Bread should NEVER be kept in the fridge. Refrigeration causes bread to "stale" rather rapidly. For long term storage, try your freezer.

If the bread is getting sweaty, there's probably a lot of moisture in the bag. That could be why it's getting moldy out of the fridge. What kind of bread is it? Do you know if it has been previously frozen? Do you have very humid air where you live?

The major companies tend to put the bread in the plastic wrapper before it's done cooling. This is part of what keeps the bread so soft and chewy. When you look at the bread in the store, you can often see moisture on the inside of the plastic.

The bread from minor companies, especially the ones that don't use preservatives, often have their wares supercooled or frozen, whether before shipping or after arrival, so when you see them newly stocked on the shelves you can also see moisture on the inside of the wrapper.

If it's bakery or homemade bread, you might be putting it in the fridge before it has released all of its steam.

If you don't have an overly humid kitchen, you can try removing the bread from the wrapper when you get it home. Let it sit for a little while (half hour or hour--not too long), then wrap it in your own, good and dry, bag.

I don't ever keep bread in the fridge because of the staling (heating temporarily unstales bread so if you only ever make toast you might not notice it), but I've never had anything else get sweaty in my Miele fridge. OTOH, it doesn't dry out the blueberries like the old fridge did. That might be where you're seeing the difference.

I live in the South where bread on the counter or breadbox in the summer time will last about 2 days before mold takes over. There is a solution. Don't refrigerate bread. It's gross. You can freeze it though and just peel off a slice or two at a time and toast lightly to bring it back and it will be fine. The secret is to be sure to scrape off the ice crystals before reheating and to not freeze it for too long before you use it.

OK, thanks -- I guess I will not put the bread in the fridge even though it takes us a lot longer than 2 days to eat a loaf. I will try the freezer. It is all bread that is affected this way in this fridge - store bought whole wheat, bagels, etc.

FWIW.....I've been making bread for quite a while to keep my 99-year-young mommy happy. We make six loaves at a time. When they're cool, we tie them up in plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Over the next weeks, we take them out one-by-one and let them thaw. They keep fine at room temp for 3-4 days. Quality after thaw is excellent -- can't tell from fresh.

Refrigeration, however, is bad news for bread.

I have no problems refrigerating my bread. I keep it tightly wrapped.

I bake bread too, keep it on the counter for a day or two, then pre-slice it, put in ziploc bag and freeze. A slice can be popped directly into the toaster. Perfect!