Bread has a certain shelf life, beyond which it can go stale, become moldy, and, in a short time, become inedible. It’s possible to extend its delicious lifespan, once you understand the ins and outs of how to store bread. It’s the starch in any baked goods that makes them become stale. Exposure to air and heat can make the starch crystallize or degrade more quickly. Trapped moisture is what hastens the process of mold growth. Store-bought sandwich bread and other commercial bakery products can have a much longer useful life because they are made with preservatives. Homemade or bakery artisan bread that is preservative-free can turn stale or become moldy much more quickly. It’s a storage problem. If you don’t like throwing out the rest of the hardened, stale, or even moldy bread pieces, I have some ingenious tips to keep bread fresher for longer—up to the very last …