When you're making yeast breads, usually at some point in the process, the recipe says to lightly grease the top of the dough, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place. Then when the bread is hot out of the oven, after removing it from the pans one of the first things I always do is cover the bread with a towel as it cools.

My mom had several kitchen towels that were dedicated "bread towels". These were usually linen towels, like the old-fashioned "calendar towels", rather than fluffy dish towels. Since the bread dough is usually slightly oily, when it comes into contact with the towel, it leaves some oil on the towel.

Use the same towel(s) to cover your bread every time you bake, and you'll avoid soiling additional kitchen towels! :)

I also do less laundry this way, since I can set aside the "bread towels", folded and put on top of my bread machine, to use again before laundering. Just don't wait too long between laundering, since the oil in the towel can become rancid.

(And as a side note, remember that electric clothes dryers say never to put items in that have been in contact with oil, since the oil won't completely wash out.)

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