How to Cool Bread

After making homemade bread, you'll need to cool it after removing it from the oven. To keep the bread in top shape, it needs to be cooled properly to avoid sweating, stickiness, or too much softness.

This method relates to yeasted breads, not unleavened varieties.

Steps

1
Read the recipe. The recipe may make a certain cooling method apparent and this should be followed to ensure the outcome promised by the recipe.^{[1]
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Research source} If not, follow the method outlined here.
2
Remove the bread from the oven. Use oven mitts to protect your hands from both the hot pan and oven. When handling the hot bread, consider leaving the mitts on initially.

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3
Remove the bread from the loaf pan or baking pan as soon as you've removed it from the oven. This is important because bread left in the pan outside of the oven will become moist, soggy, and sponge-like very quickly as the moisture in the pan condenses onto the bread.
4
Turn the bread out onto a wire cooling rack. Leave to cool, or you can take slices of the bread when warm for a "hot bread" treat.^{[2]
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5
Ensure that any bread to be stored is absolutely cold before placing it into plastic or paper. This will ensure that it stays crisp around the crust.^{[3]
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6
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

Should bread be cooled on its side?

Community Answer

No, you do not have to cool the bread on its side.
Question

Do I have to cool it on the windowsill? I don't have a screen, and there are pigeons outside.

Community Answer

You can just cool it on a wire rack on a counter.
Question

Can I cool gluten-free bread in the fridge?

Community Answer

Sure, but keep it tightly sealed in a plastic bag so that it doesn't absorb any smells from the fridge.