7

Yesterday I baked a special loaf of bread with an egg yolk glaze. After it was mostly cooled I covered it with plastic wrap and set it on the counter to be served today. I am now concerned that I should have refrigerated it, because of the egg glaze. There is some condensation that formed and the crust is a little damp. Is it safe to eat?

1 Answer 1

8

The safety issue isn't so much the egg glaze, it is the fact that your bread was not cooled properly before covering it. This left a warm, humid environment for bacteria to grow. Because of this, I would not serve it. However, the best way to judge whether there is a problem or not is to use sight and smell. If you weren't the one to make it, would you want to eat it?

The solution would not necessarily have been to refrigerate it, but to make sure it was cooled before wrapping. Refrigerating would have also caused condensation, although it would have reduced the amount of time the bread was warm. Next time, allow the bread to cool uncovered inside or outside of the refrigerator. You could partially cover it, leaving a hole in the top for the humid air to escape. When you think it is cooled and OK to cover, check back in a half hour to look for condensation. If there is condensation, uncover it and allow it to cool a little bit longer before rewrapping.

1
  • thanks! I will try again - I don't like to take any chances.
    – mamadalgas
    Feb 2, 2011 at 16:27

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.