I have a terracotta bread crock. It works quite well, often keeping breads good for a week or longer. Prior to getting a nice deal on the bread crock I had discovered the keeping power of clay when I stashed half a loaf in a Romertopf roaster. I remembered the loaf 5 days later and it was still quite fresh! The roasters turn up frequently at thrift stores in excellent condition - usually selling for under $10 in my area.
