If you keep bread or chapati at room temperature, they will start to mold and spoil. If you keep them in the refrigerator, they become hard & dry. So, how do you keep rotis and bread fresh for longer?
Why do roti and bread go stale?
When you cook starch, like in wheat flour, starch granules absorb water and expand. But as it cools down, starch will crystallize. This process is called ‘retrogradation’. In layman’s terms, we call this the roti or bread going stale. This is unfortunate because retrograded starch is harder to digest and causes smaller glucose spikes. In the case of overnight refrigerated rice, this is highly beneficial. However, in the case of roti and bread, they became harder to eat because of the change in textures. Additionally, the rate of retrogradation also slows down, so it doesn’t work out to be as beneficial.
How to keep roti and bread fresh for longer?
If you are someone who doesn’t like wasting food and also likes cooking ahead for a few days, the best place to store your bread and rotis would be the freezer.
At the -15 degrees Celsius temperature of our freezers, the retrogradation process slows down significantly and the roti & bread stay fresh for days. Whenever you want to use them, take them out of the freezer. Then, if it is bread, toast it directly. If it is roti, sprinkle some water and then microwave it directly at low power or heat it on a tava. This way, the roti won’t dry up when you heat it.
How does the ready-to-eat chapati not go stale in the refrigerator?
There is some clever yet simple food science behind keeping the ready-to-eat chapatis fresh in the refrigerator. These chapatis use small amounts of an enzyme called Amylase which breaks down the crystallized starch. Amylase is a protein and enzyme produced by our bodies that helps us digest carbohydrates. The ready-to-eat chapatis also contain oil which interferes with the starch’s ability to crystallize. This is also why parathas don’t go stale in the fridge.
So, the next time you want to store your bread and rotis for a few days, you know what to do.
