Bread is a staple we use in almost every meal, from buttery toast in the morning to a hearty sandwich at lunch, but it is frustrating when it spoils just a few days after being bought. It may seem easy to bread by keeping it in a box, but in summer it needs a little more preparation to keep fresh as the increased temperature makes mould more common.

Mould tends to thrive in British summers as our weather is not just hot but humid, which means storing bread in an enclosed space will trap too more moisture in the air and speed up the mould growth. However, the baking experts at have shared a very simple way to keep humidity out of your bread box - and all you need is a sugar cube or a potato.

The expert said: "Placing a potato cut in half or a sugar cube in the bread bin will help regulate the humidity level."

It may sound utterly bizarre, but sugar is naturally very absorbent and will draw access moisture out of the air which mould needs to thrive.

Having a sugar cube in your bread box, or wherever you store bread, will create a drier environment to keep your bread fresh.

However, if you are having the opposite problem and bread is going stale quickly due to the rising temperature then put a potato in your bread box instead.

Potatoes contain a lot of water and will naturally release moisture into the air, which slows down the staling process as it stops bread drying out.

Placing sugar cubes or half a potato next to bread is a old fashioned yet effective way to control the moisture levels to keep it fresh.

It should also be noted that one big mistake people make is storing bread in plastic, as the material traps way too much moisture and make it mouldy.

The expert said: "If storing bread at room temperature, do not use plastic bags and cling film as they prevent the product from breathing."

Instead, store bread in fabric or paper as it is more breathable material which helps stop mould but will also create a barrier to protect it from going stale.

Store bread in a paper or cotton bag and your bread will stay perfect. However, you could also wrap bread in a baking paper or a clean tea towel which should keep it fresh for up to a week longer.