Bakery bread stays good 2–3 days at room temperature, commercial sliced loaves 5–7 days, and any bread freezes well for about 3 months. The fridge is the worst place for bread — it goes stale faster there.
Fridge
Not recommended — accelerates staling
Freezer
About 3 months, sliced before freezing
Counter / pantry
2–3 days artisan · 5–7 days packaged
Store it right
Keep crusty loaves cut-side down in paper or a bread box.
Slice before freezing so you can toast straight from frozen.
Use an airtight bag only for soft sandwich bread.
Signs it has gone off
Any visible mould — discard the whole loaf
Musty smell
Rock-hard, dry crumb
Rescue ideas
Stale bread becomes croutons, breadcrumbs, panzanella or French toast.
Revive a dry loaf: sprinkle with water and bake 8 minutes at 180 °C.