Steamed buns and bread are not only delicious, but also breakfast supplements for many people. In order to make it convenient to use at any time, many people are accustomed to buying several days' worth of it at a time. However, if you want to maintain the flavor and taste of bread and steamed buns, should they be kept at room temperature or refrigerated? Let us hear what the experts say!

How should you store bread and steamed buns after you bring them home?

In his book "The Science of Deliciousness in the Kitchen", culinary scientist Zhang Zhigang mentioned that one of his female students was once troubled by whether fresh bread or steamed buns should be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It turned out that because her husband liked to eat pasta such as bread and steamed buns, the family often bought them.

He believed that freshly baked steamed buns and bread were very fresh and would be bad if they were frozen, so he bought them and placed them on the dining table. However, her husband questioned that such behavior would cause the pasta to lose its freshness, and insisted that it must be refrigerated. The two often argued about this.

Freshly baked steamed buns and bread are very fresh, and it would be bad if they were frozen, so I just put them on the dining table after buying them.

Refrigeration can easily cause starch aging, so it is not possible to eat it immediately, so it is more appropriate to freeze it.

How should steamed buns and bread be stored correctly? Zhang Zhigang said that if fresh bread or steamed buns are stored in a refrigerator at 4°C, they will age, dry out and harden faster, and the aging rate will increase by 6 times. In fact, starch aging can also be called the "re-condensation" phenomenon, which is an irreversible process of starch. As long as it is kept at room temperature or below room temperature, the starch structure may partially crystallize and become opaque, which will not only deteriorate the taste but also reduce the digestion and absorption rate.

If fresh bread or steamed buns are stored in a refrigerator at 4°C, they will age, dry out and harden faster, with the aging rate increasing by 6 times.

Therefore, if you can finish eating it within a short period of time, steamed buns or bread taste best when they are freshly baked and should not be kept in the refrigerator. If it is impossible to finish eating within one or two days, it is recommended to seal it directly and store it in a -18℃ freezer. Not only can it last for a long time and is not prone to aging, it is also not prone to mold. When you want to eat it, take it out and return it to room temperature. Of course, it is even better to reheat it.