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Sometimes white bread, while initially fine, after a few days becomes sticky inside as if its going back to a dough-state, though not quite. The taste also becomes odd. Does anyone understand what is happening ...? Heating/drying it in various ways does not help (e.g. steaming, microwave, toasting etc)

i think i have seen this happen only with the small bakery breads, not the mass market variety...

thanks..

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  • Very odd observation. Bread normally becomes stale, which is drier than fresh, not stickier. How do you store your bread? Could it be eaten up by mold? (But I can't imagine that a mold infestation strong enough to change the texture won't be recognized by sight and smell).
    – rumtscho ♦
    Feb 18, 2014 at 12:17
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    Do you live in a humid area? Bread only dries out if the air is drier than the bread.
    – Satanicpuppy
    Feb 18, 2014 at 21:36
  • I've observed the same thing. I do live in a humid area, but I'd expect the bread to become soft and chewy. However, it gets very sticky in some spots after 3 days or so. And toasting it just make the sticky spots a bit softer and even more sticky.
    – user1906
    Feb 25, 2014 at 23:41
  • How did you keep it? That essential information is missing from your question, edit it in.
    – user34961
    Apr 7, 2018 at 7:25

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This almost sounds like rope spoilage. From what I've read on various bread blogs, rope spores will cause a typical loaf of bread to deteriorate very quickly in exactly the manner you describe: the center becomes doughy and stretchy. My understanding is that the rope spores can contaminate kitchens and become a real problem for baked goods.

I had a hard time coming up with details on it, but you might want to check the following link for a picture and description:

http://www.intechopen.com/books/advances-in-applied-biotechnology/fermentation-processes-using-lactic-acid-bacteria-producing-bacteriocins-for-preservation-and-improv

I first read about rope spoilage years ago on a bread forum called The Fresh Loaf.

You may also want to check with your local agricultural extension service. There might be testing available.

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Just experienced this for the first time after making our own bread for years. A 3 day old loaf became sticky to touch, the crumb coming away on fingers, almost impossible to slice as the blade drags through the crumb. I binned it to be on the safe side

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