It turns out, bread goes stale because of a process called starch retrogradation, which is just a fancy way of saying that the starches in the bread start to crystallize and become, well, stale. But don't worry, it's not the end of the world – you can still revive your bread by toasting it or using it for croutons or bread pudding. Talk about a bread-win!
Now, if you want to get all technical about it, the shelf life of homemade sandwich bread also depends on the type of flour you use. For example, bread made with whole wheat flour tends to last longer than bread made with all-purpose flour, because whole wheat contains more nutrients and antioxidants. But let's not get too caught up in the details – after all, we're just trying to enjoy our delicious homemade bread, not write a thesis about it.
