Unopened loaves stay fresh for months. Store Essential on your counter or within your pantry.

Wrap the bread in a cotton bread bag, tea towel, paper bag, plastic wrap, or zip-lock and store in a dry place for up to 2 days. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Refresh hard bread with a light spritz of water and a 400-degree oven for ten minutes. If longer-term storage is needed, freeze the loaf. When you’re ready to eat it, bake frozen or thawed loaves at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Yes, loaves come partially baked and you finish baking them according to the instructions on the back of packaging. For most loaves*, we recommend finishing in your conventional oven at 400-425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

*All except the French Demi Baguette, which should only be baked for 6-8 minutes.

Every oven and climate bakes our breads slightly different. Under and over baking often happens when the oven has not been fully allowed to pre-heat. For a less crunchy crust, wrap in foil first and bake to desired level. For a crunchier crust, bake on the top rack of the oven.

No, Essential uses all-natural organic ingredients. The extended shelf life comes from our patent-pending Fresh Seal™ packaging technology.