Topic summary
Stale
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Staling.
Mechanism and effects
Stale bread is dry and hard. Bread will stale even in a moist environment and stales most rapidly at temperatures just above freezing. While bread that has been frozen when fresh may be thawed acceptably, contrary to popular belief, bread stored in a refrigerator will have increased staling rates. Staling alone does not make bread unsafe to eat. However, mold growth can make bread unsafe to eat. Mold growth can be slowed by refrigeration.