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Sourdough bread is an incredibly popular choice for many people these days. It's soft, chewy and often healthier than other supermarket loaves, which tend to be ultra-processed.

Whether you're making it into a sandwich or topping it with avocado and a poached egg, it's something that always hits the spot, and once you start buying it you'll never go back. However, an alert has been issued to anyone who likes picking it up during the weekly shop - and it's all to do with how you store it at home. According to the experts at The Perfect Loaf, one common error can cause it to become stale much quicker.

There's nothing worse than baking a fresh loaf of sourdough or bringing one home from the shop, using a few slices, and discovering that the rest has gone stale.

And although it might seem like a sensible idea to pop the bread in the fridge - which is often the ideal place to store food so it doesn't spoil - this should be avoided at all costs.

The experts highlighted that this will make your bread go stale much quicker than it would if it was kept at room temperature.

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Instead, you should store it in a plain paper bag or wrapped in a kitchen towel before slicing, which will keep it perfectly soft. If you've got a bread bin at home, then this is also an excellent solution.

However, for extended storage, freezing is the best choice. The experts explained: "The retrogradation process can be mostly halted by subjecting bread to very low temperatures, preventing moisture migration out of starches and their subsequent recrystallisation."

The pros continued: "This means a cooled loaf can be frozen whole or sliced completely, and then the slices are frozen independently."

All you need to do is cut your bread into slices, place them into resealable bags and store flat in the freezer. Then, when you want a piece, simply take one out and toast it.

The frozen slices might take slightly longer to toast than fresh ones, but it can be done, and typically takes just a couple of minutes.